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American Aviation Art
America-Art-Prints  Aviation Art |
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Aviation art prints of the United States Air Force by renowned aviation artists. |
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Triple Dates With Destiny by Stan Stokes. Chuck Older was born in California in 1914. He graduated from UCLA and entered the U.S. Marine Corps. in 1940. He earned his wings as an aviation cadet, and was assigned to VNIF-1. In mid-1941, anxious to see some action, Chuck resigned his USNIC commission and joined Claire Chennaults American Volunteer Group. He was assigned to the 3rd Pursuit Squadron Hells Angels and experienced his first combat in December of 1941. In the first two combat missions he flew on December 23 and December 25, 1941, Older would be credited with downing five Japanese aircraft becoming one of the first two AVG aces. He bagged four more enemy aircraft prior to mid-1942 when the AVG was disbanded. In mid-1942 Older returned to the States and accepted a commission with the USAAF. He commanded a P-38 squadron for a time, and in 1944, having been promoted to Major, he was sent back to China to serve once again with General Claire Chennault, this time with the 14th Air Force. Chuck served as Deputy Commander and Group Operations Officer for the 23rd Fighter Group. Flying P-5 Is for the first time, he downed as Oscar over Yochow on July 28, 1944. Promoted to Lt. Colonel, Older would down four more aircraft in December including three more Oscars and a Lilly. In January of 1945, Older bagged three different types of enemy aircraft on a single mission, including a Sonia, a Betty, and a Tess on the outskirts of Shanghai. His attack on the Sonia is depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Triple Dates With Destiny. Some artistic license has been utilized in the depiction. The artist has chosen to depict in the scene Olders regular aircraft, rather than the borrowed one he actually flew on the mission. Chucks regular mount had actually been destroyed the day before during a ground attack . Later, Older would lead the first attack on Shanghai with a flight of sixteen Mustangs. This successful mission caught the Japanese by surprise, and resulted in the destruction of more than seventy aircraft on the ground and five more in the air. Following the War, with a total of 18.25 aerial victories, Older left the Air Force. He earned a Law Degree from the University of Southern California, and entered the law profession. In 1952 he was recalled for the Korean War, and served with the 352nd Bomb Group based in Japan. He returned home and practiced law for fifteen years before Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him to the bench, as a Judge of the Superior Court in Los Angeles. Judge Older served the court for twenty years hearing both criminal and civil cases. He presided over the highly publicized Charles Manson murder case. Chuck retired from the bench in 1987 and continues to live in Los Angeles. His numerous decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the British Distinguished Flying Cross, the Chinese Air Force Medal and the Order of the Cloud Banner. In 1996, the USAF honored Older and other AVG members, and Chuck received the USAF Distinguished Flying Cross for his service with the AVG. |
Hikin' for Home by Ivan Berryman. B-17G 2107027 is depicted limping home to Bassingbourn with the starboard outer propeller feathered following a raid during the Summer of 1944. 'Hikin' for Home' served with the 322nd Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group as part of the 8th Air Force. Escorting her home is Major George Preddy, the highest scoring P-51 pilot and sixth in the list of all-time top American Aces, seen here flying 413321 'Cripes a Mighty 3rd'. |
Excelsior III - the Long, Lonely Leap by Stuart Brown. The most incredible 614mph freefall from the edge of space, celebrated in this superb limited edition print, signed by the skydiving legend himself, Colonel Joe W Kittinger. Kittinger performed three extreme altitude jumps during August 1960 as part of the USAF research project Excelsior - a precursor to the US space race designed to test human survivability. Excelsior III was the climax of the operation. Leaping from the gondola of a 200ft diameter helium balloon, Kittinger spent four minutes thirty six seconds in freefall. Passing through 90,000ft, his speed reached an incredible 614mph (almost the speed of sound in the thin freezing air of the upper atmosphere) before his multi stage parachute slowed his descent - opening the main chute at 18,000ft. |
