Barnstormers by Stan Stokes.

Prior to WW I the US Army had purchased a total of two dozen aircraft (principally Curtiss and Wright machines) and almost half of these had been destroyed in crashes. In addition eight of the Armys fourteen pilots had been killed in flying accidents. The Navy was not much better off with a total of six operational aircraft and only nine pilots on its rolls in 1913. With each accident something was learned, and both the aircraft and their pilots slowly improved. When WW I began, the Germans had more than 500 military aircraft. The French had a similar number and the Brits had about half that amount. Despite the outbreak of War in Europe, the US Congress continued to ignore the prospects for military aviation, appropriating only scant amounts of funds. When America finally entered the Great War in April of 1917 an Aircraft Production Board was organized. The Board recommended a massive appropriation to train 7,500 men for both the Army and Navy aviation efforts, and to assist industry in the production of 3,700 aircraft in 1918, 6,000 in 1919 and 9-10,000 in 1920. When Congress reviewed the budget requests it was heavily swayed, and without a single dissenting vote, appropriated $640 million to procure more than 20,000 aircraft and 40,000 engines. The government overestimated the fledgling American aviation industrys manufacturing capacity, with the result that many of the aircraft flown by American forces in WW I would be either foreign-built, or American-built aircraft of foreign design. One notable exception to this was the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company was one of the two dominant American aircraft producers, the other being the Wright-Martin Aircraft Company. The Jenny became the primary trainer for training American pilots during the War, and many thousands of these aircraft were produced. Following the War, many surplus Jennies were available for purchase, and these aircraft were used in many roles, including flying the US Mail. Some of the 20,000 American pilots of the Army and Naval air services that reentered civilian life after the War purchased these surplus Jennies at a fraction of their original cost, and began barnstorming the country to earn a living. Taking their fragile airplanes to all areas of the country, these barnstormers exposed aviation to the general public. Remember, at that time the majority of people had never even seen an airplane, let alone taken a ride in one. Early on, the barnstormers could charge as much as $10-20 for an airplane ride, but as competition increased prices plummeted to as little as $2-3. Living as flying gypsies, these flyers had their share of tragedies, as they often had little knowledge of, and few funds for performing, even routine maintenance on their aircraft. Nonetheless, barnstormers are an important part of American aviation history, and Stan Stokes painting captures the feel of this between-wars era.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00

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Limited edition of 100 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00

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Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00

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Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00

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Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00

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Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00

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ITEM CODE STK0185

Balmy Days by Ivan Berryman.

The military trained many of their first world war pilots on the Jenny. Several thousand Jennies were produced and after the war many of these aircraft were purchased by some of the 20,000 airmen which left the armed services after world war one, paying a fraction of the cost for these aircraft. Barnstorming began. These pilots would make a living from Barnstorming across the US, giving rides to civilians for as much at 15 to 20 dollars a trip. This was a time when most people had not seen an aircraft let alone go up in one. Barnstorming gradually became saturated with pilots and aircraft and over a short peiod of time the prices paid for a trip in a Jenny went down toas low as 2 to 3 dollars, and making a living became hard for the pilots who could hardly pay for the fuel and living costs let alone aircraft maintenance. There were a number of fatal accidents, but Barnstorming played a vital role in aviation and probably put the idea of becoming a pilot in the minds of many young boys who would later go on to fly in combat during world war two.

Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 22 inches x 13 inches (56cm x 33cm). Price £95.00

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Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £370.00

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**Signed limited edition of 500 prints. (One copy reduced to clear) Image size 22 inches x 13 inches (56cm x 33cm). Price £60.00

ITEM CODE DHM1032