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Aviation Art Prints Aviation Artists Nicolas Trudgian

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Nicolas Trudgian

Nicolas Trudgian

Cranston Fine Arts have now taken over all remaining stocks of Nicolas Trudgian prints from his previous publishers. We have made available a great many prints that had not been seen for many years, and have uncovered some rarities which lay unnoticed during this transition.

Having graduated from art college, Nicolas Trudgian spent many years as a professional illustrator before turning to a career in fine art painting. His crisp style of realism, attention to detail, compositional skills and bright use of colours, immediately found favour with collectors and demand for his original work soared on both sides of the Atlantic. Today, more than a decade after becoming a fine art painter, Nicolas Trudgian is firmly established within a tiny, elite group of aviation artists whose works are genuinely collected world-wide. When he paints an aircraft you can be sure he has researched it in every detail and when he puts it over a particular airfield, the chances are he has paid it a recent visit. Even when he paints a sunset over a tropical island, or mist hanging over a valley in China, most probably he has seen it with his own eyes. Nick was born and raised in the seafaring city of Plymouth, the port from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620, and where Sir Francis Drake played bowls while awaiting the Spanish Armada. Growing up in a house close to the railway station within a busy military city, the harbour always teeming with naval vessels and the skies above resonating with the sounds of naval aircraft, it was not at all surprising the young Nick became fascinated with trains, boats and aircraft. It was from his father, himself a talented artist, that Nick acquired his love of drawing and surrounded by so much that was inspiring, there was never a shortage of ideas for pictures. His talent began to show at an early age and although he did well enough at school, he always spent a disproportionate amount of time drawing. People talked about him becoming a Naval officer or an architect but in 1975 Nick's mind was made up. When he told his careers teacher he wanted to go to art school the man said, 'Now come on, what do you really want to do? After leaving school Nick began a one-year foundation course at the Plymouth College of Art. Now armed with an impressive portfolio containing paintings of jet aircraft, trains, even wildlife, he was immediately accepted at every college he applied to join. He chose a course at the Falmouth College of Art in Cornwall specialising in technical illustration and paintings of machines and vehicles for industry. It was perfect for Nick, and he was to become one of the star pupils. One of the lecturers commented at the time: Every college needs someone with a talent like Nick to raise the standards sky high; he carried all the other students along with him, and created an effect which will last for years to come. Two weeks after leaving art college Nick blew every penny he had on a trip to South Africa to ride the great steam trains across the desert, sketching them at every opportunity. Returning to England, in best traditions of all young artists, he struggled to make a living. Paintings by an unknown artist didn't fetch much despite the painstaking effort and time Nick put into each work, so when the college he had recently left offered him a job as a lecturer, he jumped at the chance. The money was good and he discovered that he really enjoyed teaching. Throughout the 1970s Nick was much involved with a railway preservation society near Plymouth and it was through the railway society that he had his first pictures reproduced as prints. But Nick felt he needed to advance his career and in summer 1985 Nick moved away from Cornwall to join an energetic new design studio in Wiltshire. Here he painted detailed artwork for many major companies including Rolls Royce, General Motors, Volvo Trucks, Alfa Romeo and, to his delight, the aviation and defence industries. He remembers the job as exciting though stressful, often requiring him to work right through the night to meet a client's deadline. Here he learned to be disciplined and fast. Towards the end of the 1980's Nick had the chance to work for the Military Gallery. This was the break that for years he had been striving towards and with typical enthusiasm, flung himself into his new role. After completing a series of aviation posters, including a gigantic painting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Royal Air Force, Nick's first aviation scene to be published as a limited edition was launched by the Military Gallery in 1991. Despite the fact he was unknown in the field, it was an immediate success. Over the past decade Nick has earned a special reputation for giving those who love his work much more than just aircraft in his paintings. He goes to enormous lengths with his backgrounds, filling them with interesting and accurate detail, all designed to help give the aircraft in his paintings a tremendous sense of location and purpose. His landscapes are quite breathtaking and his buildings demonstrate an uncanny knowledge of perspective but it is the hardware in his paintings which are most striking. Whether it is an aircraft, tank, petrol bowser, or tractor, Nick brings it to life with all the inordinate skill of a truly accomplished fine art painter. A prodigious researcher, Nick travels extensively in his constant quest for information and fresh ideas. He has visited India, China, South Africa, South America, the Caribbean and travels regularly to the United States and Canada. He likes nothing better than to be out and about with sketchbook at the ready and if there is an old steam train in the vicinity, well that's a bonus!

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Nicolas Trudgian Aviation Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings
Aviation Art

Bob Stanford-Tuck Tribute Folio by Nicolas Trudgian.