D-Day Armada by Nicolas Trudgian. There was never a greater concentration of air power deployed in an active theater of war as over the English Channel in May and June 1944. As D-Day approached, the USAAFs Ninth Air Force had assembled over 3500 aircraft a day, they were pounding enemy positions all the way from Pas de Calais to the coast of Normandy. 6 June 1944, arguably the most decisive single day in modern military history, saw the sky filled with waves of troop carrying aircraft towing gliders, dropping over 20,000 highly trained men in support of the massed sea-borne landings on the beaches below. Grabbing all the airspace they could find, the combat wings of the Ninth Air Force were creating havoc among the German ground forces as they scrambled to get troops and armor to the battlefront. |
First Response by Brian Bateman. (P) 7th December 1941, Pearl Harbor. Ken Taylor and George Welch took off in their P-40 Warhawks from the isolated Haleiwa airfield in western Oahu in an attempt to intercept Japanese aircraft. In the first US action of the war (excluding American Volunteer Group pilots), Ken Taylor is seen diving on to a group of Aichi D3A 'Val' dive bombers making their way to the already battered US fleet at Pearl Harbor. Ken was slightly wounded during the action, and without George covering his tail, he would likely have been shot down. Both George and Ken claimed to have shot down three enemy aircraft. |
Holding the Tide by Richard Taylor. On 7 August 1942, just eight months after the dramatic events at Pearl Harbor, the United States First Marine Division stormed ashore on the island of Guadalcanal. It was the opening gambit of the land war in the Pacific. The painting depicts Captain Joe Foss as he leads the F4F Wildcats of VMF-121 back to Henderson Field after a day of desperate fighting against the Japanese in the skies over the steaming jungles of Guadalcanal in November 1942 - it would be another three months before the island was finally secured during which time Joe Foss would achieve an astonishing 26 victories to become the first American pilot to equal WW1 Ace Eddie Rickenbackers score. |
USS Hornet. Doolittles Raiders by Ivan Berryman. In a 40 knot gale, Lt Col. Doolittles B25 hauls itself into the air. The first of a 16 strong strike force en route to Tokyo. |
A Pistol Whipping by Stan Stokes. There were tens of thousands of aerial combat encounters during World War II. One of the most unusual was a dogfight that took place between Captain Arthur C. Fiedler, Jr. and an unidentified German Bf-109 pilot on June 28, 1944. Fiedler was an Illinois native who received his wings in July 1943. He was assigned as a flight instructor in Dover, Delaware, but in May 1944 he was assigned to the 317th Fighter Squadron of the 325th Fighter Group. Flying P-51B Mustangs the 317th was based in Lesina, Italy. Fiedler named his Mustang after his wife Helen. On a combat mission on June 24th Fiedler claimed a probable. Four days later the eventual ace was flying near Polesti, Rumania when a Bf-109 crossed directly in front of his aircraft. Slamming his P-51 into a near vertical bank he trailed the 109 for a few seconds attaining several hits before his guns jammed. As Fiedler rolled out of his bank he found himself flying in formation parallel to the 109, and headed towards Russia. Fiedler was not willing to make himself a target for the 109, and with his Mustang low on fuel and with jammed guns, Fiedler reactively drew his service revolver. As he drew his .45 pistol, the German pilot unexpectedly jettisoned his canopy and bailed out. Fiedler was given the nickname Svengali for this incident. Fiedler continued his combat tour into 1945, and by January he had attained 8 confirmed aerial victories. Fiedler remained in the Air Force following the War. Flying in both Korea and Vietnam, he was promoted to Colonel in 1969, and retired from the Air Force in 1975. The P-51 Mustang and the Messerschmitt Bf-109 were two of the most important aircraft of WW II. More than 15,000 P-51s were produced, the most of any American-built fighter, while the Bf-109 was the most produced fighter aircraft of the war with 35,000 produced. The P-51 was designed by Raymond Rice and Edgar Schmued of North American Aviation, because the President of the company thought he could do better than merely produce Curtiss P-40s under license for the RAF. Initially introduced with an Allison liquid-cooled V-12, the P-51 performed poorly despite its superior airframe. As early Mustangs arrived the British were anxious to see how this aircraft would perform with the powerful Rolls Royce Merlin engine. The aircraft was about 13 percent faster and could climb to combat altitude in 45 percent less time than the Allison-equipped aircraft. Going into production as the P-51B the Brits received about 1000 aircraft while the USAAF took an additional 1000. The first P-51B models were in service with the Eighth Air Force in December 1943. The excellent performance of these aircraft and their excellent range when equipped with external wing tanks, made the P-51 a tremendous asset when accompanying American daylight bombers on their raids into Germany. The 109 was arguably the most advanced fighter aircraft from 1935 until 1940. The 109 was designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Walter Rethel with the goal of packing the most powerful engine available into the smallest possible aircraft structure. During the Spanish Civil War the 109 proved its superiority. Despite numerous technical enhancements as the war progressed, by the end of the War the 109 was both outclassed and outnumbered by its rivals. |
