Another update:
This image shows the Perspective Projection of the airfield and overall scene. The viewer is 20 feet above the surface (my calculated height of a person on the tower's outside observation deck), and the panorama is 75 degrees wide.
The two visible hangars are at left, and the control tower (here sans the observation tower, to be added later). The runways are shaded in for this illustration. The horizon is the red line - of course, the final horizon will be rolling hills.
I have located the blast pens and other details
in azimuth only at far right. There will be trees there as well. Looks like a lot of empty space, but it will be filled up.
Once I get the airfield outline completely finished, I'll decide where to place various jeeps, fuel trucks, taxiing planes, etc.
Like a sculptor adds clay to a wire framework or "armature", I will add much (very much!) detail to the "frame" you see here. Descriptive Geometry has located each point of interest I've chosen to help build this "frame" in azimuth and elevation relative to the horizon within the planned 75 degree visual angle. The rest is up to the artist's hand ...
The two aircraft just taking off are models I shot for positioning to show to the client. I first decided how "large" on the canvas I wanted the lead ship, then I located that visual angle on my master airfield plot above. Turns out that the pilot's head is 65 linear (not slant range) feet from the viewer's position. The effect I am trying to achieve is that you are on a 20' stand, and they just took off and are making an early turn out and about to zoom over your left shoulder.
Contrary to my initial sketch at the top of this thread, the aircraft aren't directly over the runway - it just didn't work out that way. In fact, the lead Mustang is ~250' to the left (in the direction of takeoff) of the 150'-wide runway's centerline. The "rush", or zoom effect is more prominent this way, and besides, from this viewer's position on the airfield, if I were to show the aircraft directly over the runway (do the math), the lead plane would be approximately 315' from the viewer's eye, and thus quite small in this panorama's context. So, I chose to have the two planes turning out early just after takeoff to join up with the orbiting formation, and also to allow clearance for the next element closely following.
Adding to the dynamic aspect of the piece, the landing gear of the main Mustang will be ~halfway up. The wingman's will be slightly behind in the GEAR UP cycle. As with the airfield, much work is left to do on the planes as well.
Next update will probably be the final outline complete and ready for the pencil study. My goal at present is to finish the airfield portion in outline form, then put this project aside and finish up
Twin-Tailed Dragons, my in-progress P-38 piece.
Wade