Bob Stanford-Tuck Tribute Folio by Nicolas Trudgian.
One edition.
The edition features an additional signature.
£170.00

Scramble for the Marianas by Nicolas Trudgian.


Scramble for the Marianas by Nicolas Trudgian.
2 of 3 editions available.
All 3 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£350.00 - £400.00

Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian.


Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian.
3 editions.
All 3 editions feature up to 2 additional signature(s).
£105.00 - £180.00


Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian.


Twilight Conquest by Nicolas Trudgian.
5 editions.
All 5 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£120.00 - £400.00

Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.


Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.
2 editions.
Both editions feature an additional signature.
£60.00 - £75.00

Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)


Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)
2 editions.
Both editions feature up to 5 additional signatures.
£350.00 - £440.00


Hurricane Heroes by Nicolas Trudgian.


Hurricane Heroes by Nicolas Trudgian.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 3 additional signature(s).
£120.00 - £220.00

Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian.


Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian.
2 editions.
Both editions feature an additional signature.
£70.00 - £95.00

First Flap of the Day by Nicolas Trudgian.


First Flap of the Day by Nicolas Trudgian.
7 editions.
6 of the 7 editions feature up to 4 additional signatures.
£105.00 - £200.00


Normandy Breakout by Nicolas Trudgian.


Normandy Breakout by Nicolas Trudgian.
6 of 7 editions available.
All 7 editions feature up to 8 additional signatures.
£120.00 - £280.00

Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian.


Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian.
5 of 6 editions available.
4 of 5 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.00 - £270.00

Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian.


Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian.
3 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 9 additional signatures.
£260.00 - £370.00


Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian.


Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian.
4 of 5 editions available.
All 5 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£120.00 - £240.00

Typhoons at Falaise by Nicolas Trudgian.


Typhoons at Falaise by Nicolas Trudgian.
3 of 4 editions available.
All 4 editions feature up to 5 additional signatures.
£170.00 - £300.00

Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian.


Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian.
8 editions.
6 of the 8 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.00 - £400.00


Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.


Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.
6 editions.
5 of the 6 editions feature up to 3 additional signatures.
£2.00 - £180.00

Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Nicolas Trudgian.


Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Nicolas Trudgian.
7 editions.
6 of the 7 editions feature up to 8 additional signatures.
£2.00 - £290.00

Return to Rattlesden by Nicolas Trudgian.


Return to Rattlesden by Nicolas Trudgian.
5 editions.
4 of the 5 editions feature up to 8 additional signatures.
£2.00 - £220.00


B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian.


B-24 Liberator by Nicolas Trudgian.
4 editions.
All 4 editions feature up to 4 additional signature(s).
£50.00 - £230.00

Mustangs Over the Mediterranean by Nicolas Trudgian.


Mustangs Over the Mediterranean by Nicolas Trudgian.
5 of 6 editions available.
4 of 5 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.00 - £200.00

Heaven Can Wait by Nicolas Trudgian.


Heaven Can Wait by Nicolas Trudgian.
4 of 5 editions available.
3 of 4 editions featuring up to 4 additional signatures are available.
£2.00 - £220.00


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Text for the above items :

Bob Stanford-Tuck Tribute Folio by Nicolas Trudgian.

Bob Stanford-Tuck waits at dispersal in his 257 Squadron Hurricane during the Battle of Britain. Promoted to command 257 Squadron, Bob was one of the Battle of Britains leading Aces.


Scramble for the Marianas by Nicolas Trudgian.

On June 19, 1944 American Navy pilots ripped into wave after wave of enemy aircraft. As each new onslaught arrived there were more fighters there to meet them. Other squadrons joined in the melee and the radio circuits crackled with shouts and cries of encouragement. Hell this is like an old time turkey shoot! yelled one pilot - and thus the battle became known as the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. By the late afternoon two Japanese carriers had been sunk by submarines, and an incredible 373 enemy planes shot down. The U.S. Navy pilots had won an historic victory. Seen hurtling off the deck of the U.S.S. Lexington is the F6F Hellcat of Lt. Alex Vraciu of Fighting Squadron VF-16. With 12 victories already to his credit, Vraciu would add a further 6 to his tally in the space of just 8 minutes on that momentous day.


Timber Wolf by Nicolas Trudgian.

Leutnant Klaus Bretschneider, Staffelkapitan of 5./JG300 kicks up the dust as he taxies his Fw190 A-8 Red One from its forest hiding place into the sunlight in preparation for take-off. The scene is northern Germany, November 1944. The Staffelkapitan will lead his 190s in a massed sturm intercept upon incoming American bombers. With Allied fighters dominating the skies, Luftwaffe fighter units took desperate measures to conceal their whereabouts. Commonplace were these hurriedly prepared strips, often near dense forests.