Dual Victory by Richard Taylor. A spectacular dogfight over Eisenach on 24 March 1945 when the doughty Clyde East, returning from a recce over Schweinfurt and with photos already in the can, takes on a group of six Me109s. Flying his legendary Lil Margaret, having already dispatched one, he peels round to line up his second Me109 to add two more victories to his remarkable tally. |
The Hunter by Ivan Berryman. The twin engine Bell AH-1 SuperCobra formed the backbone of the US Marine Corp's attack helicopter fleet for many years, serving with great success in a variety of theatres until being replaced by the Bell AH-1Z Viper. |
Top Cover by Gerald Coulson. Big Brothers and Little Friends : the enduring bond between the bomber crews and fighter pilots of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in their prolonged and hotly contested air war against Hitlers Nazi Germany, 1942-1945. |
B-52s: They Keep on Ticking by Stan Stokes. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has played a major role in Americas defense for nearly forty years. In his dramatic painting appropriately entitled B-52s: They Keep On Ticking, aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts an early big-tailed B-52B and a more contemporary B-52G which saw service during Operation Desert Storm. The origins of the development of the B-52 begins way back in the early 1940s. All major aircraft companies were interested in developing the first truly intercontinental bomber. Shortly after WW II the Convair XB-36 and the Northrop XB-35 were developed, and both had intercontinental range. However, neither of these aircraft were capable of penetrating deep into Soviet airspace, and defense planners in the early 1950s presumed that the Soviets would be our prime adversaries for years to come. In 1946 the Air Force issued a requirement for its next generation of strategic bombers. Required was a range of at least 5,000 miles with a minimum 10,000 pound bomb load, a top speed in excess of 450 MPH and an operational ceiling of at least 40,000 feet. Boeing entered this competition with the XB-52 which incorporated six turboprop engines. Part way into prototype development, Boeings designers decided to scrap this design in favor of a swept wing jet powered aircraft. The first XB-52 was rolled out in November of 1951. One major change in the prototype was a complete redesign of the forward fuselage to allow the pilots to sit side-by-side. The B-52B was the first true production model of the Stratofortress. It became operational in 1955 with the Strategic Air Command. On January 16, 1957 SAC demonstrated the amazing capabilities of the B-52 with a non-stop around the world flight covering over 24,000 miles in 45 hours and 19 minutes. The B-52B was phased out in the mid 1960s. The B-52C was the first of these aircraft to be painted gloss white on its entire underside to reflect the heat from nuclear blasts. The C remained in service until 1971. The B-52D saw significant service in Vietnam. Many of these models were modified to carry up to as many as 108 conventional bombs. During a major offensive strike at Hanoi in December 1972 a total of 729 B-52 sorties were flown. Only 15 aircraft were lost, despite the fact that Hanoi was heavily protected with SAMs and anti-aircraft batteries. The B-52G was the first of the short tail models. The manned rear gun turret was removed on these models, and the fuel capacity was significantly increased. The G model was the first of the B-52s to carry cruise missiles, a development which significantly lengthened the useful service life of this aircraft. The B-52G is, like its predecessors, a very large aircraft with a wingspan in excess of 185 feet, and a maximum take off weight of 488,000 pounds. With a range in excess of 7,000 miles and a maximum speed of 634 MPH, the Gs were successfully utilized in the Gulf War, and no doubt will continue to see service for many more years into the future. The B-52 is clearly one of the most unique of all post-WW II military aircraft, and it is interesting to note that it is one of only a very few aircraft designs which is older than most of the pilots who fly it. |
