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Stan Stokes Royal Air Force Limited Editions plus two FREE Gerald Coulson Prints.- Cranston Fine Arts Historical Art

STK0141. Battle of Britain by Stan Stokes. <p> The Battle of Britain in 1940 was the biggest air battle ever fought in the history of armed conflict. After the fall of France Hitler hoped to sign a peace treaty with Britain allowing the Germans to dominate Europe, and ultimately attack Russia in the East. Being rebuffed by the British, Hitler and his senior military advisors formulated Operation Sea Lion. This was to involve an invasion of Britain after the Luftwaffe had attained total domination over the RAF. As plans evolved for knocking out the RAF, the Germans began assembling a large number of airfields in Holland, France, and Belgium to be used for the attack. In their arsenal the Germans had more than 800 medium range bombers including the Heinkel He-111, the Junker Ju-88, and the Dornier Do-17. They also had more than 200 Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers, and more than 900 Bf-109 and Bf-110 fighters to escort their attacking forces. The British had far less than 1000 defensive aircraft at their disposal with Hawker Hurricanes outnumbering Supermarine Spitfires about 2-to-1. Despite the Germans numerical superiority the British had at least five advantages in this epic Battle. First, radar allowed the Brits to determine where to target its fighter defenses. Second, when British aircraft were downed many of the pilots were recovered and returned to flight duty. When German aircraft were downed the pilots became British POWs. Third, the BF-109, Germanys best fighter, had limited range, and generally could spend only about twenty minutes over British soil before having to return to Europe. Fourth, the British dispersed their defensive forces widely into many small groups, eliminating the ability of the Luftwaffe to deliver a knockout punch on the ground. Fifth, the RAF pilots were surprisingly well trained, and while few in number were supplemented with volunteers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, and the United States. Also important was the tenacity of the RAF support staff that kept an amazing amount of the aircraft in the air. The man most responsible for the British victory was Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, head of Fighter Command. In the first phase of the Battle the Luftwaffe focused its efforts on knocking out RAF airfields. The RAF lost 50 fighters in the first 10-days. This resulted in modified tactics permitting looser formation flying similar to that employed by the Germans. The Germans suffered too with the Bf-110 and Ju-87 proving particularly vulnerable. In August Hitler authorized a massive attack called Eagle Day that was designed to obliterate the RAF by attacking coastal radar stations. Again the German effort fell far short and later in August the Germans had one of their worst days losing 75 aircraft on Black Thursday.  In late August the German tactics changed again with the focus now on destroying RAF fighters in the air. In a two-week period ending on September 6, the RAF lost 466 fighter aircraft, taking the Germans to their closest point of victory during the Battle. The turning point in the Battle is generally acknowledged to be September 7 when the Germans shifted focus to general attacks on London. This gave the RAF a breather, and on September 15 they took down 60 Luftwaffe aircraft. The losses on the 15th convinced the Germans that their strategy had failed and they slowly retrenched their attacks. September 15 is celebrated in Britain as Battle of Britain Day.  <p><b> Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.</b><b><p> Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.  <p> Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
STK0134. Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes. <p> Some of those most dangerous missions of WW II were the low level shipping attacks by Bristol Blenheims carried out against Axis shipping. These missions were important in the early stages of the War in the Mediterranean in terms of disrupting supply lines to Rommels troops fighting in North Africa. It was not uncommon for the RAF to lose 10-30% of the aircraft it sent on such missions.  One of the most successful of the RAFs Blenheim pilots was Sir Ivor Broom, who rose from the rank of Sergeant Pilot, completing three combat tours, including thirty-one low level attacks while based on the island of Malta. With all the officer pilots in his squadron either killed or missing in action, Broom received his commission. Allied interdiction efforts had become so successful that in October and November of 1941 only 25% of the supplies destined to supply Rommels armies in North Africa were getting through. The Germans decided to reroute their supply ships, opting for taking a longer route, but one which made Allied attacks much less likely. The Blenheimss of Brooms 107 Squadron had sufficient range to reach shipping targets off the Greek coast, but this necessitated a long over water flight and precise navigation. Brooms 43rd combat mission involved the attack on German ships at anchor in the harbor at Argostoli which was on the island of Cephalonia off the west coast of Greece. The ships there were forming a convoy which would