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Cranston Fine Arts  Landscape Art and Artists Countries USA States  New York |
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| Text for the above items : |
The Lusitania by Robert Barbour. Cunard liner RMS Lusitania leaves New York outward bound for Liverpool just before the First World War. Sadly on 7th May 1915 she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-20 and sank within 20 minutes with the loss of 1,198 lives. |
Lucky Lindy by Stan Stokes. Charles Augustus Lindbergh is generally acknowledged to be the most famous American aviator of all time. Lindbergh was one of a band of flying gypsies who discovered that following WW I there was little interest by the military in aviation and very few jobs available in the fledgling commercial aviation field. These pilots, who were hooked on flying, flew the mail, offered rides at county fairs, and barnstormed around the country in an attempt to eke out a small living and cover the cost of flying. In 1919 a wealthy New York hotel owner had established a prize of $25,000 for the first non-stop flight between New York and Paris. By the mid-1920s, the technology appeared to be on the verge of permitting a successful crossing. In 1926 the famous WW I French fighter ace, Rene Fonck crashed his Sikorsky S-35 while attempting to takeoff from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, killing two of his four man crew. In April of 1927 a similar crash killed Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster. On May 8, another WW I French fighter ace, Charles Nungesser, and his copilot were killed when their flight from Paris to New York disappeared over the Atlantic. Each of these tragedies further aroused public interest in what seemed to be an impossible task. Charles Lindbergh had lots of experience flying in difficult conditions and at night from his years as a US Mail pilot. Unlike the others, Lindbergh believed that he would need to fly alone, and he opted to go with a fuel efficient single-engine aircraft. Lindbergh was an excellent planner, and his second choice for a suitable aircraft for his journey was a Ryan M-1 produced in San Diego. With much of his backing coming from St. Louis businessmen, Lindbergh named his aircraft the Spirit of St. Louis. The M-1 needed many modifications including an enlarged fuel capacity, and was fitted with a 237-HP Wright J-5C engine. To maintain the aircrafts center of gravity one of the additional fuel tanks had to be fitted in the cockpit, blocking all visibility through the windscreen. A small telescope was fitted to provide some forward visibility. Bad weather delayed Lindberghs planned takeoff from Roosevelt Field, but on the morning of May 20, 1927 a small break in the weather allowed Lindbergh to attempt his takeoff. Barely missing power lines and trees at the end of the muddy airstrip Lindbergh got airborne. Less than 34 hours later he touched down at Le Bourget Field in Paris. Throngs of people were present to greet the new hero. Overcoming bad weather, disorientation, and fatigue, Lucky Lindy had overcome the odds, and become one of the greatest American heroes of this century. An interesting historical footnote to Lindberghs journey is the fact that only two weeks after his flight, two others (Chamberlin and Levine) flew non-stop from New York to Germany. |
Challenge Leaving New York in the 1850s by Roy Cross. No text for this item |
The Queen Elizabeth 2 Leaving New York by Robert Barbour. No text for this item |
Concorde over Manhattan by Ivan Berryman. No text for this item |
The Grandeur of the Queens by Gordon Bauwens. On 13 January 2008, a unique event in maritime history took place when Cunard's three magnificent Queens met in New York Harbor for the first and last time. The legendary Queen Elizabeth 2 led the regal procession under the Verrazano Bridge during her final world cruise. QE2 had also just enjoyed a combined transatlantic crossing with her brand new fleetmate, Queen Victoria, on the first leg of her own maiden world cruise. As the pair approached the entrance to the Hudson, they were joined by the mighty Cunard flagship, Queen Mary 2, to make a grand entrance the likes of which Lady Liberty will never see again. In life, the majestic trio arrived and left in darkness. Artist Gordon Bauwens, whose work hangs aboard all three Cunard Queens, was commissioned to portray the event as many would have preferred, with the liners dramatically bathed in early morning sun. |