Favorite Lady by John Young. A damaged Boeing B-17G of the 510th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group operating out of Polebrook, Northants, escorted here by North American P-51Ds of the 357th Fighter Group from Leiston in Suffolk. |
Tribute to Oliver 'Boots' LeBoutillier by Ivan Berryman. 'Boots' LeBoutillier was an American flying Ace credited with 10 victories in World War One. Having crossed into Canada and subsequently flying for the British, he is seen here in his Sopwith Triplane N5459 of 9 Naval Squadron in France in 1917 in which he scored 3 victories. In April 1918 he was involved in the dogfight in which Manfred von Richthofen - the infamous Red Baron - was shot down and killed. He was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross and after the war performed barnstorming and skywriting and gave flying lessons to Amelia Earhart. He appeared in many Hollywood movies as a stuntman, and for his rescue of a crashed pilot in Colorado he received the Silver Medal of Valor, the highest decoration of the Civil Air Patrol. LeBoutillier died in 1983 aged 88 after a life in aviation. |
Me262 1As of 3rd Gruppe JG7 by Randall Wilson. (GL) After firing their RM4 rockets against B24s of 448 BG, Lt. Fritz Muller (white 7) and wingman Lt. Fredrich W Shenk break hard right to go around again. |
Mustang Escort by Graeme Lothian. Mustang P51 Nooky Booky IV flown by Captain Leonard Kit Carson of the 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, giving fighter escort top cover protection to the B17s of 381st Bomb Group, returning after a raid in Germany, January 1944. Kit Carson ended the war as top scorer of the 357th with 18.5 aerial victories in the last 6 months of the war. |
Gone Fishing by Stan Stokes. The De Havilland Aircraft Company was founded by Geoffrey de Havilland, and Englishman who was born in 1882. He became fascinated with aircraft as a young man, and with the assistance of a wealthy grandfather pursued his first aircraft design. The first major success of this start-up company was the DH-4, a two seat bomber. This design was licensed to the US military, and more than 5,000 DH-4s were built. Following WW I de Havilland set up an internal engine design and manufacturing capability that was utilized to great success with their series of Moth trainers. De Havilland Aircraft was one of the early leaders in jet aircraft. They built the first jet aircraft the Comet that entered service in 1952. Unfortunately the Comet had some structural flaws that caused break-up of the aircraft in mid-flight. Withdrawing the aircraft and returning to the drawing boards cost the Company the lead and they never caught-up to either Boeing or Douglas. De Havilland Canada was set up in 1928 as a subsidiary of the U.K. company. Following WW II the Canadians wished to make their own mark. They developed the Chipmunk, a successful, all metal trainer that was purchased by many countries. The Canadian company also saw the opportunity to design and build an aircraft especially built for the rugged northern bush country of Canada. The Company surveyed many bush pilots and the result was the development of the Beaver, possibly the most successful bush plane of all time. The Beaver first flew in 1947. It was an immediate hit, with its ability to handle rough terrain, and operate with floats or skis. Thirteen countries purchased the Beaver for military use, and it was nicknamed the generals jeep for its ability to shuffle top brass in and out of remote areas. The other aircraft in Stans painting is a Noorduyn Norseman. It was first flown in 1935 and went into production in 1936. The aircraft was 32 feet in length and had a wingspan of more than 51 ft. A Pratt and Whitney Wasp 9-cylinder engine putting out 550-HP powered the Norseman. It had a cruising speed on 150-MPH, a service ceiling of 22,000 feet, and a range of 600 miles. With a single pilot, a Norseman could carry 8-9 passengers. A total of 904 Norseman were built. The aircraft was flown by the RCAF, USAAF and many commercial and private airlines. The Norseman had a reputation as a solid, well-built, reliable aircraft, and it was widely used in bush flying where it could be utilized with wheels, floats, or skis. Unfortunately, Glen Miller, the famous American bandleader, was lost during the War while flying in a Norseman. One theory is that Millers aircraft may have been accidentally destroyed by Lancaster Bombers dumping bombs over the English Channel prior to landing. |