make the dash to Benghazi. Six Blenheims from 107 and 18 Squadrons took part in the raid. With Broom in the lead the six attackers avoided the heavily armed coastal defenses by approaching the harbor from an inland direction. This required some highly skilled low level flying as they followed a road through a saddle in the hills. With the advantage of surprise on their side the six attackers swept down on the ships at anchor in the harbor at mast height. After releasing their bomb load the group executed a sharp turn to starboard and a fast climb up and over the hills to the west of the harbor. A-A fire greeted the Blenheims as they made their escape, and two of the six aircraft fell victim. This attack on December 13, 1941 is depicted in Stan Stokes painting appropriately entitled Dangerous Duty. The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WW II began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire.  <p><b> Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.</b><b><p> Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.  <p> Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
STK0121. Defiant but Doomed by Stan Stokes. <p> Jagdeschwader 26, or JG 26, was one of the Lufwaffes elite fighter forces. Nicknamed the Abbeville Boys, or the Abbeville Kids,JG 26 gained tremendous notoriety early in the War while operating out of Abbeville in Northern France. Although JG 26 never operated with more than 124 fighter aircraft, the unit dominated its airspace over Northern France and Belgium for more than a two year period. Adolf Galland was one of Germanys top fighter aces of the War, with more than 100 confirmed victories. For most of his flying career Galland was associated with JG 26. By year-end 1940 he had attained 57 victories, and was awarded the Oak Leaves, the highest award of the time. Galland took over command of JG 26 in August 1940 during the Battle of Britain. In Stan Stokes painting, entitled Defiant, But Doomed, Galland is depicted during a mission with the Abbeville Kids on August 28, 1940. Flying low cover for a formation of Heinkel bombers Galland was shocked to see a squadron of 12 Royal Air Force Defiants flying directly below the bombers. The Defiant was a unique British aircraft which was utilized as a daylight fighter incorporating four machine guns enclosed in a top mounted hydraulic turret operated by a gunnery officer. Despite serving admirably during the Dunkirk evacuation, the Luftwaffe had devised tactics which made the Defiant only marginally successful. By utilizing its turret guns RAF 264 Squadron was preparing to decimate the Heinkels with an attack on their vulnerable underbellies. Climbing straight up into the formation Galland broke up the attack. Minutes later he was engaged with the Defiant piloted by 264 Squadron Commander Garvin. Although struck four times by the Defiants machine guns, Galland was ultimately victorious. Gallands JG 26 flew the Messerschmitt Bf-109 (also often referred to as the ME-109) of which over 30,000 were produced. The first large scale production model of the 109 was the E series. Powered by a 12 cylinder water cooled engine the 109e was capable of 360 MPH, and had a ceiling of 33,000 feet. The 109 was very maneuverable and had a very strong airframe capable of sustaining high G maneuvers. Utilizing a low-wing cantilever design, the 109 had retractable landing gear and initially was produced with fuselage mounted machine guns. Galland complained about this configuration and actually modified several of his aircraft to incorporate wing mounted machine guns, which would provide a wider field of fire. A few of these aircraft were utilized during the Spanish Civil War in 1939, and proved vastly superior to anything they faced. The 109, unlike many other fighters which were in service at the start of the War, remained effective for the entire War, and in fact became a de facto standard by which many other aircraft would be judged. Adolf Galland was promoted to General of the Fighter Arm in late 1941, and became preoccupied with fighter tactics for the duration of the War.  <p><b> Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.</b><b><p> Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.  <p> Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
STK0114. Double Trouble by Stan Stokes. <p> The Bristol Beaufighter was one of the most successful twin-engine fighters utilized by the RAF during WW II. The forerunner of the Beaufighter was the Bristol Beaufort, which was the first modern torpedo bomber to enter service. The Beaufort, known officially as the Type-152 was derived from the earlier Type-150, which in turn had been influenced by the Bristol Blenheim. About the time the first Beauforts were being flight tested, the aircrafts chief designer, Leslie Frise, commenced a study to see if the Beauforts airframe could be adapted to create a twin engine fighter design. The modified design (Type-156) incorporated a narrower fuselage, a shorter nose section utilizing a single-seat cockpit, and a dorsal observers position. The prototype Beaufighter made its first flight in July of 1939. A year of flight testing and refinement followed. Only Hercules III engines were available for the first production models. This gave the first marks performance roughly comparable to a Hawker Hurricane. Most Beaus were armed with four nose-mounted