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Nicolas Trudgian range of Flying Fortress Bomber 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.
In
the mid-1930s engineers at Boeing suggested the possibility of designing
a modern long-range monoplane bomber to the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1934
the USAAC issued Circular 35-26 that outlined specifications for a new
bomber that was to have a minimum payload of 2000 pounds, a cruising
speed in excess of 200-MPH, and a range of at least 2000 miles. Boeing
produced a prototype at its own expense, the model 299, which first flew
in July of 1935. The 299 was a long-range bomber based largely on the
Model 247 airliner. The Model 299 had several advanced features
including an all-metal wing, an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing
gear, a fully enclosed bomb bay with electrically operated doors, and
cowled engines. With gun blisters glistening everywhere, a newsman
covering the unveiling coined the term Flying Fortress to describe the
new aircraft. After a few initial test flights the 299 flew off to
Wright Field setting a speed record with an average speed of 232-mph. At
Wright Field the 299 bettered its competition in almost all respects.
However, an unfortunate crash of the prototype in October of 1935
resulted in the Army awarding its primary production contract to Douglas
Aircraft for its DB-1 (B-18.) The Army did order 13 test models of the
299 in January 1936, and designated the new plane the Y1B-17. Early work
on the B-17 was plagued by many difficulties, including the crash of the
first Y1B-17 on its third flight, and nearly bankrupted the Company.
Minor quantities of the B-17B, B-17C, and B-17D variants were built, and
about 100 of these aircraft were in service at the time Pearl Harbor was
attacked. In fact a number of unarmed B-17s flew into the War at the
time of the Japanese attack. The German Blitzkrieg in Europe resulted in
accelerated aircraft production in America.
The B-17E was the first truly heavily armed variant and made its
initial flight in September of 1941. B-17Es cost $298,000 each and more
than 500 were delivered. The B-17F and B-17G were the truly
mass-produced wartime versions of the Flying Fortress. More than 3,400
B-17Fs and more than 8,600 B-17Gs would be produced. The American
daylight strategic bombing campaign against Germany was a major factor
in the Allies winning the War in Europe. This campaign was largely flown
by B-17 Flying Fortresses (12,677 built) and B-24 Liberators (18,188
built.) The B-17 bases were closer to London than those of the B-24, so
B-17s received a disproportionate share of wartime publicity. The first
mission in Europe with the B-17 was an Eighth Air Force flight of 12
B-17Es on August 12, 1942. Thousands more missions, with as many as 1000
aircraft on a single mission would follow over the next 2 ½ years,
virtually decimating all German war making facilities and plants. The
B-17 could take a lot of damage and keep on flying, and it was loved by
the crews for bringing them home despite extensive battle damage.
Following WW II, B-17s would see some action in Korea, and in the 1948
Israel War. There are only 14 flyable B-17s in operation today and a
total of 43 complete airframes.
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| Thundering Home by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) When the U.S. Air Forces arrived in Europe in 1942 it was the beginning of a three year aerial campaign, the scale of which had never been seen before, nor since. The 8th, 9th, 12th and 15th Air Forces constituted the mightiest aerial armada in history. With outstanding leadership and sustained courage, they blazed a trail of glory across the skies of war-torn Europe that today is legend. Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. Air Forces campaign in Europe, the talented aviation artist Nicolas Trudgian has painted a spectacular canvas, bringing to life the men and machines of that epoc-making era, half a century ago.
Set in a dramatic and powerful evening sky, B-17 Fortresses come thundering home after a mid over enemy territory. Joining the formation are a pair of B-24 Liberators which have become separated from their own group, and P-51 fighters fly in close escort for the perilous journey home. Aboard the aircraft, pilots and gunners scan the horizon for enemy fighters. Flight engineers are busy coaxing their ships along, some having to deal with overheating engines, damaged fuel lines, leaking hydraulics and other inflicted damage. Some have injured on board. Glistening in the strong evening sunlight the lead aircraft fills the canvas. Clearly visible are the pilot and upper turret gunner, and all the fine detail of this legendary warbird as it thunders through the sky. Below, reflecting the evening glow, is the forbidding North Sea, providing a constant reminder that the dangers of the mission are not yet ever. Limited edition of publishers proofs. Paper size 30.5 inches x 23 inches (77cm x 58cm). Price £335.00 Signed by General Ben Davis, , Major General Carroll W McColpin and Lieutenant Hugh L Wright. ITEM CODE DHM2667 |
| Rocket Attack by Nicolas Trudgian. It required more than a little nerve to fly a fighter into the barrage of fire sprayed out by the gunners of a box of B17 bombers; it took even greater courage to do so in the rocket propelled Me163 Komet. With rocket science still in its infancy, these small aircraft were still in the experimental stage, and piloting what amounted to a flying bomb was in itself a perilous business, let alone flying them into combat. But these were desperate times. The day and night bombing assault on Germany was bringing the mighty war machine to its knees, and aything that might help stem the tide was thrown into battle. Powered by a mixture of two highly volatile chemicals, the slightest leak, or heavy landing could cause a huge explosion, and the mix was so corrosive that in the event of even a minor accident, the pilot could literally be dissolved. Sitting in a cramped cockpit, surrounded by dangerous chemicals and ammunition, the intrepid aviator would be launched into the sky on what was, at best, a four minute mission. After, hopefully, engaing the enemy, he would glide powerlessly back to the nearest airfield to be refuelled so as to attempt the hazardous operation all over again. Though limited to a handful of victories, the Komet did make the Allied crews wonder what else the Luftwaffe had hidden up its sleeve, and had the distinction of being the forerunner of aircraft technology that eventually took aircraft into space. Capable of nearly 600mph and climbing to 30,000ft in less than two minutes, this tiny rocket propelled Me163 Komet was typical of Germanys ingenuity in its desperate attempts to stem the havoc being wreaked by the USAAFs daylight bombers. Signed limited edition of 600 prints. Image size 13 inches x 8 inches (33cm x 20cm). Price £95.00 Signed by Oberleutnant Franz Woidich.