Gathering Storm by Anthony Saunders (GL) Mustangs of 434th Fighter Squadron head across the Channel. On 25th May 1944, pilots of the 434 Fighter Squadron flew their first combat mission. In the early hours of 6 thJune, D-Day, included in the 12,000 aircraft which flew cover, interdiction or other support missions were 434th pilots, some who flew three missions, returning to base long enough to refuel and rearm. Not until 29th July 1944 did the 434 Fighter Squadron down its first aircraft , when 1 Lt Arthur F. Jeffrey, one of the original six pilots assigned to the squadron, bagged an Me-163 Komet, a rocket-propelled interceptor. Over the next nine months squadron members flew bomber escort missions, attacked air fields and flew other missions as required, including support of beleaguered ground forces around Bastogne, Belgium, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. On 25th April 1945, pilots flew their last combat mission and 1 Lt Hilton O. Thomas shot down the last aircraft credited to an Eighth Air Force pilot - an Arado 234 Blitz, a jet-powered bomber. Of the four aces the from the 434th Fighter Squadron, three top aces evolved - Arthur F. Jeffery, Robin Olds and George W. Gleason. |
Lightning Strike by Robert Taylor. No text for this item |
Lightning Strikes 7 Times by Stan Stokes. The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, called the Fork-Tailed Devil by Luftwaffe pilots in Africa, was one of the largest fighter aircraft to see service during WW II. Flight-testing of the YP-38 prototype was completed in 1941. The first P-38s put into service were dedicated to the defense of the West Coast following the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the spring of 1942 plans were laid to deploy P-38s in Europe. By adding drop tanks the maximum range of the Lightnings were increased to a whopping 2200 miles, making ferry trips to Europe possible. All three P-38-equipped fighter groups in Europe (82nd FG, 1st FG, and 14th FG) were transferred to North Africa in late 1942. These P-38 fighter groups were soon seeing serious combat action in the Mediterranean & North African theaters. The experienced Luftwaffe pilots learned that the P-38s should be attacked at altitudes below 15,000 feet, where they had difficulty maneuvering with the Bf-109s they frequently encountered. Despite these limitations the P-38s had tremendous climbing capabilities and were very effective gun platforms against German and Italian bombers. The Allison engines on the early P-38s were somewhat temperamental and actually caused more difficulties and aircraft losses than enemy action. Most problems related to an inadequate engine cooling system and the lack of cowl flaps. At altitude, gas problems could cause the Allison engines to burn out their valves, backfire through the intercooler ducts, and throw rods. Such problems could often result in the loss of the aircraft. Another problem was compressibility that was encountered during high-speed dives. During this problem the controls might seize up causing the aircraft to go into an uncontrolled dive. As a result P-38 pilots early in the War would often choose not to pursue Axis fighters into a high-speed dive. Both the engine cooler and compressibility problems were eventually solved by the time the P-38J variant was introduced. The large size of the P-38 was both an asset and a liability in combat. The large size made the aircraft easier to spot at distance, but provided a more effective gun platform for downing bombers. Col. William Leverette was a P-38 ace with the 14th FG, attaining 11 confirmed aerial victories. Leverette was born in Florida in 1913, and earned an engineering degree from Clemson University in 1934. He joined the U.S. Army in 1934, and was accepted for aviation cadet training in 1939. Earning his wings in 1940 he was initially based at Selfridge Field in Michigan with the 31st Pursuit Squadron. When War came to America, Leverette was sent to North Africa with the 337th FS of the 14th FG. Flying the P-38, Leverette broke into the scoring column in a most spectacular manner when he managed to splash seven Ju-87s on a single mission on October 9, 1943. Leverettes flight of six aircraft rushed to the defense of a British Cruiser and several destroyers that were under attack by a large group of enemy Ju-87s and Ju-88s. In an exciting 15-minute air battle, the P-38s managed to down sixteen Stukas and one Ju-88. Leverette received credit for seven. Later during his combat tour he would down two Bf-109s and two Me-110s. Leverette remained with the Air Force after the War, rising to the rank of Colonel prior to his retirement to Florida in 1965. Col. Leverette passed away in April 2003 at the age of 89. |
Defenders of the Reich by Graeme Lothian. Major Rudolf Rudi Sinner of STAB.III/JG7 attacking B-17s of 91st Bomb Group during March 1945. Attacking in a Kette of three aircraft from behind and below targeting the tailenders and rising over the B-17s. Avoiding any debris and evading the incoming fighter escort, who are dropping down from their top cover positions. Rudolf Sinner acheived a total of 39 victories, including two in the Me262. |
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