canon and an additional six machine guns in the wings. This gave the Beaufighter an impressive amount of firepower. As the Battle of Britain raged priority was given to modifying existing aircraft to the night fighter role. German bombers were relatively free from RAF fighters when attacking at night. The Beaufighter represented an ideal platform for this night fighter role. It was fast enough at 360-MPH to catch German bombers, it was heavily armed, and the observers position was an ideal spot to incorporate a radar operators controls. These night fighter versions were painted a matte black. On October 25, 1940 a Beaufighter recorded its first night victory. The Beaus utilized a transmitting antenna mounted on the nose, and receiving antennas mounted on the leading section of both wings. As the War progressed the Beaufighter would also become an important ground attack and fighter/bomber for the RAF. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting entitled Double Trouble, an RAF Beaufighter piloted by Group Captain John Cunningham downs a Ju-88 bomber. Cunningham was the RAFs top night fighter ace. He, and his radar operator Jimmy Rawnsley, were credited with nineteen night victories. Cunningham also downed one enemy aircraft during daylight.  He served with No. 604 Squadron, which had both a day and night fighter capability. The squadrons night fighting proficiency rose dramatically from late 1940 until mid-1941. By 1943, the Beaufighters were replaced with faster Mosquitoes. Cunningham was demobilized following the War. He joined DeHavilland Aircraft as its Chief Test Pilot following the War, and retired from British Aerospace in 1980.  <p><b> Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.</b><b><p> Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.  <p> Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
STK0115. Faith Hope and Charity by Stan Stokes. <p> With Italys entry into WW II on June 10, 1940, the epic two-and-one-half-year siege of Malta began. Symbolizing the defiant resistance of the people and defenders of that tiny island, the legend of Faith, Hope, and Charity grew from a handful of Gloster Sea Gladiators which initially comprised Maltas sole aerial defense. Until the arrival of the more modern Hawker Hurricanes, these obsolescent biplanes fought the Regia Aeronautica alone in the skies above Malta. Only six or seven Gladiators were assembled from the shipment of eighteen crated aircraft which had been delivered by the HMS Glorious. Others were utilized for spare parts, and three had been dispatched, still crated, to Egypt. Though hugely outnumbered, the defenders fought on, raising the morale of the citizens of Malta, and denying the Italians mastery of the sky. Suffering from a constant shortage of spare parts, tools and equipment, the devoted ground support crews were never able to keep more than three Gladiators operational at any point in time. Only one of these Gladiators was totally lost in aerial combat, and the sole surviving aircraft was presented to the people of Malta, and today stands in their National War Museum as a proud symbol of courage and endurance. In Stan Stokes painting, a Sea Gladiator, piloted by Flight Lt. James Pickering, tangles with a Fiat C.R. 42 over Malta in 1940 while an Italian Savoia S.79 tri-engined bomber passes by in the background.  The Gloster Gladiator represented the zenith of development of the classic biplane fighter aircraft, a design formula which characterized an entire era from WW I until the advent of the monoplane fighter just before WW II. Glosters naval model of the Gladiator was equipped with a Bristol Mercury VIIIA engine providing a maximum speed of 253 MPH, a rate of climb of 2300 feet per minute, an operational ceiling of 32,200 feet, and a range of 415 miles. The Gladiator was armed with four .303 inch Browning machine guns, and incorporated several advanced features including an enclosed cockpit and wing flaps. One top RAF ace, Sqd. Ldr. Pattle, attained eleven victories flying the Gladiator. A total of 527 Gladiators were produced, and the aircraft served in twelve different countries. The Italians were overly persistent in their emphasis on biplane fighters, stemming from their successes with these highly maneuverable machines during the Spanish Civil War. Employing distinctive Warren-truss type interplane bracing the C.R. 42 was powered by a Fiat A74 R.C. 38 engine providing a maximum speed of 274 MPH and a range of 485 miles. The C.R. 42 was more lightly armed than the Gladiators it opposed, possessing only two 12.7mm Breda machine guns. The C.R 42 served on all of Italys fronts including North and East Africa, France, Britain, the Balkans, and Russia. Exported to Hungary, Sweden and Belgium, the C.R. 42  ironically served alongside the Gladiator in other theaters of operation during WW II.  <p><b> Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.</b><b><p> Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.  <p> Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
GC439. De Haviland Mosquito by Gerald Coulson. <p><b>Sold out at publisher.  We have the last 200 remaining prints.<b><p> Open edition print. <p> Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)
GC408.  Evening Flight by Gerald Coulson. <b><p>Open edition print.  <p>Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)

