Just finished this one up - hope to include it in our aviation art exhibition at the Museum of Aviation at Warner Robins opening Feb. 5th.
South Pacific Hot Rods
12 x 18 in. Oil on linen
Completed 2011
Collection the artist
Two VF-17 "Jolly Rogers" F4U Corsairs cavort above the clouds during a rare break from combat ops, circa November 1943. Sporting beards in many cases and known for their aggressiveness, "Blackburn's Irregulars", as the pilots of VF-17 were known in certain quarters, actually played a large role during their own training period in preparing the Corsair for fleet-wide use. They didn't do so bad once they entered combat, either, scoring a record 152 victories in only 76 days of combat during the Solomons campaign.
The featured aircraft, side #3, was flown by ENS Frederick J. "Big Jim" Streig. Streig flew two tours with the Jolly Rogers and made ace in the Corsair, scoring 5.5 confirmed aerial victories and claiming 2.0 damaged. Jim was promoted to Commander in 1956 and retired from the Navy in 1969. Always a popular presence at Jolly Rogers reunions over the years, "Big Jim" died in August 1995 after a long illness.
Wade