Aviation art prints of the B24
Liberator. US Air Force Bomber B24 Liberator shown in aviation art prints showing B24
Liberator of 93rd Bomber Group with Flying Fortresses of 92nd Bomb Group. Signed
limited edition prints available from Cranston Fine Arts.
In 1938 Consolidated
Aircraft was asked by the USAAC to join in production of Americas only
long range 4-engine bomber, the Boeing B-17.However, Mack Laddon, the companys Chief design engineer,
convinced the Army that an alternative design, incorporating the high
aspect ratio wing design of David Davis, would result in a long range
heavy bomber superior to the Boeing B-17. The Army Air Corps contracted
with Consolidated to build seven prototypes and these were delivered in
1940 for service trials. Consolidated Aircraft had substantial
experience in producing long range flying boats, most notable of which
was the PBY Catalina. The B-24 incorporated the distinctive twin tailed
design of Consolidateds flying boats, and relative to the older but
sleeker B-17 was quite an ugly duckling. Despite its deceiving
appearance, the B-24 was produced in greater numbers (18,000) than any
other American aircraft during WW II, and proved through experience to
be one of the most versatile of all Allied aircraft. Nicknamed the
Liberator by the British, the B-24 served in many roles. In addition to
its very effective use as a strategic bomber, the aircraft proved very
successful in anti-submarine activities, and as a long-haul transport
for troops, fuel and supplies. The Liberator was the only American
aircraft capable of non-stop transatlantic crossings during the war.
First utilized by the French and British, the B-24 is credited for
helping the Allies win the war in the Atlantic, where the aircrafts
incredible range was an important asset. Germanys 1,200 U-Boats sank
over 2,600 Allied ships during the War, and in 1942 and 1943 losses were
nearly unsustainable. Until the Liberators arrived, Allied convoys
lacked air cover for a 300 mile stretch of the Atlantic, and it was in
this area that wolfpacks of U-Boats took a devastating toll. The
Liberator was utilized in virtually all theaters of operation during the
war. The B-24 was produced in several variants, of which the B-24D was
the first to be mass produced. The B-24D was powered by four 1200 HP
Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines which
incorporated two-stage superchargers. The aircraft had a maximum speed
of 303 MPH, and a range of 2,850 miles. Most Liberators were manned by a
crew of nine or ten, and typical armament consisted of ten machine guns.
With an official bomb capacity of 8,830 pounds the B-24D could pack
quite a wallop. In his painting, artist Stan Stokes captures a pair of
Liberators returning to base at dusk after a lengthy submarine patrol
mission over the Atlantic in 1942.
End Game by Nicolas Trudgian.
For bomber crews, any daylight-bombing mission almost certainly meant combat. If it werent the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en route to the target - and again on the journey home. On most missions the Eighth Air Force aircrews had to contend with both. Enduring up to ten hours of concentrated flying under cramped conditions, extreme cold, with the constant noise and vibration produced by four powerful engines, made every mission uncomfortable enough without being shot at. But the USAAF aircrews confronted the odds - a one in three chance of completing a 25-mission tour of operations - cheerfully and with gallant resolve. Playing a major role in the great raids on Germany and other targets in occupied Europe from early in 1944, equipped with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the USAAF Second Air Division flew no fewer than 95,048 sorties. Based in Norfolk, England, the crews also attacked targets far di.........
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.
Item Code : DHM1616
Me262 1As of 3rd Gruppe JG7 by Randall Wilson. (GL) - Editions Available
At first light on August 1st, 1943 a force of 178 B-24 Liberator bombers lifted off dusty airstrips in the Libyan desert. They were to fly a 2000 mile round-trip deep into enemy territory, bomb a heavily defended target, and return to their North African base - without fighter escort. So began one of the bloodiest and heroic missions in the annals of aerial warfare. The target - the oil refineries at Ploesti. One third of Germany's petroleum products were supplied from Ploesti, situated deep in Rumania and well beyond the range of Allied bombers based in England. Deprived of this vital supply of fuel, Germany's mighty war machine would grind to a halt. The high command were aware of this and the installations at Ploesti were defended accordingly. To attack such a heavily defended target with the required degree of accuracy it was necessary to bomb from a perilously low level, a task for which the B-24 was notoriously unsuited. The mission called for inspired leadership.........
