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P-61 Black Widow Aviation Art Prints by Stan Stokes and Nicolas Trudgian. - Direct Art
STK0032B. Bite of the Black Widow  by Stan Stokes. <p> 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 would carry 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. In his spectacular moon-lit painting entitled Bite of the Black Widow, aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts the P-61 flown by Major Carroll C. Smith of the 418th Squadron of the Fifth Air Force. Smith was one of two pilots in WW II to attain ace status in the Black Widow. Smith obtained a total of seven night victories. His first two were obtained while flying a night-fighter version of the P-38. Four of Smiths victories in the P-61 came on two missions during one evening in December 1944. <b><p>Signed by USAF Col. Leonard Hall - instructor and pilot of the P-61 Black Widow. <p> 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.<p>Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
DHM2036. Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian. <p> 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 his radar operator have picked up a formation of three Fw190s, stealthily closing on their quarry in the gathering dusk, O.B. makes one quick and decisive strike, bringing down the enemy leader with two short bursts of fire. Banking hard, as the Fw190 pilot prepares to bale out, he brings his blazing guns to bear on a second Fw190, the tracer lighting up the fuselage of his P-61. <b><p> Signed by Lieutenant Colonel Herman Ernst (deceased), <br>Major Robert Graham, <br>Major General Oris B Johnson (deceased) <br>and <br>First Lieutenant Bob Tierney, in addition to the artist. <p> Limited edition of 600 prints. <p> Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm)

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  Website Price: £ 210.00  

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P-61 Black Widow Aviation Art Prints by Stan Stokes and Nicolas Trudgian.

PCK2030. P-61 Black Widow Aviation Art Prints by Stan Stokes and Nicolas Trudgian.

Aviation Print Pack.

Items in this pack :

Item #1 - Click to view individual item

STK0032B. Bite of the Black Widow by Stan Stokes.

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 would carry 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. In his spectacular moon-lit painting entitled Bite of the Black Widow, aviation artist Stan Stokes depicts the P-61 flown by Major Carroll C. Smith of the 418th Squadron of the Fifth Air Force. Smith was one of two pilots in WW II to attain ace status in the Black Widow. Smith obtained a total of seven night victories. His first two were obtained while flying a night-fighter version of the P-38. Four of Smiths victories in the P-61 came on two missions during one evening in December 1944.

Signed by USAF Col. Leonard Hall - instructor and pilot of the P-61 Black Widow.

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)


Item #2 - Click to view individual item

DHM2036. 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 his radar operator have picked up a formation of three Fw190s, stealthily closing on their quarry in the gathering dusk, O.B. makes one quick and decisive strike, bringing down the enemy leader with two short bursts of fire. Banking hard, as the Fw190 pilot prepares to bale out, he brings his blazing guns to bear on a second Fw190, the tracer lighting up the fuselage of his P-61.

Signed by Lieutenant Colonel Herman Ernst (deceased),
Major Robert Graham,
Major General Oris B Johnson (deceased)
and
First Lieutenant Bob Tierney, in addition to the artist.

Limited edition of 600 prints.

Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm)


Website Price: £ 210.00  

To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £345.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £135




All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

 

Signatures on this item
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo
Col Leonard R Hall USAF
*Signature Value : £35 (matted)

Born and raised on the Kings Ranch in Texas, Leonard Hall, the first airborne radar observer in the USAA-F and co-founder of the Night Fighter School, earned an engineering degree from Texas A&M before joining Shell 011 Company as a seismologist. Holding a reserve officers commission, Hall was called up in 1941. Early in 1942, Hall (at that time a Captain) and Lt. Col. Don Brummel, a reserve officer and commercial airline pilot, were selected to organize and train night fighter crews for the United States Army Air Force. Hall was a dual rated officer, having completed both Pilot Training and Combat Observer schools. Brummel and Hall were sent to Orlando, Florida to establish a Night Fighter School. There first reaction to their new assignment was .. 'What's a night fighter?' They were soon to find out. Shortly thereafter the two young officers were sent off to England to learn everything they could from the RAF. The British had developed a fairly crude airborne radar system called 'Trigger,' and was attaining limited success in intercepting German night bombers. The RAF was awfully busy at the time, and Hall and Brummel had to largely train themselves. They were given access to several radar-equipped aircraft including a Bristol Beaufighter, a Havoc (A-20) and a Mosquito. Learning an entirely new combat technique was an exciting, but at times life threatening, experience. Most military pilots at that time were not very experienced at either night or instrument flying. As one of the RAF night flyers, Bill Gunston stated in his book Night Fighters... 'All flying is uplifting and exciting. Flying to fight other flyers is more exciting still, but flying and fighting at night reaches the pinnacle of human experience that are touched but rarely.' Returning to Orlando, Hall and Brummel had radar equipment installed on some A-20s, re-christening them P-70s. As the school began to receive instrument-rated pilots and radar officer recruits, Hall flew as both an instructor pilot and radar officer instructor. All the night fighters were volunteers. C.C. Smith, who would become an ace flying the P-61, was one of Hall's first students. The converted A-20 was eventually replaced by the Northrup P-61 Black Widow. Hall and Brummel performed some of the early evaluation of this aircraft. Later, both were asked to volunteer for service in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS.) Following the War Hall served as Project Officer for experimental aircraft, Technical Air Attache to Great Britain, and was involved in the flight test and acceptance on the B-58 supersonic bomber. After his retirement from the Air Force, Hall joined NASA, where he served under Werner von Braun during the Apollo Program. His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, three Air Medals, two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, and a Presidential Citation. He currently resides in Southern California with his wife LaVern.
Signatures on item 2
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo
The signature of First Lieutenant Bob Tierney

