Number Two In A Series of Collector Prints... Nixon Galloway!

Second In A Series... Convair 340.

Here's a moody piece by Nixon Galloway of a Convair 340. It was a post war design that stretched the series"240". It had a cruising speed of 275 that was attained by two Pratt and Whitney R-2800's which if I'm not mistaken, powered the Hellcat, Thunderbolt and Corsair fighter aircraft. The plane carried about forty or so passengers in a pressurized fuselage which gave it the ability to fly higher over weather conditions... a big deal back in the fifties, ha!

 Maybe, that's why Nick decided to illustrate it this way. The wing reflections intimate a wet sky.

On a personal level, I actually got to fly from LA to Modesto and back on a Convair 340 when I was picked up to interview for a designer's job at Gallo. I am sure that there are those who'd say why not a corporate jet, but being an aviation freak, I was ecstatic to be flying in such a classic. I, also, was pretty impressed with company's professionalism which made me feel like the professional I am. In hindsight, it was a very nice visit as I was "wined and dined ( excuse the pun! ) and put up for two nights at a local bed and breakfast. Although I got the grand tour, I didn't take the job because I had illusions of becoming a great American illustrator and didn't want to be out there stranded in a town with just one client... Gallo!

Although the Gallo family was then, a bunch of loons and quite difficult to work for, looking back, I often wonder what could have been.

For me, in this case, hindsight isn't 20/20. It is "340!"

Copyright 2012-2013/ Ben Bensen III