Chong's Law and Hierarchy - Part Deux - Red Flag

Several people have responded to my last post with interesting comments of their own. Indeed, Lin's Corollary is a good example ("the more abstract the image, the less visceral the response but the more cerebral"). I would agree with that.

At the same time, another friend wondered if I should have added a tenth point to the Hierarchy: The feel of the power of an aircraft in flight. I believe the ninth point covers that, as the above example shows.

I have been fortunate enough to stand at the Last Chance / End of Runway (EOR) spot at various airbases and airports many times. By far the most memorable was the International Society of Aviation Photographers (ISAP) convention event at Nellis Air Force Base in 2004. The convention coincided with one of the base's Red Flag exercises. Red Flag, for those who do not know, is a six-week long advanced aerial combat training program that involves many different aircraft from representative squadrons from all branches of the U.S. military and selected foreign allies. Daily exercises involve several dozen aircraft from the "blue" team (good guys) facing off against the "red" team (bad guys) in a variety of tactical scenarios. When a Flag is up, the aircraft launch and recover in a simulated operational wartime tempo. What that means is lots of powerful, noisy military aircraft taking off and landing almost continuously throughout the course of the day. It is an aviation photographer's heaven.

The ultimate expression of the ninth point is an extremely complex and tactile presentation. That comes for the viewer (e.g. photographer) at the EOR. There, most, if not all, of the five senses are forcefully engaged by some of the most complex pieces of machinery ever created. Not only can you see and hear the aircraft (indeed, "mouse ears" hearing protection is a must), but you can feel the whine of their engines in your gut and the blasting heat from the exhaust plume on your skin. The smell of combusting jet fuel is ever-present and, at times, strong enough to taste. When the pilot lights his afterburners for take off, like the British Panavia Tornado above, the concussion waves push you back and the roar vibrates in your chest with pure, unadulterated power. It is simply glorious. The only thing better is to get a ride in a fighter, and that, I am told, is off the chart.

Chong's Law and Hierarchy

The Air and Space Smithsonian magazine article on the Northrop Grumman Display Model Shop (where I work) just came out in their September 2009 issue (http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/Martial-Arts.html). There is a nice photo of me surrounded by some of our models. There is also in the article a reference to "Chong's Hierarchy" and a partial description of what it contains. For the record, here is the official unveiling of the full version of:

Chong's Law and Hierarchy of Visceral Impact

Assuming all things to be equal in subject and quality:

The more complex and tactile the presentation, the more visceral its impact will be on the viewer.

1) A 3-view line drawing has more impact than a verbal or written description.

2) A black & white drawing or photo has more impact than a 3-view line drawing.

3) A color photo or computer rendering has more impact than a black & white drawing or photo.

4) A painting has more impact than a color photo or computer rendering.

5) A desk-top display model has more impact than a painting.

6) A floor-stand display model has more impact than a desk-top display model.

7) A full-sized mock-up has more impact than a floor-stand display model.

8) A real vehicle on static display has more impact than a full-sized mock-up.

9) A real vehicle in dynamic motion has more impact than a real vehicle on static display.

I'm sure many of you are wondering why I bothered. It does seem fairly obvious in retrospect, but what got me thinking about the law and hierarchy was the observation that most people don't know why they respond the way they do the different levels of presentation. Since I had to articulate why the models we make have the impact they do, I had to figure out the reasons behind that impact. My conclusion: the more the five senses are engaged, the more memorable the experience will be to that person; the more visceral the impact it will have.

Unlike drawings or photos, models are tactile by nature. They engage not only the sense of sight, but touch. They are like people magnets, because everyone from the littlest kid to the oldest adult wants to pick them up. They want to feel them, to caress them, and yes, to play with them. Part of the joy of model making is the experience of getting to know the shape of the airplane (or car, or ship) you are working on. The very act of sanding makes the modeler intimately aware of every curve and contour of their project. It is a very sensory and sensual experience and is one of the most successful ways to capture the attention of participant and viewer alike. It makes the most impression at the fraction of the cost of the real thing - and it can fit on a desk top, too. Life-long passions for a particular vehicle are formed by this simple act.

It's one of the reasons cars, ships and airplanes are so anthropomorphized by their makers and owners. Most people don't name their washing machines. But many people name their cars, while ships and planes are called "she." The act of building those vehicles or waxing them down or riding in them engages more senses than most anything else and the passions they arouse are legendary. Grown men wept at the cancellation of the YF-23 (the photo above) because they spent several years creating her and watching her fly in the high desert at Edwards Air Force Base. The plane became alive, and when we lost, it felt like we lost a member of our own family. I felt that way and I only built models of the YF-23. The people who really worked on the project felt even worse. And so it is with most every aircraft program and ship I've heard of.

Perhaps the clearest example I can present of the Hierarchy is what happened at the recent 50th anniversary celebration of the T-38 Talon's first flight. The ceremony was held at the El Segundo facility. We had speakers talking about the airplane, we had posters with T-38 black and white art being given away, one of our models was in a nearby room for the VIP luncheon, and the podium was in front of an actual T-38 that was recently returned to Northrop Grumman for preservation and display. Of course, the full-size airplane got the most attention - that is until the flyover by another T-38 drew every eye into the sky and electrified the crowd. Why? Because it was something we as a company built and it was alive; and we could feel it! All other representations of her paled in comparison.

The Hierarchy is real. Remember: you read it here first. :-)

The photo of the second YF-23 Black Widow II, PAV-2 "Spider," was shot at the 2002 Hawthorne Air Faire at Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Jack Northrop Field, CA.