First Lieutenant Bob Tierney
*Signature Value : £40 (matted)

Joining up in 1942, Bob Tierney arrived in Europe with the 422nd in 1944. Flying the P61 he flew his first combat mission on July 7th 1944, and during his tour completed a total of 53 combat missions, of which 16 were train strafing missions in Germany. On one occassion Pilot 1st Lt. Paul A. Smith and R/O 1st Lt. Robert E. Tierney followed a German aircraft to the ground, the German plane playing a game of tag, always staying safely ahead of the P–61, but never attempting to lose it either. After nearly thirty minutes of chase, Smith and Tierney found themselves at low altitude flying through a killing field of light German antiaircraft guns supported by searchlights. Having lost their port engine, the 422d Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) crew nursed the damaged Black Widow back to their home base. Though the P–61 bore eighty-seven holes, the Germans were unable to claim their prize. 1st Lts. Paul A. Smith and Robert E. Tierney became the first U.S. night aces the day after Christmas, shooting down two Ju 188s. First Lieutenant Bob Tierney finished the war an ace with 15 air victories. He retired from active duty in 1945. On one occassion Pilot 1st Lt. Paul A. Smith and R/O 1st Lt. Robert E. Tierney followed a German aircraft to the ground, the German plane playing a game of tag, always staying safely ahead of the P–61, but never attempting to lose it either. After nearly thirty minutes of chase, Smith and Tierney found themselves at low altitude flying through a 'killing field' of light German antiaircraft guns supported by searchlights. Having lost their port engine, the 422d Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) crew nursed the damaged Black Widow back to their home base. Though the P–61 bore eighty-seven holes, the Germans were unable to claim their prize.
The signature of Lieutenant Colonel Herman Ernst (deceased)

Lieutenant Colonel Herman Ernst (deceased)
*Signature Value : £35 (matted)

Lt. Col. Herman E. Ernst Born in Philadelphia, his family moved here when he was very young and and he graduated from Central High School in 1936. He attended the University of Chattanooga briefly, before Enlisting in 1940, Herman Ernst arrived in the ETO with the 422nd during the build up to D-Day. He quickly got into action with his P61 Borrowed Time, shooting down a buzz bomb on his first combat mission. He finished the war an ace with 5 air victories and over 70 combat missions including hazardous ground support missions in the Battle of the Bulge. He was discharged from active service in 1945 but continued service in the Tennessee Air National Guard until 1978. He retained a life long passion for flying and was long and active member of the Chattanooga Flyers Club. Sadly Lt. Col. Herman E. Ernst died aged 85 on February 28th 2003.


The signature of Major General Oris B Johnson (deceased)

Major General Oris B Johnson (deceased)
*Signature Value : £45 (matted)

Oris Baker Johnson was born in 1920 in Ashland, Louisiana. He graduated from high school in Natchitoches, Louisiana in 1935 and entered Louisiana State Normal College where he majored in chemistry and physics. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in 1939, he taught for one year in Mer Rouge, Louisiana. Oris Baker Johnson entered the Army Air Corps in November 1940 as an aviation cadet and received pilot training at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Randolph and Kelly fields, Texas. He graduated, receiving his wings in July 1941. He then served as a pilot at several air bases in the United States. He assumed command of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron and took them into combat in Europe. The squadron was equipped with the P61 and under his command they received the Presidential Unit Citation for their combat service during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944. He led the squadron throughout its combat operations in Europe. After the war he was assigned to the Tactical Air Command, and in July 1946 was transferred to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Oris Baker Johnson was assigned in August 1947 to Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, where he served in the Fighter Branch and later as chief of the Air Defense Division. During the Korean War in April 1951, he was assigned to Headquarters Far East Air Forces in Tokyo, Japan, and became director of requirements, Directorate of Operations. He returned to the United States in October 1953 to begin a series of assignments with Aerospace Defense Command (then Air Defense Command) and took command of the 501st Air Defense Group at OHare International Airport, Chicago. In January 1956 he was assigned to Air Defense Command Headquarters at Ent Air Force Base, Colorado, where he served initially as chairman of the Distant Early Warning Operations Warning Group and then as special assistant to the deputy for operations. In August 1957 General Johnson was reassigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Force and served in the Directorate of Operations and as chief, Weapons Systems Division in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Air Defense Systems. During 1960 under the U.S. Air Force-Royal Air Force exchange program, he was a student at the Imperial Defence College in London, England. After completing the course, he assumed duty in December 1960 with Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany. During this tour of duty he served as the assistant deputy chief of staff for operations. In August 1963 he returned to the United States as commander of the Washington Air Defense Sector based at Fort Lee, Virginia. In February 1966 General Johnson returned to Ent Air Force Base as director of operations for North American Air Defense and Continental Air Defense Command and in August 1966 he assumed command of the 9th Aerospace Defense Division, ADC. The division became the Fourteenth Aerospace Force in July 1968. He became commander of the 313th Air Division, with headquarters at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in August 1969. General Johnson again was assigned to Aerospace Defense Command in September 1971 in the position of deputy chief of staff material, Aerospace Defense Command. General Johnson retired on the 1st of August 1973. His military decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Emblem, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Ribbon, French Croix de Guerre with star, and the Belgian Fourragere. Major General Johnson passed away on 14th September 1999.
The signature of Major Robert Graham

Major Robert Graham
*Signature Value : £35 (matted)

Robert Graham was a highly skilled radar operator on the P61, the first American fighter to be equipped with radar. Posted to England he served with the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron. Robert Graham and his pilot R A Anderson in their P61 Double Trouble had 5 confirmed victories and 65 combat missions. They also participated in the Battle of the Bulge, providing ground cover. He retired as Major in 1965.

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