Ground crew rush to the assistance of an 8th Airforce Consolidated B24D Liberator as it slides to a halt after an emergency landing at an English airfield following damage sustained during a mission over Germany.
This picture won Best Painting at The American Society of Aviation Artists in 1998.
Battle of the Atlantic by Richard Ward - Editions Available
TYPE
DESCRIPTION
SIZE
SIGNATURES
OFFERS
PRICE
PURCHASING
PRINT
Limited edition of 300 prints, with printed signature. Full Item Details
Image size 8 inches x 5 inches (20cm x 13cm)
none
£14.00
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 .........
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.
Item Code : DHM2653
B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian. - Editions Available
Depicting two B17s from 92nd bomb group having joined a lone B24 from 93rd. In the background, the distinctive triangles on the tails of the two aircraft denote membership to the 303rd BG.
In 1938 Consolidated Aircraft was asked by the USAAC to join in production of Americas only long range 4-engine bomber, the Boeing B-17. However, Mack Laddon, the companys Chief design engineer, convinced the Army that an alternative design, incorporating the high aspect ratio wing design of David Davis, would result in a long range heavy bomber superior to the Boeing B-17. The Army Air Corps contracted with Consolidated to build seven prototypes and these were delivered in 1940 for service trials. Consolidated Aircraft had substantial experience in producing long range flying boats, most notable of which was the PBY Catalina. The B-24 incorporated the distinctive twin tailed design of Consolidateds flying boats, and relative to the older but sleeker B-17 was quite an ugly duckling. Despite its deceiving appearance, the B-24 was produced in greater numbers (18,000) than any other American aircraft during WW II, and proved through experience to be one of the most versatile of all Alli.........
Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Artist : Stan Stokes
£5 Off!
Now : £35.00
Tail End Charlie by Stan Stokes.
E.W. Bruce was a B-24 Liberator commander with the 704th Bomb Squadron, of the 446th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force. His squadron was based at Bungay in East Anglia. On the morning of January 29, 1944 a hush falls over the bomb crews in Bruces squadron as the intelligence officer unveils the mission map for the days activities. An all out maximum force raid on Frankfurt. When formation positions are assigned the tail-end-charlie spot goes to Bruce piloting the Hula Wahine. Low clouds are expected at 5000 feet, and the bombing run will most likely be made with radar. Hopefully the weather will keep the Lufwaffes fighters on the ground. Bruces group is at the end of the formation, so he is the last plane of several hundred on the bomb run. The group increases air speed and altitude as it approaches Frankfurt. Within minutes of the target Bruces B-24 loses the supercharger on its No.2 engine. They begin to trail the formation and lose altitude. Suddenly the supercharger fails on the .........
B-24 Liberators with escorting P-51D Mustangs of the US 8th Air Force hit a communication centre. Due to the overwhelming air attacks by both Strategic and Tactical Air Forces, German gunners had run out of ammunition by noon in many strongpoints.
Item Code : B0091
Mustangs and Liberators by Richard Ward - Editions Available
TYPE
DESCRIPTION
SIZE
SIGNATURES
OFFERS
PRICE
PURCHASING
PRINT
Limited edition of 300 prints, with printed signature. Full Item Details
Image size 8 inches x 5 inches (20cm x 13cm)
none
£14.00
Ploesti, The Vital Mission by Robert Taylor.
Col Leon Johnson aboard the damaged Suzy Q emerges through an inferno of intense ground fire and dense palls of acrid burning oil. More seriously hit and smoking, another B-24 Liberator completes its bombing run. By the end of that first day of May 1943, the Ploesti oil fields were in ruins and the B-24 crews of the 8th and 9th Air Forces had dealt a vital blow to the Axis war machine.