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Image size 13 inches x 8 inches (33cm x 20cm). Price £135.00 Signed by Oberleutnant Franz Woidich.
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Image size 13 inches x 8 inches (33cm x 20cm). Price £125.00 Signed by Oberleutnant Franz Woidich. ITEM CODE NT0263 |
| Return to Rattlesden by Nicolas Trudgian. With their crews, the 447th Bomb Group B-17 Fortresses arrived at Rattlesden in late 1943, the East Anglian base from which the group flew all its missions until the end of the war. Entering combat on December 24, the 447th targeted submarine pens, naval installations, ports and missile sites, airfields and marshalling yards in France, Belgium and Germany in preparation for the Normandy invasion. In the thick of the bomber offensive, the 447th took part in the Big-Week raids, supported the D-Day landings, aided the breakthrough at St. Lo, pounded enemy positions during the airborne invasion of Holland, and dropped supplies to the Free French forces fighting behind enemy lines. During the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945, the group attacked marshalling yards, railroad bridges and communications centers in the combat zone, later resuming their offensive against targets deep inside Germany. When the war ended the 447th had flown over 257 individual missions, with one of their aircrew, Robert Femoyer, being awarded the Medal of Honor. Theirs was typical of the action packed campaigns flown by the American Eighth Air Force bomb groups in Europe during WWII. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 37 inches x 22 inches (94cm x 56cm). Price £150.00 Signed by T/Sgt John C Bitzer, T/Sgt Norman Bussel, Colonel Edward A Dingivan, First Lt Frank Frision, S/Sgt John H Osbah, S/Sgt Orlando Pete Petrillo, Sgt Byron Schlag and S/Sgt Don Sherman, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Paper size 37 inches x 22 inches (94cm x 56cm). Price £200.00 Signed by T/Sgt John C Bitzer, T/Sgt Norman Bussel, Colonel Edward A Dingivan, First Lt Frank Frision, S/Sgt John H Osbah, S/Sgt Orlando Pete Petrillo, Sgt Byron Schlag and S/Sgt Don Sherman, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 25 publishers proofs. Paper size 37 inches x 22 inches (94cm x 56cm). Price £180.00 Signed by T/Sgt John C Bitzer, T/Sgt Norman Bussel, Colonel Edward A Dingivan, First Lt Frank Frision, S/Sgt John H Osbah, S/Sgt Orlando Pete Petrillo, Sgt Byron Schlag and S/Sgt Don Sherman, in addition to the artist. ITEM CODE DHM2176 |
| B-17 Flying Fortress by Nicolas Trudgian. Part of a small print series of six American WW2 aircraft, signed by some of the great American pilots, some no longer with us. Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining stocks of this aviation series. Signed limited edition of 450 prints. Special Promotion : This print is 30% off for a limited time only! Paper size 11.5 inches x 9 inches (30cm x 23cm). Price £37.80 Signed by Major Robert W. Sternfels and the artist.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 11.5 inches x 9 inches (30cm x 23cm). Price £60.00 Signed by Major Robert W. Sternfels and the artist.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 11.5 inches x 9 inches (30cm x 23cm). Price £70.00 Signed by Colonel Bob Morgan, Colonel William Lawley and the artist.
Signed limited edition of 250 prints. Paper size 11.5 inches x 9 inches (30cm x 23cm). Price £50.00 Signed by Colonel Bob Morgan, Colonel William Lawley and the artist. ITEM CODE DHM2655 |
| Heaven Can Wait by Nicolas Trudgian. B-17 Fortresses of the Bloody Hundredth- the Eighth Air Forces 100th Bomb Group - return to Thorpe Abbotts following a raid on enemy oil refineries, September 11, 1944. Nicolas Trudgians moving tribute to the Bloody Hundredth shows the imaginatively named B-17, Heaven Can Wait, on final approach to Thorpe Abbotts after the intense battle on September 11, 1944. Skilfully piloted by Harry Hempy, the seriously damaged B-17G has struggled 500 miles home on two engines to make it back to England. They lost their tail gunner that fateful day. Below the descending bomber stream, an agricultural traction engine peacefully ploughs the wheat stubble in preparation for next year’s vital crop, the farm workers oblivious to the unimaginable traumas so recently experienced by the crews of the returning B-17 Fortresses. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Print paper size 30.5 inches x 24 inches (77cm x 61cm). Price £155.00 Signatories: Lt Col Henry Hank Cervantes; Cpt Harry M Hempy; Stf Sgt Joseph Joe Keenan; Tech Sgt James Mack.
