"Fuel State Critical - Outcome in Doubt" William Phillips Doolittle Raiders

“Aviation was my first artistic love,” says William S. Phillips, “but my true, enduring love remains my Christian faith, home and family. So it is my pleasure to combine all of it in my work. The historical aviation subjects, I research; the contemporary and nostalgic subjects, I live.”

Phillips grew up loving art but never thought he could make it his livelihood. At college he majored in criminology, and he had been accepted into law school when four of his paintings were sold at an airport restaurant. That was all the incentive he needed to begin his work as a fine art painter.

Bill Phillips is now the aviation artist of choice for many American heroes and the nostalgic landscape artist of choice for many collectors. Bill’s strengths as a landscape painter are what gave him an edge in the aviation field: respect and reverence for a time and place. When one sees his aviation pieces, thoughts are about the courageous individuals who risked their lives for our freedom. In Bill’s nostalgic works, the viewer understands fully what that freedom is... the precious values that make life worth living.

After one of his paintings was presented to King Hussein of Jordan, Phillips was commissioned by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. He developed sixteen major paintings, many of which now hang in the Royal Jordanian Air Force Museum in Amman. The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum presented a one-man show of Phillips’ work in 1986; he is one of only a few artists to have been so honored.

In 1988, Phillips was chosen to be a U.S. Navy combat artist. For his outstanding work, the artist was awarded the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award and the Air Force Sergeants Association’s Americanism Medal. In 1991, three of Phillips’ works were chosen as part of the top 100 in “Art for the Parks,” the prestigious annual fund-raiser for the National Park Service, and one painting received the “Art History Award” from the National Park Foundation.

William S. Phillips Signed & Numbered Limited Edition Giclee Canvas "Fuel State Critical - Outcome in Doubt"

The Raider’s carrier task force (TF-16) was spotted by Japanese vessels well before they arrived at the intended departure point so the Raiders were forced to launch from the carrier Hornet earlier than planned. Fuel calculations now fell short of the planned amount needed for their destination, Chuchow, China. Their arrival in China would be at night, rather than during daylight as originally planned. Fortunately, sailors on the Hornet filled ten, five-gallon gas cans and passed them hand-to-hand to each aircraft, providing the fuel that made the difference between pitching at sea and coming down over land.

In this, William S. Phillips most recent historical documentation on the Doolittle Raid, General Doolittle and his crew in aircraft 02344 break into a momentary area of clear sky. The last rays of sunlight bring only slight hope that they will survive their ordeal, as their fuel levels continue to fall and the hour of landfall is uncertain.

Fuel State Critical—Outcome in Doubt is countered-signed by four of the Doolittle Raiders. The signing of the print took place at their April 2010 reunion in Dayton, OH. They include the Crew 1 co-pilot of Doolittle’s plane (the B-25 depicted here), Colonel Richard E. Cole, Lt. Colonel Robert L. Hite of Crew 16, Major Thomas Carson Griffin of Crew 9 and Staff Sergeant David J. Thatcher of Crew 7.

Phillips’ Personal Commission Edition of the previous Raiders Fine Art Edition, Toward a Setting Sun, reached an edition size of 298. Given that there are only 100 in the edition of Fuel State Critical—Outcome in Doubt, this piece of history won’t last long!

This 24" by 12" Image Size Limited Edition Giclee Canvas, edition size 100, is signed by the artist and co-signed by four of the Doolittle Raiders.

All Limited Edition prints are signed and numbered (S/N) by the artist. Limited Edition prints are restricted to a certain number. For example, if 400 prints are made from an original painting, once they’re gone, that’s it. There is no limit to the number of open edition prints of a particular painting. That’s why Limited Edition prints are more expensive — and more valuable to collectors — than "open" edition. Rare objects are more valuable.

All Limited Edition artwork is subject to availability at time of order. Although seller strives to remain currrent as to inventory, seller reserves the right to cancel a sale if item is no longer available at time of purchase.