Nicolas Trudgian range of Black Widow aircraft aviation
signed art prints. This site is dedicated to the artwork of Aviation
artist Nicolas Trudgian. Including the full range of Aviation prints
published by the Military Gallery which Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the
last remaining prints. Which include many rare items. many of Nicolas
Trudgian prints have been signed by Many of the Top Fighter and Bomber Pilots
of World war two over the pats Decade. and many of these great Pilots are no
longer with us. This could be the last chance to own a piece of history which
will soon be no longer available except on the more expensive secondary
market.
First US aircraft designed as a night fighter. The
P-61 Black Widow . It only saw service near the end of 1944 and 1945 serving
in most theatres. European, Mediterranean, Pacific, and China-Burma-India
theaters. Black Widow crews destroyed 127 enemy aircraft and 18 V-1 buzz
bombs.
The
Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the USAAFs first modern fighter aircraft
which was specifically designed from the start to serve in the night
fighter capacity. Designed by Jack Knudson Northrop, this aircraft was
quite innovative. The Armys initial requirements for this night
interceptor made no mention of radar, but stated that the aircraft wouldcarry a device which would locate enemy aircraft in the dark. The
P-61 indeed utilized radar, and about seven hundred of these large
twin-engine aircraft were built. The recommendation to pursue
development of an aircraft of this type came about from the
recommendations of a special commission which visited Great Britain
during the Battle of Britain. The commission identified the need for an
effective night fighter capability to deter enemy night bombing raids.
Although the first prototype flew in May of 1942, the Black Widow did not
enter front-line service until 1944. The P-61 was the largest and most
powerful fighter aircraft of WW II. The Black Widows bite was mean
because of its four cannons and four machine guns. With a wingspan of
sixty-six feet and a length of nearly fifty feet, this large aircraft
was powered by twin 18-cylinder Double Wasp radial engines, capable of
2,000-HP each. The B model of the P-61 was capable of speeds in the
365-MPH range, and had an incredible range of 3,000 miles. This great
range gave the P-61 added benefits in the Pacific theater of operations.
The P-61 utilized 4-bladed, variable pitch props, and incorporated a
tricycle landing gear configuration. With its distinctive double tail
configuration, the Black Widow had a roughly similar appearance to the
P-38 Lightning, which was sometimes utilized in the night fighter role
prior to the P-61 becoming available. The XP-61 prototype took to the
air in May of 1942, and the aircraft exhibited a maximum speed of 380
MPH. Despite good results from the initial flights, the P-61 took a long
time to enter production. In July of 1943 the Army organized the 481st
Night Fighter Operational Training Group at Orlando Field in Florida.
This unit completed service tests on pre-production Black Widows, and
was responsible for training flight crews.
Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian.
The Black Widow is a formidable creature. It lurks in the dark, carefully chooses its moment of attack and strikes unseen, cutting down its prey with deadly certainty. Northrop could not have chosen a more apt name with which to christen their new night fighter when the P61 Black Widow entered service in the spring of 1944. The first aircraft designed from the start as a night fighter, the P61 had the distinction of pioneering airborne radar interception during World War II, and this remarkable twin engined fighter saw service in the ETO, in China, the Marianas and the South West Pacific. Under the command of Lt Col O B Johnson, one of the P61s greatest exponents, the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron was the leading P61 outfit in the ETO, destroying 43 enemy aircraft in the air, 5 buzz bombs and hundreds of ground based vehicles, becoming the most successful night fighter squadron of the war. Flying a twilight mission in his P-61 Black Widow on October 24, 1944, Colonel Johnson and h.........
David Dipnals evocative images of the restful idyllic scenes of southern England are well known, epitomising, as they have for years, all that is endearing about traditional English landscapes. His well known images of his beautiful and fertile homeland are a world away from Australia, where he now spends most of his time. In the last decade, David Dipnall estimates that he has travelled nearly 2 million miles, continuing to maintain a busy work schedule of exhibitions and regularly commuting between England and Australia. His originals are highly sought after, and over fifty of his images have been published as limited edition prints, many of which have sold out. Always a traveller, he believes in the philosophy that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and his beautifully detailed traditional English landscapes are definitely painted from the heart.
Spotlight on Landscape Artists
A newly available selection of superb landscape art from some of the best known landscape artists around.
We have now added to a website a large selection of landscape art prints by artists including Bill Makinson, David Dipnall and Rex Preston, in addition to our existing stocks of superb Gerlad Coulson landscape prints. These can be found at our website or see the artists own pages by clicking the images below
