A-4 Skyhawk Prints

A-4 Skyhawks during the Vietnam war shown in naval aviation art prints by aviation artist Nicholas Trudgian, available from the aviation art print company.

The McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was designed by Ed Heinemann as a successor to the Skyraider attack bomber. The prototype aircraft first flew in 1954. The diminutive Skyhawk was only 42 feet in length, with a carrier friendly wingspan of 27 feet. The Skyhawk was capable of speeds close to 700 MPH, and was produced in several variants through 1979. The Skyhawk was utilized extensively in Vietnam for ground attack and support. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Fallen Eagle, the A-4 of a young Navy aviator, Everett Alvarez, has just taken off from the USS Constellation at 2:30 PM on August 5, 1964. Alvarez, a native of Salinas California, had attended the University of Santa Clara before joining the Navy. It was a day that Alvarez would not soon forget. About midnight that day the destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy were under attack from North Vietnamese patrol boats in international waters sixty miles off the coast of North Vietnam. Alvarez unit, the VA-144 Roadrunners, had been scrambled to assist the destroyers, but terrible weather conditions prevented any action. Washington decided to retaliate against these attacks by authorizing the first bombardment of North Vietnam on August 5, 1964. On that day twenty-two aircraft from the USS Ticonderoga attacked North Vietnam military targets at 1:15 PM. Only one aircraft was damaged during this first wave, and its pilot successfully made it back to an airfield in South Vietnam. The USS Constellation would provide a second wave involving 10 Skyhawks, 4 Skyraiders, and a single F-4 to provide fighter cover. Alvarez target was the harbor at Hon Gai, where his mission was to destroy any military patrol boats in the harbor. The lumbering Skyraiders were launched early, and Alvarez was the first of the ten Skyhawks off the Constellation. The Skyhawks rendezvoused at 20,000 feet before climbing to 30,000 feet for the seventy-five minute flight to the target area. Alvarez A-4 was equipped with a belly pod of 19 rockets. The Skyhawks streaked in over the harbor at 500 MPH in a shallow dive. Four torpedo boats and a larger coastal patrol ship were in the harbor. Alvarez made two passes over the harbor, and as he was passing over the southern edge of the town he saw a yellow flash to the port side of his windscreen accompanied by a popping sound. Seconds later the A-4 shook violently, and all the warning lights came on. The cockpit began to fill with smoke and the stick froze. With a final radio transmission, Im getting out! Ill see you guys later!, Alvarez pulled his ejection ring. Within seconds he was in the water. Picked-up minutes later by some very nervous fisherman, Everett Alvarez would become the first pilot shot down and captured over North Vietnam. It would be eight-and-one-half years later that Alvarez would be released, having endured hardships which would have broken anyone of less than the highest faith and courage. Everett Alvarez retired from the Navy in 1980, and was later a Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, and Deputy Director of the Veterans Administration.

SHOWCASE PRODUCT

EDITIONS

Pilot Signed Prints - The Hunting Party Price : £145

Pilot Signed Print - In Them We Trust.. Price : £125

Two Pilot Sigs Print - Freedom Fighters. Price : £160

Pilot Signed Original Drawing - 501 Sqn Scramble. Price : £380

Pilot Signed Original Drawing - 41 Sqn Scramble. Price : £380

ARTIST
Featured Artist - Ivan Berryman

Ivan Berryman - Battle of Britain Art

Artist Ivan Berryman has been producing many pencil drawings depicting scenes from the Battle of Britain. Each of these is signed by one of the pilots who was actually present at the battle, and is often inspired by the events they took part in themselves. Special signed print editions have also been created from existing full colour print editions, with some featuring multiple pilot signatures. You can find all of Ivan's Battle of Britain artwork on his website - www.ivanberryman.com, or see a full list of pencil drawings - updated regularly, in our dedicated section of pencil drawings.

When you go to a product page for an item in our shop, click on the names of the pilots where they are linked in the text for an item to see a profile page for that pilot. Often we include photos of signing sessions along with details of their flying career, and a full list of all items signed by the pilot.

Pilot Signed Battle of Britain Prints and Original Pencil Drawings

Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain

We are busy building up a portfolio of many many original pencil drawings which depict events from the Battle of Britain, the famous air battle won by 'the Few' in the summer of 1940. The British and Commonwealth pilots defended the air above Britain and the surrounding seaways from the might of the German Luftwaffe. Greatly outnumbered, the bravery of these young pilots saved the country from invasion, and let Britain survive to go on to defeat Germany. Without that first crucial victory, the outcome of the war could have been so very different. We have been busy arranging signing sessions with the few pilots who fought in that great battle who remain with us to this day. Our newly commissioned pencil drawings are often based on the descriptions of the battle by these great men, and are authenticated by their signatures. We have also had several editions of existing prints signed in full, or have signatures added to parts of existing editions. We have also incoporated signatures of some of the German pilots who also took part in the battle, some of whom went on to become top scoring aces of the war. See our Original Pencil Drawings Section - particularly the section of artists David Pentland and Ivan Berryman. Also, see our New Signature Editions section to see all of our newly signed editions.

DETAIL IMAGES

More Items from our database
Green Hearts by Ivan Berryman. (D)	Battle of Britain by Graeme Lothian.	Four Fw190 aircraft prints by Nicolas Trudgian.