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Stan Stokes Royal Air Force Limited Editions plus two FREE Gerald Coulson Prints.

DPK0835. Stan Stokes Royal Air Force Limited Editions plus two FREE Gerald Coulson Prints.

Aviation Print Pack.

Items in this pack :

Item #1 - Click to view individual item

STK0141. Battle of Britain by Stan Stokes.

The Battle of Britain in 1940 was the biggest air battle ever fought in the history of armed conflict. After the fall of France Hitler hoped to sign a peace treaty with Britain allowing the Germans to dominate Europe, and ultimately attack Russia in the East. Being rebuffed by the British, Hitler and his senior military advisors formulated Operation Sea Lion. This was to involve an invasion of Britain after the Luftwaffe had attained total domination over the RAF. As plans evolved for knocking out the RAF, the Germans began assembling a large number of airfields in Holland, France, and Belgium to be used for the attack. In their arsenal the Germans had more than 800 medium range bombers including the Heinkel He-111, the Junker Ju-88, and the Dornier Do-17. They also had more than 200 Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers, and more than 900 Bf-109 and Bf-110 fighters to escort their attacking forces. The British had far less than 1000 defensive aircraft at their disposal with Hawker Hurricanes outnumbering Supermarine Spitfires about 2-to-1. Despite the Germans numerical superiority the British had at least five advantages in this epic Battle. First, radar allowed the Brits to determine where to target its fighter defenses. Second, when British aircraft were downed many of the pilots were recovered and returned to flight duty. When German aircraft were downed the pilots became British POWs. Third, the BF-109, Germanys best fighter, had limited range, and generally could spend only about twenty minutes over British soil before having to return to Europe. Fourth, the British dispersed their defensive forces widely into many small groups, eliminating the ability of the Luftwaffe to deliver a knockout punch on the ground. Fifth, the RAF pilots were surprisingly well trained, and while few in number were supplemented with volunteers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, and the United States. Also important was the tenacity of the RAF support staff that kept an amazing amount of the aircraft in the air. The man most responsible for the British victory was Air Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, head of Fighter Command. In the first phase of the Battle the Luftwaffe focused its efforts on knocking out RAF airfields. The RAF lost 50 fighters in the first 10-days. This resulted in modified tactics permitting looser formation flying similar to that employed by the Germans. The Germans suffered too with the Bf-110 and Ju-87 proving particularly vulnerable. In August Hitler authorized a massive attack called Eagle Day that was designed to obliterate the RAF by attacking coastal radar stations. Again the German effort fell far short and later in August the Germans had one of their worst days losing 75 aircraft on Black Thursday. In late August the German tactics changed again with the focus now on destroying RAF fighters in the air. In a two-week period ending on September 6, the RAF lost 466 fighter aircraft, taking the Germans to their closest point of victory during the Battle. The turning point in the Battle is generally acknowledged to be September 7 when the Germans shifted focus to general attacks on London. This gave the RAF a breather, and on September 15 they took down 60 Luftwaffe aircraft. The losses on the 15th convinced the Germans that their strategy had failed and they slowly retrenched their attacks. September 15 is celebrated in Britain as Battle of Britain Day.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)


