Mustang Aviation Art by Nicolas Trudgian

Nicolas Trudgian range of Mustang Fighter 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 ubiquitous North American P-51 Mustang, which many consider to be the best all-around fighter of WW II, owes its origins to the British Air Ministry. Following Britains entry into WW II in 1939, the RAF was interested in purchasing additional fighter aircraft from American sources, particularly the Curtiss P-40. Curtiss, which was busy, was unable to guarantee timely delivery so the British approached North American Aviation as a possible second source for the P-40. North American chose to propose its own fighter design which would use the same Allison engine as the P-40. Utilizing new laminar flow wings, the North American fighter was expected to have performance better than the P-40. Developed in record time the new aircraft was designated as a Mustang I by the Brits, whereas the USAAF ordered two for evaluation which were designated XP-51 Apaches. Intrigued with the possibility of using this aircraft also as a dive bomber, North American proposed this to the USAAF which decided to order 500 of the P-51 aircraft to be modified for dive bombing use. Designated as the A-36 Invader, this version of the Mustang utilized dive flaps, and bomb racks under each wing. Some reinforcing of the structural members was also required because of the G-forces to be encountered in dive bombing. A-36s entered combat service with the USAAF prior to any P-51s. In early 1943 the 86^th and 27^th Fighter Bomber Groups of the 12^th Air Force began flying A-36s out of Northern Africa. Despite some early problems with instability caused by the dive flaps, the A-36 was effective in light bombing and strafing roles. It was not, however, capable of dog fighting with German fighters, especially at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks one USAAF pilot, Captain Michael T. Russo, who served with the 16^th Bomb Squadron of the 27^th Fighter Bomber Group, was credited with five confirmed aerial victories in the A-36, thereby becoming the first mustang ace