Item Code : AX0034
Ploesti, The Vital Mission by Robert Taylor. - Editions Available
The weather on the morning of 31 December, 1944 was already unpleasant. In the Ardennes, hard-pressed German troops were battling Allied ground forces advancing through several inches of snow. Above, darkening skies heralded the arrival of more snow. At 10.45am, in deteriorating weather, a battle formation of 30 Fw190D fighters climbed out of Varrelbusch and headed south over the snowcovered landscape. Under the command of 12./JG54 Staffelkapitan, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann, and initially tasked to provide air cover to their beleaguered comrades below, the group was re-assigned to intercept enemy aircraft in the region of Limburg almost immediately the pilots were airborne. Flying south they ran directly into the oncoming weather, and with visibility dangerously reduced, Dortenmann elected to climb through the solid cloud into clear air. As the Fw190s broke cloud above the area of Koblenz they sighted a formation of nine 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators and formed up for an attack. Some 60.........
Heinz Bar joined JG 51 in 1939 as a non-officer pilot. By August of 1940 he had become the highest scoring non-officer pilot in the Luftwaffe. Although shot down once during the Battle of Britain, Bar survived, and was later transferred to the Eastern Front. He received his commission and by the end of 1941 had chalked up 91 victories. By mid-1942, with 113 victories, he was promoted to Hauptman and made Group Commander of I/JG 77. Flying out of Sicily he participated in the siege of Malta, and later was shifted to North Africa where he obtained another 61 victories. With his health suffering, Heinz was reassigned to Germany, where he flew interception missions against the steady onslaught of Eighth Air Force bombers. With his victory total at 202, Bar was put in command of JG 3 and later III/EJG2, a unit equipped with the Me-262 jet fighter. He obtained 16 victories in March and April of 1945 while piloting the 262, making him the top jet ace of WW II. His record for victories in a j.........
A B-24 has been hit and is losing touch with the main bomber formation, as Luftwaffe pilots concentrated their attentions on the unfortunate aircraft. Two Fw190s, are zooming up for the kill on the damaged B-24. Seeing the desperate situation, a P-38 escort pilot has made a head-on attack, splitting the pair of Fw190s, and thwarting their attempt to finish off the B-24. Another P-38, aware of the situation, is turning into the path of the Fw190s, and Robert makes it clear in his dramatic portrayal that the action has some way to go before any conclusion will be reached.
When the RAF took delivery of their first Consolidated B.24 Liberators in 1941, aerial cover for trans-Atlantic convoys was strengthened, affording these brave merchant ships a modicum of protection as they forged their slow passage from the US to Britain with vital supplies. 120 Sqn was immediately pressed into this role from their initial base at Nutts Corner in Northern Ireland, before moving to Ballykelly and Reykjavik in Iceland as the U-Boat threat increased. The example shown is a Liberator V of RAF Coastal Command.
Item Code : B0436
The Long Patrol by Ivan Berryman. - Editions Available
The only flyable B-24 Liberator aircraft in the world, serial no. 44-44052 is the aircraft owned and operated by the Collings Foundation, and named after The Dragon and His Tail, a lavishly decorated B-24 that flew in the Pacific during WW II. The B-24 did not get the attention or fame of the B-17 either during or after the War. With longer range and bigger bomb loads than the B-17 the B-24s were generally based far from London. As a result, most war correspondents looked for stories at the B-17 fields and avoided the long treks to the B-24 fields. The B-17 also looked more modern and more powerful, although this was not an accurate assessment. The B-24 that has been restored by the Collings Foundation was built in August 1944 by Consolidated Aircraft at the companys huge Ft. Worth assembly plant. Originally delivered to the USAAF the aircraft was shortly transferred to the Royal Air Force. Under British Flag the plane saw combat service in the Pacific in operations ranging from anti.........
End Game by Nicholas Trudgiant :
For bomber crews, any daylight bombing mission almost certainly meant
combat. If it wasn't the attentions of determined Luftwaffe fighter
pilots, it would be an aerial carpet of flak that welcomed the bombers en
route to the target - and again on the journey home. On most
missions the Eighth Air Force aircrews had to contend with both.
Enduring up to ten hours of concentrated flying under cramped conditions,
extreme cold, with the constant noise and vibration produced by four
powerful engines, made every mission uncomfortable enough without being
shot at. But the USAAF aircrews confronted the odds - a one in three
chance of completing a 25 mission tour of operations - cheerfully and with
gallant resolve. Playing a major role in the great raids on Germany
and other targets in occupied Europe from early in 1944, equipped with the
Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the USAAF Second Air Division flew no fewer
than 95,048 sorties. Based in Norfolk, England, the crews also
attacked targets far distant in Norway, Poland, and Rumania, unloading
almost 100,000 tons of bombs and claiming over 1000 enemy fighters shot
down.