Item #2 - Click to view individual item

STK0134. Dangerous Duty by Stan Stokes.

Some of those most dangerous missions of WW II were the low level shipping attacks by Bristol Blenheims carried out against Axis shipping. These missions were important in the early stages of the War in the Mediterranean in terms of disrupting supply lines to Rommels troops fighting in North Africa. It was not uncommon for the RAF to lose 10-30% of the aircraft it sent on such missions. One of the most successful of the RAFs Blenheim pilots was Sir Ivor Broom, who rose from the rank of Sergeant Pilot, completing three combat tours, including thirty-one low level attacks while based on the island of Malta. With all the officer pilots in his squadron either killed or missing in action, Broom received his commission. Allied interdiction efforts had become so successful that in October and November of 1941 only 25% of the supplies destined to supply Rommels armies in North Africa were getting through. The Germans decided to reroute their supply ships, opting for taking a longer route, but one which made Allied attacks much less likely. The Blenheimss of Brooms 107 Squadron had sufficient range to reach shipping targets off the Greek coast, but this necessitated a long over water flight and precise navigation. Brooms 43rd combat mission involved the attack on German ships at anchor in the harbor at Argostoli which was on the island of Cephalonia off the west coast of Greece. The ships there were forming a convoy which would make the dash to Benghazi. Six Blenheims from 107 and 18 Squadrons took part in the raid. With Broom in the lead the six attackers avoided the heavily armed coastal defenses by approaching the harbor from an inland direction. This required some highly skilled low level flying as they followed a road through a saddle in the hills. With the advantage of surprise on their side the six attackers swept down on the ships at anchor in the harbor at mast height. After releasing their bomb load the group executed a sharp turn to starboard and a fast climb up and over the hills to the west of the harbor. A-A fire greeted the Blenheims as they made their escape, and two of the six aircraft fell victim. This attack on December 13, 1941 is depicted in Stan Stokes painting appropriately entitled Dangerous Duty. The Bristol Blenheim, the most plentiful aircraft in the RAFs inventory when WW II began, was designed by Frank Barnwell, and when first flown in 1936 was unique with its all metal monoplane design incorporating a retractable undercarriage, wing flaps, metal props, and supercharged engines. A typical bomb load for a Blenheim was 1,000 pounds. In the early stages of the war Blenheims were used on many daylight bombing missions. While great heroism was displayed by the air crews, tremendous losses were sustained during these missions. The Blenhiem was easy pickings at altitude for German Bf-109 fighters who quickly learned to attack from below. To protect the vulnerable bellies of the Blenheims many missions were shifted to low altitude, but this increased the aircrafts exposure to anti-aircraft fire.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)


Item #3 - Click to view individual item

STK0121. Defiant but Doomed by Stan Stokes.

