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US Catalina shown in naval aviation
art prints by aviation artist Nicholas Trudgian, available from the
aviation art print company.
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| Wings Over Waikiki by Stan Stokes. The Consolidated PBY Catalina, the sea going flying workhorse of the US Navy during WW II, is with no doubt the most successful flying boat ever produced. Produced for more than ten years, it was built in greater numbers (3,300) than any other flying boat in history. In the early days of aviation flying boats made a lot of sense because of the relatively limited number of prepared airfields. Any estuary, river, or lake could become an airfield for an aircraft designed as a flying boat. Consolidated Aircraft got into the flying boat business rather late in the game. In 1928 the company won a bid to produce a prototype of a new high-wing monoplane flying boat for the Navy which would utilize aluminum in its fabrication. The XPY prototype was successfully flown in early 1929, but the Glen L. Martin Co., one of the pioneers in flying boat production, won the production contract. Not deterred by this setback, Consolidated utilized the expertise it had developed on this project to introduce a commercial 28-passenger flying boat called the Commodore. This aircraft was utilized by a number of airlines including Pan Am. Concurrent with work on the Commodore the Consolidated design team set about developing an improved version of the XPY. This design (the P2Y-1) had an enclosed cockpit, and was designed to handle either two or three engines. A total of 47 P2Ys were put in service. As production commenced on the P2Y, Consolidated began work on another improved flying boat which would be considerably larger than the P2Y. The prototype of this new aircraft (the XPY-3) utilized retractable wing floats. In 1935 Consolidated won the initial production order for the first PBY-1s in 1935. In 1936 another fifty aircraft were ordered as the PBY-2 derivative. A PBY-2 based in Hawaii is depicted in its pre-war markings over Diamond Head, in Stan Stokes painting entitled Wings Over Waikiki. This version lacked the fuselage window blisters which would be used on later variants. The PBY-2 had a wing span of 104 feet, and was nearly 64 feet in length. Powered by two 850-HP Pratt and Whitney R-1830-64s, the PBY-2 had a maximum speed of 178-MPH, and a range of more than 2,000 miles. The British ordered more than 100 PBYs in 1939. They called the aircraft Catalina. Also in 1939 a number of Catalinas were modified into amphibians by adding a retractable tricycle undercarriage. This added more than 2,000 pounds to the weight of the aircraft, but also improved its versatility. In the first few days following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, many of the PBYs deployed throughout the Pacific were damaged or destroyed. The PBYs were vulnerable to enemy fighter attack when in the air. Despite these early setbacks, the Navy learned to make good use of the PBY as the war progressed. One of the most effective uses of the aircraft was in night search and attack missions, where the aircraft were generally painted all black. These Black Cats operated from island bases and seaplane tenders and effectively hampered night time movement of enemy supplies. The Catalina also flew many Dumbo missions during the war rescuing downed allied aviators. Many thousands of lives were saved during these missions. 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  Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Signed limited edition of 225 prints. Size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm). Price £75.00 Signed by USN Cdr Cole Windham - USN PBY Catalina pilot. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Save £5 on selected prints - Was £80
Limited edition of 100 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0157 |
| Black Cat Rescue by Nicolas Trudgian. On February 15, 1944, flying his Navy PBY Catalina on air-sea rescue duty, Lt. Nathan Gordon received an urgent call. Several 345th BG B25s were down following a major attack on Kavieng, and crews were in the water just offshore. Under intense gunfire, Gordon made no fewer than four perilous water landings to pick up survivors, returning to make an emergency landing at Cape Gloucester with 25 people aboard, an just 10 gallons of fuel in his tanks. Gordon was awarded the Medal of Honor. Signed limited edition of 800 prints. Paper size 16 inches x 24 inches (41cm x 61cm). Price £70.00 Signed by Lieutenant Commander Nathan Gordon (deceased), in addition to the artist. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of artist proofs. Paper size 16 inches x 24 inches (41cm x 61cm). Price £95.00 Signed by Lieutenant Commander Nathan Gordon (deceased), in addition to the artist. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
** (Ex Display) Signed limited edition of 800 prints. (Three copies reduced to clear) Paper size 16 inches x 24 inches (41cm x 61cm). Price £55.00 Signed by Lieutenant Commander Nathan Gordon (deceased), in addition to the artist.
ITEM CODE DHM2021 |
| Main Body by Stan Stokes. Jimmy Doolittles attack on Japan with B-25s launched from the USS Hornet was a blow to Japanese morale, and it gave Admiral Yamamoto the leverage he needed to push for a grandiose plan to inflict a decisive military blow to American forces in the Pacific. Yamamotos grand scheme would have several elements. A huge fleet would be sent to Midway Island to lure American carrier forces into combat. The force would include seven battleships, ten aircraft carriers, some two dozen cruisers and more than seventy destroyers. A separate strikeforce would be sent to the Aleutians under the command of Vice Admiral Hosogaya Moshiro. The plan was for the the northern force to strike first and divert American carrier forces northward away from Midways air support forces where they could be dispatched by Yamamotos overwhelming force. Fortunately for the US Navy a highly skilled group of cryptographers had broken portions of the Japanese Navys secret code. The Americans sent a bogus message to trick the Japanese into revealing the true target of their massive force. While not surprised, the American forces in the Midway area were sadly outnumbered, and good fortune would be needed to offset the Japanese advantage in numbers. The three primary US carriers in the Pacific (Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown) were readied for the action. Shortly after 9:00 AM on the morning of June 3, 1942, Ensign Jack Reid of VP-44, piloting a PBY Catalina flying boat, spotted the main Japanese invasion force, and shadowed the fleet at low altitude for several hours. Later that day B-17s from Midway Island would attack the invasion fleet followed by a torpedo attack by other PBYs. Early in the morning of June 4 the Japanese launched their first aerial attack on Midway. As the 108 Japanese aircraft approached the island a hodgepodge of all air worthy American aircraft were launched including PBYs, B-17s, Wildcat and Buffalo fighters, Vindicator bombers, B-26 Marauders and SBD Dauntless divebombers. 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 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0083 |
| Flight Out of Hell by Nicolas Trudgian. On February 15, 1944, a force of B-24s, B-25s and A-20s hammered the heavily defended Japanese base at Kavieng. Several aircraft, however, were forced to ditch; three downed B-25 crews from 345th Bomb Group floating helplessly in life-rafts within a thousand yards of the beach, and the Japanese troops were in no mood to take prisoners. Their only chance of survival was the air-sea rescue PBY Catalina. Nicolas Trudgians dramatic reconstruction depicts Lt. Commander Nathan Gordons PBY Catalina making its final take-off, the intense enemy gunfire from the shore making his mission seemingly impossible. But the young pilot got all 25 men aboard safely home, and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for what is one of the bravest actions of the war in the Pacific. Signed limited edition of 600 prints. Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm). Price £155.00 Signed by Lieutenant Commander Nathan Gordon (deceased), Colonel William J Cavioli, Amm John Brately and Captain Robert E Lewis, in addition to the artist. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of artist proofs. Paper size 33 inches x 24 inches (84cm x 61cm). Price £220.00 Signed by Lieutenant Commander Nathan Gordon (deceased), Colonel William J Cavioli, Amm John Brately and Captain Robert E Lewis, in addition to the artist. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE DHM2024 |
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