Fateful Voyage by Stan Stokes. Construction of the dirigible Hindenburg began in 1931 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The huge dirigible took nearly five years to complete. It was 804-feet long, and at its widest point was 135-feet in diameter. The Hindenburgs gas capacity (in 16 gas cells) was more than 7 million cubic feet. Each cell was coated with a gelatin solution to insure its permeability against the volatile hydrogen gas. The Hindenburgs frame was made of a special alloy of aluminum and copper. The Hindenburg was powered by four huge 16-cylinder diesel engines. Each engine provided 1300-HP of take off power, and 850-HP for sustained cruising. A navigation room in the control car contained two gyro compasses, a radio compass, and a telephone switchboard. The radio room was directly above the control car. In the bridge located in the control car were the controls for controlling the engines, releasing ballast or hydrogen, and in adjusting rudder or elevators. Each passenger had a 78 x 66 inch cabin consisting of an upper and lower berth, a folding wash basin, and a collapsible writing table with folding chair. Rooms were for sleeping as passengers spent most of their time elsewhere on the ship. The lounge was decorated with a huge mural and was fairly spacious. It included a baby grand piano. The reading and writing room was a quiet area where passengers could write letters, and the smoking room was the only area on the ship that smoking was permitted. Kept under positive air pressure no hydrogen could enter the smoking lounge. The largest space on the ship was the dining room with promenade. On May 6, 1936 the Hindenburg departed Germany with fifty passengers and a crew of fity-five on its maiden voyage to America. The aircraft reached the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, New Jersey approximately 61 hours later. The huge ship was eased into her hangar, and the passengers disembarked for a short plane ride to Newark Airport. On its return trip the Hindenburg completed the journey in less than 49 hours, unprecendented in the days of long distance sea travel. The Hindenburg made ten round trip crossings in 1936. In 1937 the plans called for the Hindenburg to make 18 Atlantic crossings. The first of the 1937 trips began on May 3. Thirty-six passengers and a crew of sixty-one were onboard. Headwinds were very strong on this voyage and it took three full days to reach the New York area. It was late in the afternoon and thunderstorms were reported in the area. The Hindenburg made a courtesy sightseeing tour of Manhattan and at 7:00PM headed into Lakehurst for landing. At about 200-feet in altitude a tongue of flame appeared at the stern. It spread rapidly and within a few short seconds the Hindenburg was a giant fireball, falling to earth tail first. The catastrophe was covered by film and radio broadcasts, and to this day is one of the most devastating disasters ever recorded. Miraculously, there were a fair number of survivors, but the age of the dirigible was over. |
Outward Bound by Stan Stokes. The Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser was the commercial version of Boeings C-97 military transport. The first 377 was test flown on July 8, 1947. Stratocruisers were delivered to airlines in 1949 and 1950. Pan American, Northwest Orient, BOAC, United, and American Overseas Airlines were all customers. They sold for approximately $1.5 million each. Stratocruisers could accommodate anywhere from 55 to 100 passengers depending on configuration. With a pressurized cabin, Stratocruisers had a ceiling of 32,000 feet, thus permitting fights above the weather. Many were equipped with sleepers for long distance flights. The 377 had a large flight deck, and a lower passenger deck which was typically used as a lounge. With a wingspan of more than 141 feet, and a gross take off weight of 120,000 pounds, the Statocruiser was a big airplane. Powered by four Pratt and Whitney R-4360 engines, Statocruisers had a maximum speed of 375-MPH, and a range of more than 4,000 miles at a cruising speed of 340-MPH. Northwest Orient Airlines took delivery of ten Statocruisers. They differed from other Model 377s because they utilized rectangular windows. Later Northwest further modified these aircraft by adding a radar dome to the nose. Northwest flew the 377s for about ten years, and eventually traded them to Lockheed which sold some of them to Aero Space Lines. The latter company extensively modified these aircraft into what was one of the most unusual appearing aircraft which was nicknamed the pregnant guppy. In addition to lengthening the aircraft, a huge new upper hull section was added. A unique feature was the ability to detach the entire rear section of the fuselage to assist in cargo loading. These bulbous aircraft were utilized to transport very large spacecraft sections from various manufacturing plants to Cape Canaveral. By the early 1960s many of the 377s were being sold off by the primary airlines to secondary carriers, cargo airlines, or charter operators. Transocean Airlines of Oakland California obtained a large number of these aircraft which they modified to high density seating for charter operations. In Stan Stokes dramatic painting a Northwest Orient Airlines Stratocruiser departs the New York area in 1952. |
