Mike Badrocke passed away

[LowObservable]

Sorry to say that Mike Badrocke, genius cutaway artist and design envisioner, has left us at age 85.

We got on well at Flight and he was an enormous help to my early career and my work in the 1980s, not to mention how much I learned from him and his work about how aircraft are put together. He had a new and different approach to cutting into airplanes.

Working at Flight gave me the privilege of watching Mike work, from enlarging and adjusting an image on a magical projection device known only as the Shufti-Scope, through a mesh of 4H pencil lines incomprehensible to mere mortals, to an inking-in process that ended up showing exactly what you wanted to see at whatever depth in the structure.

Here's an unexpected tribute to Mike's work, from the recent Gordon &co book on the Tu-22M series. I can hear his throaty chuckle even now...

RIP mate, can you play The Molecatcher on a harp?

 

[Justo Miranda]

RIP

 

[aim9xray]

Very sorry to hear this!

Question:
shuftiscope - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
shuftiscope (UK, military, slang, dated) An invasive medical instrument used to test a patient for dysentery. Eh wot?

 

[flateric]

The legend is gone...

 

[martinbayer]

Farewell.

 

[archipeppe]

Oh no, what a sad news!!

Mike was a true giant, among aerospace artists and a true source of inspiration.
I loved his coloured cutaways back in the 90's.

Godspeed Mike.....

 

[Hood]

That is sad news, a legend of illustration indeed - back in the days when it was all done by hand.

 

[Foo Fighter]

RIP. Clear blue skies and gregarious company to you, Sir.

 

[Antonio]

I grow up fascinated with his art. I developed an interest for technology thanks to people like him. And that interest is amongst the things that make me happy. My gratitude to Mr Badrocke. RIP.

 

[fightingirish]

May Mr. Mike Badrocke rest in peace.

---

As a teenager in the 1990s, I loved buying the monthly issue of Air International, either at book shop near a train station here in Germany or at a local magazine shop during my holidays with my family in Ireland. I still remember buying the issue with his first F-22 cutaway drawing in May 1997.
Just a few days ago, I was looking through some old issues, where I saw his cutaways.
I was asking myself, what Mike was doing in the 2020s and if he was still drawing cutaways. I thought of even asking these questions in this forum, but I unfortunately forgot it.

 

[FighterJock]

Very sad news RIP.

 

[archipeppe]

I met the fabolous work of Mike Bradocke in early 80's thanks to the "L'Aviazione" enciclopedya published in Italy by De Agostini bros.



And back in early 90's with its follow up "Take Off" always by De Agostini bros.

 

[Antonio]

L'Aviazione" enciclopedya published in Italy by De Agostini bros.

I have all the 17 volumes in Spanish Edition

 

[xena]

It looks like a publication from Marshall Cavendish Ltd in many languages and many different titles in the '80ies.


R.I.P. Mike Badrocke

 

[pathology_doc]

 

[Motocar]

Tribute. I just found out about the passing of Mike Badrocke on 9/24/2024 at 9:58 am Venezuela time.
I modestly confess that his work inspired me a lot, remember I am self-taught in this type of drawings that I do more out of passion for aviation than for economic benefits. Thank you Mike for your work and teachings. Rest in peace knowing that you were the light that illuminated a path for many followers.
A life with a long and prolific work, full of achievements shared through unpublished images in each of his works, the development of great techniques to make his iconic images in his spectacular works.

 

[TomcatViP]

Idem for me. So sad to hear such.
I have starred so much of his incredible art that he probably could claim some tenths of my lost eyesight.

 

[publiusr]

This one really hurts