Operation Tidal Wave by Nicholas Trudgian first light on August 1, 1943 a force of 178 B-24 Liberator bombers
lifted off dusty airstrips in the Libyan desert. The target - the oil
refineries at Ploesti. Nicolas Trudgian's detailed painting Operation
Tidal Wave is a moving tribute to the 1700 aircrew who flew the tortuous
Ploesti Raid. Depicted exiting the target at extreme low-level are B-24s
of the 44th and 98th Bomb Groups, with the 98th BG B-24 'Sandman' in the
immediate foreground. In the distance other Liberators lucky enough to
have survived the fiery maelstrom make their escape. Behind them fires
rage among the structures of the refinery as yet more crews enter the
holocaust
Motley Crew by Tim
Fisher Depicting two B17's from 92nd bomb group having joined a lone B24
from 93rd. In the background, the distinctive triangles on the tails of
the two aircraft denote membership to the 303rd BG. Hence the title of
the painting.
Safe by Keith Woodcock Ground crew rush to the assistance of an 8th Airforce Consolidated B24D
Liberator as it slides to a halt after an emergency landing at an English
airfield following damage sustained during a mission over Germany.
Tail End Charlie by Stan Stokes.
Depicts a spectacular mission flown during wwII by a
B-24 Named the Hula Wahine under the command of Ernest Bruce.
Too Little Too Late by Stan Stokes.
Heinz Bar joined JG 51 in 1939 as a non-officer pilot.
By August of 1940 he had become the highest scoring non-officer pilot in
the Luftwaffe. Although shot down once during the Battle of Britain, Bar
survived, and was later transferred to the Eastern Front. He received
his commission and by the end of 1941 had chalked up 91 victories. By
mid-1942, with 113 victories, he was promoted to Hauptman and made Group
Commander of I/JG 77. Flying out of Sicily he participated in the siege
of Malta, and later was shifted to North Africa where he obtained
another 61 victories. With his health suffering, Heinz was reassigned to
Germany, where he flew interception missions against the steady
onslaught of Eighth Air Force bombers. With his victory total at 202,
Bar was put in command of JG 3 and later III/EJG2, a unit equipped with
the Me-262 jet fighter. He obtained 16 victories in March and April of
1945 while piloting the 262, making him the top jet ace of WW II. His
record for victories in a jet stands until this day, having been equaled
in Korea by Capt. Joseph McConnell. Bars final victory count of 220 made
him the eighth highest scoring ace of all time. He was killed after the
War in a flying accident. The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a
masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet
to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941
utilizinga piston engine.
General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at
that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262,
and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers.
Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow
him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced,
but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While
the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines,
production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet
engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular
hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like
appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach
.86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied
fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and
landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were
destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek
jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany
had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of
these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a
force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort
fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing
rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on
that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War
could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production
totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the
duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262
had not been too little too late.
Liberators by Stan Stokes. In 1938 Consolidated
Aircraft was asked by the USAAC to join in production of Americas only
long range 4-engine bomber, the Boeing B-17.However, Mack Laddon, the companys Chief design engineer,
convinced the Army that an alternative design, incorporating the high
aspect ratio wing design of David Davis, would result in a long range
heavy bomber superior to the Boeing B-17. The Army Air Corps contracted
with Consolidated to build seven prototypes and these were delivered in
1940 for service trials. Consolidated Aircraft had substantial
experience in producing long range flying boats, most notable of which
was the PBY Catalina. The B-24 incorporated the distinctive twin tailed
design of Consolidateds flying boats, and relative to the older but
sleeker B-17 was quite an ugly duckling. Despite its deceiving
appearance, the B-24 was produced in greater numbers (18,000) than any
other American aircraft during WW II, and proved through experience to
be one of the most versatile of all Allied aircraft. Nicknamed the
Liberator by the British, the B-24 served in many roles. In addition to
its very effective use as a strategic bomber, the aircraft proved very
successful in anti-submarine activities, and as a long-haul transport
for troops, fuel and supplies. The Liberator was the only American
aircraft capable of non-stop transatlantic crossings during the war.