Concorde - The Golden Years by Stephen Brown The scheduled Concorde flights to and from New York were by far the most important for both British Airways and Air France. Taking full advantage of Concordes speed and the time difference between London and New York, some business people would arrive in New York on the early morning flight, do a days work and then take the evening flight back to London. |
Lone Ranger by John Young. Sorely missed on the air display circuit, this Vulcan is pictured flying high over Niagara Falls. Used as a heavy bomber and particularly in the Falklands War of 1982, just the sound of the engines and the vibrations of the ground announced its arrival. Rumour had it that this magnificent aircraft might make a return at some time to the air display scene but this seems to be increasingly unlikely as time passes. |
Ocean Monarch Leaving New York by Roy Cross. No text for this item |
Concorde over New York (Concorde Farewell) by Ivan Berryman. A sight never to be repeated as a British Airways Concorde bids farewell to new York in October 2003. |
Farewell America by Robert Taylor. The Queen Mary sails majestically past the Statue of Liberty as she departs from New York, bound for Europe, early post war. |
Balbo's Amazing Flight by Stan Stokes. Italo Balbo, the father of the Italian Air Force, appointed undersecretary for air in 1926, was truly amazing. His first task was to complete a study that concluded that the Aeronautica was woefully inadequate in terms of ground support facilities, supplies, spare parts, fuel, and ammunition. In addition his study concluded that the 551 aircraft of record included only 200-300 combat ready planes. Balbo, like Billy Mitchell in America, believed that a powerful argument for an air force independent from the control of either the army or the navy could be made. Many of Balbos beliefs were derived from conversations with Giulio Droughet, the famous Italian air combat theorist. In Balbos view the Aeronautica should have a first strike capability, and he shared Droughets view that the days of single plane raids were over. Future air attacks would involve waves of hundreds, if not thousands, of aircraft. By 1926 Italy had its share of accomplished aviators including De Pinedo, De Bernardi, and Ferrarin, but Balbo did not appreciate the prima donna image of these record setters. He conceived the idea of record setting massed flights to show the collective heroism of the Regia Aeronautica, and as a way to sway public opinion of his belief, and in the process earn a larger budget. The first massed flight of 61 seaplanes toured ports in the western Mediterranean in May and June of 1928. As the tour progressed the formation flying skills of the pilots improved and wherever they went they were received enthusiastically. A second massed flight of the eastern Mediterranean, utilizing 35 aircraft, took place later, and both these flights increased the prestige of the fascist regime in Italy. In December of 1928 Balbo visited America, and he immediately began planning in his mind the possibility of a massed flight to America. In 1931 Balbo took 12 SM.55X flying boats to Brazil, and by 1933 he was ready for his trip to America. Utilizing 25 aircraft Balbo once again chose the reliable SM.55X. The route would include stops in Amsterdam, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Montreal, and finally Chicago. On July 15, 1933 Balbos aerial armada arrived over Lake Michigan. Hundreds of thousands of spectators jammed the Chicago shoreline to welcome the aviators. Four days later Balbo lead his team to New York, where they made several passes over Manhattan before landing at the Coney Island seaplane base. The Italians drew huge crowds in New York, and Balbo traveled to Washington to meet with President Roosevelt and Wiley Post. Mussolini grew jealous of the attention Balbo was receiving and wired him to return to Italy. He later removed him as head of the Aeronautica and sent him to Libya as Governor. Balbos epic flights were a watershed in the transition of aviation from the pioneering efforts on single aviators to the discipline and organization required to operate a modern air force. |