Jagdeschwader 26, or JG 26, was one of the Lufwaffes elite fighter forces. Nicknamed the Abbeville Boys, or the Abbeville Kids,JG 26 gained tremendous notoriety early in the War while operating out of Abbeville in Northern France. Although JG 26 never operated with more than 124 fighter aircraft, the unit dominated its airspace over Northern France and Belgium for more than a two year period. Adolf Galland was one of Germanys top fighter aces of the War, with more than 100 confirmed victories. For most of his flying career Galland was associated with JG 26. By year-end 1940 he had attained 57 victories, and was awarded the Oak Leaves, the highest award of the time. Galland took over command of JG 26 in August 1940 during the Battle of Britain. In Stan Stokes painting, entitled Defiant, But Doomed, Galland is depicted during a mission with the Abbeville Kids on August 28, 1940. Flying low cover for a formation of Heinkel bombers Galland was shocked to see a squadron of 12 Royal Air Force Defiants flying directly below the bombers. The Defiant was a unique British aircraft which was utilized as a daylight fighter incorporating four machine guns enclosed in a top mounted hydraulic turret operated by a gunnery officer. Despite serving admirably during the Dunkirk evacuation, the Luftwaffe had devised tactics which made the Defiant only marginally successful. By utilizing its turret guns RAF 264 Squadron was preparing to decimate the Heinkels with an attack on their vulnerable underbellies. Climbing straight up into the formation Galland broke up the attack. Minutes later he was engaged with the Defiant piloted by 264 Squadron Commander Garvin. Although struck four times by the Defiants machine guns, Galland was ultimately victorious. Gallands JG 26 flew the Messerschmitt Bf-109 (also often referred to as the ME-109) of which over 30,000 were produced. The first large scale production model of the 109 was the E series. Powered by a 12 cylinder water cooled engine the 109e was capable of 360 MPH, and had a ceiling of 33,000 feet. The 109 was very maneuverable and had a very strong airframe capable of sustaining high G maneuvers. Utilizing a low-wing cantilever design, the 109 had retractable landing gear and initially was produced with fuselage mounted machine guns. Galland complained about this configuration and actually modified several of his aircraft to incorporate wing mounted machine guns, which would provide a wider field of fire. A few of these aircraft were utilized during the Spanish Civil War in 1939, and proved vastly superior to anything they faced. The 109, unlike many other fighters which were in service at the start of the War, remained effective for the entire War, and in fact became a de facto standard by which many other aircraft would be judged. Adolf Galland was promoted to General of the Fighter Arm in late 1941, and became preoccupied with fighter tactics for the duration of the War.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)


Item #4 - Click to view individual item

STK0114. Double Trouble by Stan Stokes.

The Bristol Beaufighter was one of the most successful twin-engine fighters utilized by the RAF during WW II. The forerunner of the Beaufighter was the Bristol Beaufort, which was the first modern torpedo bomber to enter service. The Beaufort, known officially as the Type-152 was derived from the earlier Type-150, which in turn had been influenced by the Bristol Blenheim. About the time the first Beauforts were being flight tested, the aircrafts chief designer, Leslie Frise, commenced a study to see if the Beauforts airframe could be adapted to create a twin engine fighter design. The modified design (Type-156) incorporated a narrower fuselage, a shorter nose section utilizing a single-seat cockpit, and a dorsal observers position. The prototype Beaufighter made its first flight in July of 1939. A year of flight testing and refinement followed. Only Hercules III engines were available for the first production models. This gave the first marks performance roughly comparable to a Hawker Hurricane. Most Beaus were armed with four nose-mounted canon and an additional six machine guns in the wings. This gave the Beaufighter an impressive amount of firepower. As the Battle of Britain raged priority was given to modifying existing aircraft to the night fighter role. German bombers were relatively free from RAF fighters when attacking at night. The Beaufighter represented an ideal platform for this night fighter role. It was fast enough at 360-MPH to catch German bombers, it was heavily armed, and the observers position was an ideal spot to incorporate a radar operators controls. These night fighter versions were painted a matte black. On October 25, 1940 a Beaufighter recorded its first night victory. The Beaus utilized a transmitting antenna mounted on the nose, and receiving antennas mounted on the leading section of both wings. As the War progressed the Beaufighter would also become an important ground attack and fighter/bomber for the RAF. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting entitled Double Trouble, an RAF Beaufighter piloted by Group Captain John Cunningham downs a Ju-88 bomber. Cunningham was the RAFs top night fighter ace. He, and his radar operator Jimmy Rawnsley, were credited with nineteen night victories. Cunningham also downed one enemy aircraft during daylight. He served with No. 604 Squadron, which had both a day and night fighter capability. The squadrons night fighting proficiency rose dramatically from late 1940 until mid-1941. By 1943, the Beaufighters were replaced with faster Mosquitoes. Cunningham was demobilized following the War. He joined DeHavilland Aircraft as its Chief Test Pilot following the War, and retired from British Aerospace in 1980.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)