First utilized by the French and British, the B-24 is credited for
helping the Allies win the war in the Atlantic, where the aircrafts
incredible range was an important asset. Germanys 1,200 U-Boats sank
over 2,600 Allied ships during the War, and in 1942 and 1943 losses were
nearly unsustainable. Until the Liberators arrived, Allied convoys
lacked air cover for a 300 mile stretch of the Atlantic, and it was in
this area that wolfpacks of U-Boats took a devastating toll. The
Liberator was utilized in virtually all theaters of operation during the
war. The B-24 was produced in several variants, of which the B-24D was
the first to be mass produced. The B-24D was powered by four 1200 HP
Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines which
incorporated two-stage superchargers. The aircraft had a maximum speed
of 303 MPH, and a range of 2,850 miles. Most Liberators were manned by a
crew of nine or ten, and typical armament consisted of ten machine guns.
With an official bomb capacity of 8,830 pounds the B-24D could pack
quite a wallop. In his painting, artist Stan Stokes captures a pair of
Liberators returning to base at dusk after a lengthy submarine patrol
mission over the Atlantic in 1942.
The Dragon and his Tail by Stan Stokes.
The only
flyable B-24 Liberator aircraft in the world, serial no. 44-44052 is the
aircraft owned and operated by the Collings Foundation, and named after
The Dragon and His Tail, a lavishly decorated B-24 that flew in the
Pacific during WW II. The B-24 did not get the attention or fame of the
B-17 either during or after the War. With longer range and bigger bomb
loads than the B-17 the B-24s were generally based far from London. As a
result, most war correspondents looked for stories at the B-17 fields
and avoided the long treks to the B-24 fields. The B-17 also looked more
modern and more powerful, although this was not an accurate assessment.The B-24 that has been restored by the Collings Foundation was
built in August 1944 by Consolidated Aircraft at the companys huge Ft.
Worth assembly plant. Originally delivered to the USAAF the aircraft was
shortly transferred to the Royal Air Force. Under British Flag the plane
saw combat service in the Pacific in operations ranging from
anti-shipping to bombing, to re-supply. At Wars end she was abandoned to
an aircraft graveyard in Khanpur, India. In 1948 the aircraft was
restored by the Indian Air Force and it saw service until 1968. She sat
abandoned in India until 1981 when famed British aircraft collector,
Doug Arnold, purchased her and had her disassembled for shipment back to
England. She was sold in 1984 in “as is” condition to the Collings
Foundation and was returned to America in 1984. Restoration commenced in
1985 with General Dynamics acting as a major sponsor of the restoration.
More than 420,000 rivets were replaced during the restoration that
involved rebuilding more than 80% of the aircraft’s parts. The
completed B-24 was originally named “All American” in honor of an
Army Air Force B-24 of the same name. The original All American shot
down fourteen enemy fighters in a raid over Germany on July 25, 1944.
That aircraft was lost on a combat mission when it was shot down over
Yugoslavia in October of 1944. In 1998 the Collings Foundation renamed
its B-24 The Dragon and its Tail to honor an aircraft than served with
the 64th Bomb Squadron of the 43rd Bomb Group in
the Pacific. The original Dragon survived the War, and was the last B-24
scrapped in Arizona. In Stan Stokes marvelous painting the original
Dragon is depicted during a typical anti-shipping mission.
Safe Haven by Nicholas Trudgian Returning from a dogfight raid over Germany, B-24s of 93rd Bomb Group
fly low over an East Anglian fishing village on Britains east coast. Signed by Philip
Ardrey, John Brooks, William Cameron, Albert Shower.
HMS Captain at the Battle of Cape St Vincent by Ivan Berryman (P) Half Price - £5250.00
Dawn Rendezvous by Anthony Saunders. Half Price - £50.00
HMS Carmania sinking the German armed liner SS Cap Trafalgar off Ilha da Trindade, South Atlantic. 14th September 1914. By Ivan Berryman. (AP) Half Price - £25.00
Queen Mary at Southampton by Ivan Berryman. Half Price - £50.00