Limited edition 25 artist proof editions. Print paper size 30.5 inches x 24 inches (77cm x 61cm). Price £185.00 Signatories: Lt Col Henry Hank Cervantes; Cpt Harry M Hempy; Stf Sgt Joseph Joe Keenan; Tech Sgt James Mack. ITEM CODE DHM2592 |
| Eagle Attack by Nicolas Trudgian Typical of great air battles fought in the skies above occupied Europe were the determined interceptions by Luftwaffe fighters, particularly upon the massed daylight raids mounted by the American Eighth Air Force. Major Herman Graf, Gruppenkommandeur of JG50, and Oberleutnant Alfred Grislawski, Staffelkapitan of 1./JG50, flying Me109G-6s lead an attack on B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 91st Bomb Group, high over Germany in early September 1943. Signed limited edition of 400 prints. Image size 12 inches x 9.5 inches (31cm x 24cm). Price £55.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 12 inches x 9.5 inches (31cm x 24cm). Price £75.00 Signed by Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski. ITEM CODE NT0003 |
| A Welcome at the Inn by Nicolas Trudgian. The USAAF bomber bases of WWII were situated in the heart of rural England. Surrounded by countryside and pretty villages, it took the crews little time to become regulars at the nearest village inn, where traditionally there was Open House to American servicemen. A few convivial hours at the pub after a gruelling mission provided a welcome escape from the rigours of combat flying. Today, 50 years on, most of those local pubs are still there, serving up that unique brand of British hospitality which is so cherished in the memories of the USAAF aircrews. Never was the welcome at the inn more warmly appreciated than on Christmas Eve 1944. General Von Rundstedt had launched a massive offensive in the Ardennes, and the situation was critical. The Eight Air Force was called upon to mount its largest single operation of the war, and on that day over 2000 American bombers climbed into the cold air and headed for the battlefields. After fighting their way through to the target, neutralising enemy airfields, and pounding highways and railtracks, the elated crews headed home only to find the gathering mists wirling around their bases. After landing and debriefing, they were in the modd to party down at the village inn. And they did! A wonderfully nostalgic rendering of B-17s returning over a Suffolk village on that memorable Christmas Eve. His painting will bring back nostalgic memories to thousands of American servicemen who spent Christmas away from home, so long ago. Signed limited edition of 600 prints. Paper size 30 inches x 23 inches (76cm x 58cm). Price £225.00 Signed by Colonel George P Birdsong, Captain Vernon L Grim, Captain James A Myl and Major Robert Simpson.
Limited edition of 60 artist proofs. Paper size 30 inches x 23 inches (76cm x 58cm). Price £290.00 Signed by Colonel George P Birdsong, Captain Vernon L Grim, Captain James A Myl and Major Robert Simpson.
Limited edition of 75 publishers proofs. Paper size 30 inches x 23 inches (76cm x 58cm). Price £245.00 Signed by Colonel George P Birdsong, Captain Vernon L Grim, Captain James A Myl and Major Robert Simpson.
Nicolas Trudgian Promotional Flyer. Half A4 Size Double Sheet 6 inches x 8 inches (15m x 21cm). Price £1.50 ITEM CODE DHM2660 |
| First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian. The first successful daylight raid on Berlin. Nicolas Trudgians painting relives the fearsome aerial combat on March 6, 1944, as B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 100th B.G. are attacked. Screaming in head-on, Fw190s of II./JG I charge into the bomber stream. With throttles wide open, 56th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolts come hurtling down to intercept. B-17 gunners are working overtime, the air is full of cordite, smoke, jagged pieces of flying metal and hot lead. We are in the midst of one of the fiercest aerial battles of the war. Signed limited edition of 600 prints. Paper size 35 inches x 24 inches (89cm x 61cm). Price £165.00 Signed by Colonel Morton Magoffin, Captain C B Red Harper and First Lieutenant Ed McKay, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 60 artist proofs. Paper size 35 inches x 24 inches (89cm x 61cm). Price £220.00 Signed by Colonel Morton Magoffin, Captain C B Red Harper and First Lieutenant Ed McKay, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of publishers proofs. Paper size 35 inches x 24 inches (89cm x 61cm). Price £210.00 Signed by Colonel Morton Magoffin, Captain C B Red Harper and First Lieutenant Ed McKay, in addition to the artist.
Limited edition of 60 artist special reserve prints, signed by the artist only. Paper size 35 inches x 24 inches (89cm x 61cm). Price £115.00 ITEM CODE DHM2057 |
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