Item #5 - Click to view individual item

STK0115. Faith Hope and Charity by Stan Stokes.

With Italys entry into WW II on June 10, 1940, the epic two-and-one-half-year siege of Malta began. Symbolizing the defiant resistance of the people and defenders of that tiny island, the legend of Faith, Hope, and Charity grew from a handful of Gloster Sea Gladiators which initially comprised Maltas sole aerial defense. Until the arrival of the more modern Hawker Hurricanes, these obsolescent biplanes fought the Regia Aeronautica alone in the skies above Malta. Only six or seven Gladiators were assembled from the shipment of eighteen crated aircraft which had been delivered by the HMS Glorious. Others were utilized for spare parts, and three had been dispatched, still crated, to Egypt. Though hugely outnumbered, the defenders fought on, raising the morale of the citizens of Malta, and denying the Italians mastery of the sky. Suffering from a constant shortage of spare parts, tools and equipment, the devoted ground support crews were never able to keep more than three Gladiators operational at any point in time. Only one of these Gladiators was totally lost in aerial combat, and the sole surviving aircraft was presented to the people of Malta, and today stands in their National War Museum as a proud symbol of courage and endurance. In Stan Stokes painting, a Sea Gladiator, piloted by Flight Lt. James Pickering, tangles with a Fiat C.R. 42 over Malta in 1940 while an Italian Savoia S.79 tri-engined bomber passes by in the background. The Gloster Gladiator represented the zenith of development of the classic biplane fighter aircraft, a design formula which characterized an entire era from WW I until the advent of the monoplane fighter just before WW II. Glosters naval model of the Gladiator was equipped with a Bristol Mercury VIIIA engine providing a maximum speed of 253 MPH, a rate of climb of 2300 feet per minute, an operational ceiling of 32,200 feet, and a range of 415 miles. The Gladiator was armed with four .303 inch Browning machine guns, and incorporated several advanced features including an enclosed cockpit and wing flaps. One top RAF ace, Sqd. Ldr. Pattle, attained eleven victories flying the Gladiator. A total of 527 Gladiators were produced, and the aircraft served in twelve different countries. The Italians were overly persistent in their emphasis on biplane fighters, stemming from their successes with these highly maneuverable machines during the Spanish Civil War. Employing distinctive Warren-truss type interplane bracing the C.R. 42 was powered by a Fiat A74 R.C. 38 engine providing a maximum speed of 274 MPH and a range of 485 miles. The C.R. 42 was more lightly armed than the Gladiators it opposed, possessing only two 12.7mm Breda machine guns. The C.R 42 served on all of Italys fronts including North and East Africa, France, Britain, the Balkans, and Russia. Exported to Hungary, Sweden and Belgium, the C.R. 42 ironically served alongside the Gladiator in other theaters of operation during WW II.

Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.

Signed limited edition of 4750 prints.

Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)


Item #6 - Click to view individual item

GC439. De Haviland Mosquito by Gerald Coulson.

Sold out at publisher. We have the last 200 remaining prints.

Open edition print.

Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)


Item #7 - Click to view individual item

GC408. Evening Flight by Gerald Coulson.

Open edition print.

Image size 16 inches x 12 inches (41cm x 31cm)


Website Price: £ 160.00  

To purchase these prints individually at their normal retail price would cost £290.00 . By buying them together in this special pack, you save £130




All prices are displayed in British Pounds Sterling

 

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