The McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom II was produced from 1958 Thorough 1981. In excess of 5,000 aircraft were produced in twenty variants. The F-4 evolved from McDonnels earlier work on the F3H Demon and the F-101A Voodoo, an aircraft substantially heavier and larger than first generation jet fighters. The Phantom was initially intended as a fleet interceptor, but the aircraft was asked to take on additional tasks for which it was not totally optimized for. It is a testament to the basic quality of the design of the aircraft, and the skill and determination of the pilots which flew it, that the Phantom was a success in most of the varied roles it was asked to undertake. The F-4 was designed to be a platform for high-tech weaponry, with highly supersonic qualities, excellent range, and the ability to lift a large external payload. Initially only ordered by the U.S. Navy, the aircraft was carrier qualified in February 1961. In 1962 under intense pressure from the Department of Defense the .........
Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.
Artist : Stan Stokes
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Jaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes.
The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, or Thud, as it was nicknamed by many of the pilots who flew it, was conceived as a supersonic, low altitude fighter-bomber capable of carrying a nuclear weapon in its internal bomb bay and two more on its wing stations. The F-105 evolved from a proposal made by Republic to the USAF in 1952. A series of delays, cancellations, spec changes, and other problems resulted in a very long gestation period for this aircraft, with initial production models not reaching operational units until 1958. The Thud was a big, powerful aircraft. With a length of 65 feet and a height of 20 feet, the F-105 would typically fly combat missions with a gross weight at takeoff in excess of 50,000 pounds. Although the F-105 was fortunately never utilized for the nuclear mission it was designed for, it did become the primary tactical bomber utilized by the USAF during the Vietnam War. In fact, the Thud flew more than 75% of all the bombing sorties directed at North Vietnam during.........
The McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom II was flown by both the USN and USAF in Vietnam. The aircraft was utilized in many roles during the War. The only two aces in Vietnam both flew the F-4. Randall Duke Cunningham did the honors for the Navy, while Steve Ritchie attained five victories flying the Phantom with the USAF.
Item Code : STK0051
Flight of the Phantom by Stan Stokes. - Editions Available
Prior to 1950 Chance-Vought had solidly established itself, along with Grumman, as one of the two leading suppliers of aircraft to the US Navy. Following WW II, however, the Texas-based company was less successful with its XF6U Pirate and later with its F7U Cutlass. In September of 1952 the Navy issued a requirement for its first supersonic, carrier-based, air superiority aircraft. Russ Clark and the design team at Vought submitted a proposal utilizing some radical design concepts. Most unique was a high mounted wing which could move 7 degrees in incidence. To make the craft more pilot friendly during carrier landings droops were designed into the leading edges of the wings. The cockpit was also located as far forward as possible providing excellent visibility. A Pratt & Whitney J57 was the proposed power plant. The Navy selected the Vought proposal from the eight submitted. In March of 1955 the first of the more than 1,200 Crusaders which would be built, made its inaugural flight, an.........
Douglas Aircraft delivered to the Navy Test Center an aircraft for testing in April 1945. This aircraft would prove to be the last of the great single engine propeller driven warbirds. Its simplicity of maintenance, excellent flight characteristics, and overall performance were all rated very good to excellent. In May, with WW II still underway the Navy entered a production order for 600 aircraft. In 1946 the aircraft was renamed the Skyraider. Powered by a 2,500 HP R-3350-24W engine turning a 4-bladed 13.5 foot prop the AD-1 Skyraider was capable of carrying 4,000 pounds of bombs and/or wing loaded rockets. Improvements continued with future variants, and when equipped with a 3,020 HP power plant, the Skyraiders payload capacity increased to a whopping 6,500 pounds, with a top speed of 328 knots. As one of the largest single engine propeller aircraft ever built, the Skyraider saw plenty of action during the Korean conflict. The AD-6 variant was produced in quantity (713), and saw .........
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 Roadrunner.........
