Nicolas Trudgian range of Black Widow aircraft aviation signed art prints.  This site is dedicated to the artwork of Aviation artist Nicolas Trudgian.  Including the full range of Aviation prints published by the Military Gallery which Cranston Fine Arts have purchased the last remaining prints. Which include many rare items.  many of Nicolas Trudgian prints have been signed by Many of the Top Fighter and Bomber Pilots of World war two over the past Decade. and many of these great Pilots are no longer with us.  This could be the last chance to own a piece of history which will soon be no longer available except on the more expensive secondary market.

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the USAAFs first modern fighter aircraft which was specifically designed from the start to serve in the night fighter capacity. Designed by Jack Knudson Northrop, this aircraft was quite innovative. The Armys initial requirements for this night interceptor made no mention of radar, but stated that the aircraft would carry a device which would locate enemy aircraft in the dark. The P-61 indeed utilized radar, and about seven hundred of these large twin-engine aircraft were built. The recommendation to pursue development of an aircraft of this type came about from the recommendations of a special commission which visited Great Britain during the Battle of Britain. The commission identified the need for an effective night fighter capability to deter enemy night bombing raids. Although the first prototype flew in May of 1942, the Black Widow did not enter front-line service until 1944. The P-61 was the largest and most powerful fighter aircraft of WW II. The Black Widows bite was mean because of its four cannons and four machine guns. With a wingspan of sixty-six feet and a length of nearly fifty feet, this large aircraft was powered by twin 18-cylinder Double Wasp radial engines, capable of 2,000-HP each. The B model of the P-61 was capable of speeds in the 365-MPH range, and had an incredible range of 3,000 miles. This great range gave the P-61 added benefits in the Pacific theater of operations. The P-61 utilized 4-bladed, variable pitch props, and incorporated a tricycle landing gear configuration. With its distinctive double tail configuration, the Black Widow had a roughly similar appearance to the P-38 Lightning, which was sometimes utilized in the night fighter role prior to the P-61 becoming available. The XP-61 prototype took to the air in May of 1942, and the aircraft exhibited a maximum speed of 380 MPH. Despite good results from the initial flights, the P-61 took a long time to enter production. In July of 1943 the Army organized the 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group at Orlando Field in Florida. This unit completed service tests on pre-production Black Widows, and was responsible for training flight  

  First US aircraft designed as a night fighter. The P-61 Black Widow . It only saw service near the end of 1944 and 1945 serving in most theatres. European, Mediterranean, Pacific, and China-Burma-India theaters. Black Widow crews destroyed 127 enemy aircraft and 18  V-1 buzz bombs.

Captain Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor by Ivan Berryman.