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.


Duel in the Desert by Nicolas Trudgian.

The P-40, legendary for its service with Chennaults Flying Tigers in China, was one of the RAFs principle fighters in the north African Desert war. A low-level dogfight between P-40 Kittyhawks of 112 Squadron is shown, as they tangle with the Luftwaffe ME109s over Matamata Hills, near the Mareth line on the border between Tunisia and Libya, early March 1943.


Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B)

In the summer of 1940, as a 28 year old captain, Hannes Trautloft took command of JG 54. During the next three years this extraordinary fighter leader shaped the unit into one of the most successful combat fighter wings of World War II. The Green Heart emblem of his home town Thuringischen, in the heart of Germany, became the Groups symbol and the fighter pilots famous as Trautlofts Green Heart Warriors. They carried their reputation throughout almost every European theatre. After campaigning in the Balkans, the unit moved to the Russian Front, where it flew Me109s and Fw190s in the heavy fighting of the Northern Region. By the war-end no fewer than twenty Green Heart Aces had achieved more than 100 air victories, its pilots collecting 58 Knights Cross awards. Nicolas Trudgian portrays a typical scene on the Eastern Front in 1943: IL 2 Stormoviks have attacked a German armoured division who have called for air support. JG 54 Green Hearts have quickly scrambled to the scene and have broken up the attack, downing several Russian aircraft during the encounter. In the foreground, Hannes Trautlofts Fw190 hurtles out of the canvas towards us, as the Ace glances over his shoulder to see an unfortunate IL-2 moments before hitting the snow-covered landscape a few feet below. Behind, two more Fw190s give support while in the background the low-level aerial contest is furiously fought. The drama unfolds in an exquisitely painted landscape, the northern morning sun casting long shadows across the snow drifts.


Hurricane Heroes by Nicolas Trudgian.

Hurricanes of 87 Squadron return to their West Country base after repelling attacks by Luftwaffe bombers on nearby aircraft factories, August 1940. Flight Lieutenant Ian Gleeds Hurricane, in which he scored 20 victories, leads the Squadron pilots back to base to refuel, re-arm, and get airborne without delay.

Published 2000.

Signed by three famous Hurricane pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain. These are three fantastic rare signatures to have on one art print and sadly all three have since passed away.



Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian.

A dramatic low-level attack on a Japanese base near Rabaul is in progress by F-4U Corsairs of 16 Squadron, RNZAF. Taking the lead is Bryan Cox, as the Corsairs leave a trail of smoke and debris in their wake. Water vapor is squeezed out of the humid atmosphere as Coxs wingman banks sharply to avoid groundfire. The Kiwi Corsairs buccaneered their way through the intensly fought campaigns in the Solomons and Guadalcanal.


First Flap of the Day by Nicolas Trudgian.

HM Stephen - one of the Battle of Britains top scoring fighter pilots, brings down two Me109s in quick succession over the White Cliffs of Dover, early on August 11, 1940. Flying a Spitfire with 74 Squadron, HM shot down five German aircraft on this day, and damaged a further three. The note in his log book starts First flap of the day at 0600 hrs ...

Published 2000.

Sadly, all of the pilots who signed this edition have since passed away.



Normandy Breakout by Nicolas Trudgian.

Spitfires of No. 132 Squadron rush towards the Front to give ground support to the advancing Allied forces following breakout from the Normandy beaches, June 1944.

Published 2003.

Signed by three highly decorated fighter pilots who flew combat missions on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and during the Battle for Normandy.



Home at Dawn by Nicolas Trudgian.

When No 49 Squadron Lancasters bombed the S.S. barracks at Berchtesgaden on 25th April 1945, its aircrews completed a campaign that had begun 5 and a half years earlier in September, 1939. From the very beginning, 49 Squadron were in the thick of the action with one of their pilots, Roderick Learoyd, winning Bomber Commands first Victoria Cross. In 1942 it was Lancasters of 49 Squadron that led the epic raid on Schneider armament and locomotive works at Le Creusot. In 1943 they flew the shuttle-bombing raids to Friedrichshafen and Spezia, attacked the heavily defended rocket sites at Peenemunde, and in preparation for D-Day, bombarded the coastal batteries in Normandy and the V-1 sites in the caves by the river Loire, north of Paris. Later in 1944 the squadron notably took part in the raid on German Baltic Fleet, continuing to fly important bombing missions against the Nazi war machine until the final collapse of the Third Reich. So it was fitting that an RAF squadron whose history went right back to 1916, should make the coupe de grace at Berchtesgarden. Northern Europes short summer nights, with darkness lasting but a few hours, often saw the RAF bomber crews returning to England at dawn, and it is one such scene which is caught up over the river Orwell at Pin Mill, Lancasters of No. 49 Squadron descend low over Suffolk, heading towards their base at Fiskerton. The night raid on Hamburg is almost completed. Spitfires from No. 129 Squadron, based at Hornchurch, having made an early morning attack on German installations in Holland, have picked up the bombers and escorted them home.


