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Please note that our logo is used on our website images only and does not appear on our products. Early Top Guns by Stan Stokes. Prior to 1950 Chance-Vought had solidly established itself, along with Grumman, as one of the two leading suppliers of aircraft to the US Navy. Following WW II, however, the Texas-based company was less successful with its XF6U Pirate and later with its F7U Cutlass. In September of 1952 the Navy issued a requirement for its first supersonic, carrier-based, air superiority aircraft. Russ Clark and the design team at Vought submitted a proposal utilizing some radical design concepts. Most unique was a high mounted wing which could move 7 degrees in incidence. To make the craft more pilot friendly during carrier landings droops were designed into the leading edges of the wings. The cockpit was also located as far forward as possible providing excellent visibility. A Pratt & Whitney J57 was the proposed power plant. The Navy selected the Vought proposal from the eight submitted. In March of 1955 the first of the more than 1,200 Crusaders which would be built, made its inaugural flight, and went supersonic. The Crusader, often called the Gunfighter, was an unqualified success. It restored some prestige to the Navy, which had been criticized by Air Force supporters for not having any aircraft capable of taking on Migs in Korea in aerial combat. The F-8 set many speed records, including a cross country, carrier-to-carrier, trip in 3 hours and 28 minutes. At the time of the Vietnam War, the F-8 was a proven aircraft. Despite being relegated to a secondary mig-killing role, the F-8s downed 19 Migs in Vietnam. Their victory ratio was 6-to-1, which was superior to any other aircraft. F-8 pilots were well trained in air combat maneuvering skills, whereas pilots on more modern aircraft had been taught to rely on long range air-to-air missiles. Recognizing this need the Navy began transferring F-8 instructors to its F-4 program as a way to teach F-4 pilots dog fighting skills. This was the beginnings of the Navys Top Gun School. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting, a USMC F-8 piloted by Gen. Drax Williams chases a pair of Mig-21s during an A-6 escort mission during the Vietnam War. Item Code : STK0043 Early Top Guns by Stan Stokes. - This Edition Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price! TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Artist : Stan Stokes £15 Off! Now : £35.00 All prices on our website are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

Other editions of this item : Early Top Guns by Stan Stokes. STK0043 TYPE EDITION DETAILS SIZE SIGNATURES OFFERS YOUR PRICE PURCHASING PRINT 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Williams, P Drax (signed in person) + Artist : Stan Stokes Signature(s) value alone : £30 £20 Off! Now : £110.00 VIEW EDITION... PRINT Limited edition of 25 giclee artr prints. Just two of this print edition now available. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm) Artist : Stan Stokes £145.00 VIEW EDITION... PRINT Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Williams, P Drax (signed in person) + Artist : Stan Stokes Signature(s) value alone : £30 £45 Off! Now : £85.00 VIEW EDITION... GICLEE CANVAS Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. SOLD OUT. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm) none SOLD OUT VIEW EDITION... GICLEE CANVAS Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. One print available only. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm) none £400.00 VIEW EDITION... General descriptions of types of editions :

Extra Details : Early Top Guns by Stan Stokes.

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Artist Details : Stan Stokes

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Stan Stokes Stan Stokes is a California native with more than 37 years as a full time professional artist, who developed a passion for vintage cars, trains and airplanes at an early age. Model building and RC planes filled the many hours of the young enthusiasts free time. However, unlike most other young aviation enthusiasts Stokes also displayed a great gift for artistic talent. After studying art in College, Stan decided to pursue a career as a professional artist. Stokes initially focused his great talents on depicting uniquely realistic landscapes of the western desert and mountain scenes. More than thirty years ago a good friend suggested that Stan combine his passion for aviation history and flying with his artistic talents, and render an aircraft or two. The rest is history. Stan has won many prestigious awards including the Benedictine Art Award in 1975 and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museums Golden Age of Flight award in 1985. In May of 2000, Stan was honored with the National Museum of Naval Aviations R. G. Smith Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation Art. Commissioned by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Stans 12 x 120 foot mural of the History of the Flying White House is on permanent display in the Air Force One Pavilion. In addition Stans painting of the USS Ronald Reagan is hanging in the Legacy Room of the library. In 2005 Stan also completed a painting of our nations next aircraft carrier, the USS George H. W. Bush, which is on permanent display at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. Stan has also completed several impressive murals for the Palm Springs Air Museum including: The Tuskegee Airmen at 12 x 60 feet and contains 51 portraits of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Dauntless at Midway at 12 x 34 feet and Corsair on Approach at 19 x 55 feet. Stans work also hangs in the Air Force art collection, the Pentagon, San Diego Aerospace Museum, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Stan has had the pleasure of meeting and working with many of his boyhood aviation heroes, including the late General Jimmy Doolittle, the late Pappy Boyington, Chuck Yeager, and many many others. A true aviation history buff, Stan often spends more time pouring over research materials for his paintings to assure their accuracy to the smallest detail than he does behind the canvas. Noted for his incredible detail and strikingly realistic illustration, Stans canvases have a life-like three-dimensional effect that often leaves viewers spellbound. Today his work encompasses not only aviation and space but also portraits, landscapes, ships, classic cars and his new collection of cat-related fine art paintings. Stan particularly enjoys the tough assignment. During his 37 years as a professional artist, he has been asked to produce literally hundreds of paintings documenting historical events, people and places. Although Stan has logged many hours flying his own airplanes, in recent years pleasure flying has had to take a backseat to the artistic demands of his backlog. Stan was commissioned to paint more than twenty original paintings for an aviation museum being in the Philippines. Since the mid-1980s NASA has also tapped Stans talents from time to time and he has completed more than fifteen paintings ranging from the space shuttles to the SR 71 Blackbird. Stan has also painted numerous works for the cutting edge genius in aviation and space design, Burt Rutan. More about Stan Stokes

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