Weathered Red Aircraft Wing Detail Alaska | Limited Edition of 10
Riveted Aluminum Wing Surface With Faded Paint
This close study of weathered red metal was taken from the wing of a retired Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a military transport aircraft once operated by the United States Air Force and now permanently grounded in Alaska. What you’re seeing here isn’t paint in pristine condition—it’s paint that’s lived a second life. The aluminum beneath has started to assert itself in patches where the finish has thinned, worn, or given up after years of exposure. Rivet lines move laterally across the surface in tight formation, holding together panels that once moved cleanly through the air but now sit still under open sky.
The red itself has shifted over time. Some sections remain dense and saturated while others have gone chalky or pale, almost powder-like in appearance. There are speckled clusters where oxidation has taken hold and faint streaks where moisture has settled and dried again and again across the surface. Along the lower edge of the frame, the curved structure of the wing becomes more obvious, revealing that this wasn’t just sheet metal—it was shaped for lift, for movement, for purpose.
I photographed this aircraft on location during an overland trip through Alaska roughly sixteen years ago, walking around what remained of this Douglas C-47 and finding that the most compelling parts of its story were written not in its silhouette, but in its surface. Up close, the plane's material history becomes tactile. You can see where it’s been handled, where the environment has taken its toll, and where time has slowly reshaped the finish into something entirely different from factory paint.
Each print is produced using archival pigment inks on Epson Premium Luster paper to retain the subtle tonal shifts and surface detail visible in the original metalwork. Every piece is personally signed and includes a certificate of authenticity as part of the edition.
See the full aircraft in the Douglas C-47 Alaska study.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2011
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
Worldwide Delivery Included
Every print is personally produced, inspected, signed, numbered, and carefully packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Worldwide delivery is included in the listed price, so there is no additional shipping charge added during checkout. I select an appropriate tracked delivery service based on the destination, print size, and current shipping requirements.
Delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs processing or circumstances beyond my control.
Because I also travel extensively to create new photographic work, studio dispatch may occasionally be delayed while I am away. When that happens, the print will be produced and shipped as soon as I return to the studio.
