Number Seven in a Series of Collector Prints... Nixon Galloway!

A British aircraft for United?

The Viscount was the subject of numerous large orders including the United States when it was designed in 1953. Its smooth, vibration free ride, good operating economics and pressurisation contributed to its success. At speeds of 350 mph, it was the first turbojet engined aircraft and powered by Rolls Royce. The 48 passenger aircraft was purchased by Capital Airlines in 1953-54 for a cool 70.3 million dollars acquiring about sixty from the British based, Vickers-Armstrong, Ltd.

Capital Airlines, once the fourth largest airline, merged with United in 1961 making it the largest airline  the free world. Here, Nick must have preferred the Capital Airlines fuselage design to the United for visual as well as historical reasons. The Viscount flew for United for over thirteen years.

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III  

Another Nick Galloway Watercolor for United Airlines...

Honest... what were they thinking!

In 1930, Boeing created the revolutionary Monomail, which made traditional biplane construction a design of the past. The Monomail wing was set lower, was smooth, made entirely of metal and had no struts (cantilevered construction). The retractable landing gear, some of the earlier models actually had fixed gear with skirts attached, streamlined the fuselage and the engine covered by an antidrag cowling added up to an advanced, extremely aerodynamic design. I think the angle Nick chose for this illustration perfectly depicts the plane's best aerodynamic advantages. I also like the warm tones on the underwing side of the plane... subtle, but a nice touch to the overall cool tones.

I read that a major drawback of the Monomail was that its design was too advanced for the engines and propellers of the time. The airplane required a low-pitch propeller for takeoff and climb and a high-pitch propeller to cruise. The plane was constantly being modified to accommodate all the new technology, but by the time the variable-pitch propeller and more powerful engines were available, the Monomail was being replaced by newer designs, like the Boeing 247. The aircraft must have been in the airline fleet briefly for they didn't even have time to paint on a United Airlines logo.

Another view. Passengers are loading into the plane via a step ladder, ha!

The Model 200, originally designed as a mail plane, apparently later, was redesigned to make the Model 221 a six-passenger transport. Both were later revised for transcontinental passenger service as Model 221A, which upgraded the passenger seating and hopefully the engine noise since the streamlined fuselage had been built for speed and not necessarily comfort. But, pity the poor pilot sitting in an open cockpit...

Honest, what were they thinking?

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III

Number Four in a Series of Collector Prints... Nixon Galloway!

The Boeing "247"

The Boeing 247 was a prototype for the modern airliner, for it was a clean cantilever low-wing all-metal monoplane of constructed with twin-engine powerplant, retractable landing gear, and accommodation for a pilot, copilot, stewardess and ten passengers. The design introduced a new feature for a civil transport aircraft by being equipped with pneumatic de-icing boots on  leading edges of the wing, vertical, as well as, horizontal stabilizers to prevent accumulation of ice from reaching a dangerous level. The plane's top speed was about 200 mph with a cruising speed at about 133 mph.

Sixty examples of the Model 247 were ordered right off the drawing board to equipping the Boeing Air Transport System, which soon became United Air Lines! Below, is a picture of one of the few surviving and flyable museum pieces. It apparently was the aircraft from which Nick modeled his painting from.

One of a few aircraft still airworthy!


Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III

One In A Series of Collector Prints... Nixon Galloway!

Nixon's DC-3

I've been so busy doing things that really don't pertain to making a living as an artist. So, I thought that this would be a nice way to stay motivated and, at the same time, share some of my favorite artist's work.

In my line of "art," when the artwork is no longer needed to help sell an idea, it gets filed away for a couple of months and then, usually, but not always, is thrown in the dumpster. I have picked up some really nice storyboard art, sketches, and comp work from the likes of David Arkle, Larry Navarro, Rod Dryden, Ray Cadd, Jim Auckland, Chris Turner, Mike Barry, Shannon Hogan and some older and more stylistic art from guys like,"Woody" Woodcock, Ed Lunquist and a host of other really fine illustrators.

I'm told, by my illustrative compadres, that some of my work has also been saved from the giant garbage bags signed, "Basura!" I'm flattered!

And, many of these are not printed or digitized pieces, but the actual art.

Anyway, here's one in a series of twenty or so printed pieces that aviation artist, Nick Galloway, painted for United Airlines. It was a "collector's series" of water colors Nick was so famous for.

With a few more to be posted, this one is one of my favorites...

Copyright 2012-2013/Ben Bensen III