Sparrowhawks of the Macon by Stan Stokes. In 1924 the US Navy took delivery of the Los Angeles, which was built by the Zeppelin Company in Germany. A partnership was formed between the Goodyear Company and the Zeppelin Company for developing rigid airships in the United States. Rear Admiral William A. Moffett was unquestioned booster of the rigid airship program in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. As chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics Moffet had considerable influence. In 1926 he was successful at getting Congress to allocate funds for the construction of two 758-foot long rigid airships (the USS Akron and the USS Macon) with a capacity of 6.5 million cubic feet of helium, more than twice the size of the Graf Zepplin which would circle the globe in 1929. The Goodyear company commenced construction of a huge hangar at Akron which would be used for construction of the first of the two massive airships. Utilizing three keels and thirty-six longitudinal girders, the Akron had a sturdy airframe. One of the most novel features of these two new airships would be their ability to launch and recover Curtis F9C-2 Sparrowhawks, making them the first flying aircraft carriers. The Akron was completed in September of 1931, but it would be nearly a year later before the Sparrowhawks were deployed. The Akron logged about 1,700 hours of flying time, but on the night of April 1, 1933 the Akron crashed in the icy Atlantic off the New Jersey shore with few survivors. Admiral Moffett was one of the fatalities. It was the worst aviation disaster in history - at that time. Construction of the Macon was completed only weeks after the loss of its sister ship. Some improvements had been made to her design. She was lighter and faster than the Akron, and could carry up to five Sparrowhawks vs. only three for the Akron. Following testing of the new airship in the New York- New Jersey area, the Macon was ordered to newly named Moffet field in Sunnyvale, California. On July 18, 1934 the Macon utilized its Sparrowhawks to intercept a pair of US Navy ships at considerable distance off the Pacific Coast. The cruiser USS Houston was carrying Franklin D. Roosevelt on a trip from Panama to Hawaii. Startled to encounter aircraft at such a considerable distance from land, they would be even more shocked when the Sparrowhawks would deliver newspapers and mail for the President. In the late summer and fall of 1934 the Macon was sent east for fleet training exercises in the Atlantic. Utilizing a simple radio homing beacon for the first time the Macon proved beyond a doubt that the concept of air launched scouting planes was feasible. However, in February of 1935 the USS Macon met the same fate as its sister ship. While cruising up the California coast near Point Sur, the great airship encountered turbulence and began to break-up. Fortunately, only two of the eighty-three man crew were lost. |
USS Iowa leaving New York by Anthony Saunders. BB61 Iowa, was commissioned in February 1943 at the New York Navy yard. her first mission was to the North Atlantic in August 1943 to neutralise the threat of the German Battleship Tirpitz. By early 1944 she joined the Pacific fleet taking part in many of the major battles including Saipan, Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. She was re-commissioned in 1951 for the Korean war and again in April 1984. |
Flagship Over Manhattan by Robert Watts. An American Airlines DC-3, one of the 29 in service by 1936 with right hand doors, outbound from La Guardia Airport. |
Christmas in New York by Stan Stokes. Depicts the return of the USS Arizona to Brooklyn in 1916, where it was commissioned in May of that year. The Arizona would be sunk twenty-five years later during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This painting is a tribute to the hundreds of USN officers and seamen still entombed on the ship. |
QE2 - Transatlantic Arrival by Gordon Bauwens. Few waterfronts in the world are as instantly recognisable and admired as New York. Cunard first used the port in 1847 and its vast liners became almost as much a part of the Citys image as its famous skyline thereafter. Transatlantic legends bearing immortal names such as Lusitania, Mauretania, Aquitania, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth all graced this famous waterfront. And now, having already sailed well over four million miles since her own maiden arrival, QE2 still proudly bears the Cunard insignia into New York harbour, looking more majestic with each passing year. The magnificent liner is enjoying a traditional fireboat welcome while being met by Moran tugs. Manhattans twin towers and the distant Statue of Liberty shimmer in the early evening sun as overhead, Concorde banks to give her passengers a glimpse of the spectacular panorama below. It is apt that his fine portrait of the last Clyde-built Cunarder is by an artist whose charted her growth from steel skeleton into elegant ocean greyhound, culminating in her launch viewed from across the Clyde in 1967. He was received by QE2s captain when presenting the liner with a framed print for her 25th Anniversary in 1994, the original painting having been purchased by the Chairman of Cunard. |
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