Tangmere Hurricanes by Nicolas Trudgian.

MK1 Hurricanes of No. 601 Squadron refueled and rearmed, climb to rejoin the battle during the summer of 1940. As the great air battle rages high above, life goes in the countryside as a Southern Railway train pulls out of a local village station, capturing the resilient mood of the people.


Clash Over Remagen by Nicolas Trudgian.

When the American Army reached the Rhine at Remagen on March 7, 1945, such was the speed of their advance, they arrived before the retreating Germans had time to blow the vital bridge. The Americans seized the bridge intact. Realising the threat to the German defences, the Luftwaffe were ordered into destroy the bridge at all costs. Desperate efforts were made to attack the bridge, and over the course of the following days the fighting became one of the legendary battles of the war. Two RAF Tempests have flown right through the Luftwaffe formation of Me262 and Arado 234 jets bombers, the high speed aircraft missing each other by feet. The concentration of the desperate attackers is broken momentarily, sufficiently so that their bombs miss the target - but more Luftwaffe aircraft can be seen streaming into attack.


Typhoons at Falaise by Nicolas Trudgian.

It is August 1944, barely two months since the Allies landed their first troops on the beaches of Normandy. Already the German Panzer Divisions are in full retreat, and it is critical to halt them before they can regroup. Caught in the Gap at Falaise, the battle was to be decisive. Flying throughout a continuous onslaught, rocket-firing Typhoons kept up their attacks on the trapped armoured divisions from dawn to dusk. The effect was devastating: at the end of the ten day battle the 100,000 strong German force was decimated. Typhoons of 198 Squadron RAF, deliver their deadly rocket and cannon fire, a tank column has been brought to a standstill, their reign of terror now almost at its end.


Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian.

Corsairs of VMF 121 provide close air support to the US landings on Rendova, June 30, 1943. Fiercely contested, the invasion force was heavily attacked by Zero fighters and Mitsubishi G4M1 Betty bombers, flying from their base at Rabaul. Dog-fighting at tree-top height, VMF 121 Corsairs rip into a bunch of Betty bombers as they try to make their escape following their attack on shipping. On fire, the Betty in the foreground is doomed, and will shortly become one of 19 Japanese aircraft accounted for by VMF 121. Other Marine fighter units brought the total this day to a staggering 58 enemy aircraft destroyed.


Operation Mercury by Nicolas Trudgian.

Slow, frail, out-dated and hopelessly outnumbered, Gladiator biplanes of 112 Squadron RAF tenaciously throw themselves into the fray, attacking Luftwaffe fighter-bombers in the battle for Crete, in April 1941. This painting shows Me110Cs of II./ZG76, having attacked naval units off the coast of Crete in early May 1941, being bravely intercepted by two Gladiators of 112 Squadron. Heavily outnumbered, the best the RAF pilots can hope for is to disrupt the Luftwaffe formation. And this they continued to do until, literally, they had no more aircraft left!


Thunderbolts and Lightnings by Nicolas Trudgian.

The relief of Bastogne turned the tide in the Battle of the Bulge and Hitlers final great offensive of World War II lay in ruins. P47 Thunderbolts of the 406th Fighter Group, in company with P38 Lightnings, support the advancing armor of General George Pattons US Third Army as they prepare to relieve the battered 101st Airborne Division from their heroic defence of Bastogne during the final climax to the Battle of the Bulge, 24 December 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was one of the largest land battles of WWII with more than a million American, British and German troops involved, incurring huge casualties on all sides and this release pays tribute to the sacrifice of Allied Forces, during this important milestone in World War II.

Published 2005.


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.

Published 2001.

Signed by eight combat crew veterans flying B-17 Flying Fortresses for the 447th BG out of Rattlesden, England, during World War II.



B-24 Liberator 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.


Mustangs Over the Mediterranean by Nicolas Trudgian.

Mustangs of the 31st Fighter Group pass low over an Italian fishing village, heading out on another combat patrol.


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 by four pilots and crew who flew with the 100th Bomb Group in Europe during World War II.
Published in 1999 - Issue price was £120.

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