The book “Hergé, Tintin et les avions” [Hergé, Tintin and aircraft], by José Miguel de la Viuda Sainz, offers us the opportunity to rediscover Hergé’s legendary work through the prism of aviation.
Hergé, the Belgian author and cartoonist, was an aviation and space enthusiast, giving aircraft, helicopters and spacecraft a significant role in the 24 albums making up “The Adventures of Tintin”.
The author of this book, who is also an aeronautical engineer, has therefore scrutinized all of the volumes to compile the best excerpts, accompanied by photographs of aircraft that served as models for the famous cartoonist. Throughout this work, José Miguel de la Viuda Sainz has endeavored to systematically put the aircraft into their historical context and provides a wealth of detailed and comprehensible information.
We therefore have the pleasure of rediscovering some of the most iconic machines from the famous comic book series, such as the famous red-and-white checker-patterned rocket from the “Destination Moon” and “Explorers on the Moon” volumes, dreamed up by Hergé as early as 1953, 16 years before the historic moon landing by the astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Others include the famous Carreidas 160 tri-reactor from “Flight 714 to Sydney”, a real technological marvel with a variable geometry wing design, just like the Mirage G.
*Anecdote : In 2015, Brussels Airlines unveiled an Airbus A320 painted with a design taken from “The Adventures of Tintin”. This aircraft named “Rackham” shows Tintin and Milou in the shark submarine that can be found in the book “Red Rackham’s Treasure”. This project arose from a partnership between Brussels Airlines and Moulinsart, a company that manages the rights related to Hergé’s work. As a friendly Belgian explorer, Tintin is the perfect travel companion for Brussels Airlines.