Latest Artwork - B25 Strafers 498th BS

[PeteWenman]

Guys hi

Not quite finished, but far enough along to share with you.

Two Falcons of the 498th BS sweep in over Japanese merchant shipping.



20" x 8" oil on canvas

If you'd like to check out the development of this painting have a look
at my Blog for some concept sketches and the development of the composition.

Comments and critique always welcome

Pete

[Nathan]

Hi Pete,

I love it!

I biuld plastic model aircraft and am thinking about switching trades. I would like to paint aviation art.

Could you tell me were to start and is there any money in this?

Thanks,
Nathan

[PeteWenman]

Nathan hi

Glad you like it.

Like you I was previously into scale model aircraft, although I have always
drawn and painted, before switching to aviation art.

As to whether there is money in it, - yes and no.

Come and join us in the Cat2 forums, pretty much a forum for aviation artists, although almost anything goes.

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/felixdk

and if your are serious about painting then I would suggest you join the American Society of Aviation Artists.

http://www.asaa-avart.org/

HTH & feel free to drop me a PM or email

Pete

[Cripes]

Keep at it Pete! Looking good. The Mitchell's one of my favorites.

[Nathan]

Hi Pete,

Thanks. Really, there are some things that I would like to paint that no one has done yet. If I ever do get into painting I know what I would like to try first and that is of one of the sections of Major Red Park's VMF-221 Buffalos at Midway. It would be my way of honor these men that knew they were probably going to die(most did) but yet they still flew out to fight. Things like this just make me have to stop and think. These men should always be remembered and never forgotten.

-Nate

[PeteWenman]

Cheers for the comments

I'm calling the glazing finished, so I just need to let it dry before adding the frames to both the cockpit and top turret, and the part I'm really looking forward to NOT - namely the prop arcs.



And then its pretty much done

Pete

[Robbie Stuart]

Real nice Pete.
Robbie

[Taylor Stevenson]

great job!

[PeteWenman]

Calling this one done- I struggled with the light through the cockpit canopy and top turrent, and so have just stopped here - I could and probably would rework it for ever.



A couple of detail shots







These last 3 shots are larger than actual size (on my monitor anyway).As you can see up close the detail is pretty loose.

Pete

[Dave Fish]

Pete,

Beautiful artwork! (Even if they are Army B-25s... ). Really looks like a work of love.

While I am quite familiar with the Marine VMB Bombing Squadrons and their PBJs, I know very little history about the Army Air Corps B-25 Bomber Squadrons…So a couple questions.

I notice the lack of the 75mm canon in the nose; I believe the “G” model was not equipped with the canon while the “H” model was (correct me if I’m wrong). Can I then assume that the 498th BS flew B-25G aircraft? (I know of at least one Army BS that did, I believe in the Pacific.)

Just FYI, Marine Bombing Squadron VMB-613 flew PBJ-1H’s, with part of their mission to seek and strike Japanese shipping. In my discussions with 613 vets, they related that the 75mm canon was mostly ineffective in their strikes due to having to manually reload each round. The Marine Corps also had one PBJ-1G for testing, but never utilized the “G” model.

Again, great work on your painting.

Dave

[Dan K]

Pete,

Beautiful artwork! (Even if they are Army B-25s... ). Really looks like a work of love.

While I am quite familiar with the Marine VMB Bombing Squadrons and their PBJs, I know very little history about the Army Air Corps B-25 Bomber Squadrons…So a couple questions.

I notice the lack of the 75mm canon in the nose; I believe the “G” model was not equipped with the canon while the “H” model was (correct me if I’m wrong). Can I then assume that the 498th BS flew B-25G aircraft? (I know of at least one Army BS that did, I believe in the Pacific.)

Just FYI, Marine Bombing Squadron VMB-613 flew PBJ-1H’s, with part of their mission to seek and strike Japanese shipping. In my discussions with 613 vets, they related that the 75mm canon was mostly ineffective in their strikes due to having to manually reload each round. The Marine Corps also had one PBJ-1G for testing, but never utilized the “G” model.

Again, great work on your painting.

Dave

B-25G's and H's carried 75mm cannon.

B-25J's mounted either glass or solid nose with eight .50 cals.

[Dave Fish]

Thanks for the clarification on the B-25 G & H aircraft.

In respect to VMB-611’s PBJ D & J aircraft, they had a glass nose (none were solid) with two mounted and one “swivel” .50 cal guns…plus two “packet” mounted .50 cal guns on each side of the fuselage, giving them seven forward mounted machine guns.

Their “D” planes had the twin .50s top turret mounted towards the rear of the fuselage and I don’t know if they used them when strafing. Their “J” aircraft, of course, had the twin .50s top turret mounded just rear of the flight deck (where the "navigator's bubble" is on the "D") and I do know they moved them forward on strafing, thus giving them a total of nine forward guns.

VMB-611 flew a lot of low-level ground strikes, using both their 5-inch HVAR rockets and .50 cal Machine guns.

Dave


VMB-611's PBJ-1D "MB 3"

[ZeamerB17]

I'm no B-25 expert but IIRC they didn't use the 75mm cannon for long because it was hard on the airframe; when they fired it the airplane practically "stopped" in mid air, and they didn't need it with 8 forward firing 50 calibers.

VERY cool painting, Pete!

Dave

[tom d. friedman]

some of the pics look like actual photos. great job!!!! my childhood friend is an aviation artist. he's done commissions for the wasp museum, nose art etc. he's a member of the aviation artists association. ( i think that's what it's called) google larry macmahan aviation art to see his work.