Early Top Guns - Stan Stokes Art Print

Stan Stokes. In September of 1952, the U.S. Navy — using lessons learned from poor aerial combat performance against Soviet MiGs in Korea — issued a requirement for its first supersonic, carrier-based, air-superiority aircraft. Vought, who submitted one of the eight proposals attempting to fill the requirement, won the contract with their F-8 Crusader. It featured high-mounted wings and a forward-located cockpit for high visibility, and, because it was the last American fighter equipped with guns as its primary weapon, it earned the title, "The Last of the Gunfighters." The aircraft's most influential combat duty came during the Vietnam War where it sported a 6-to-1 kill ratio, better than any other U.S. fighter. This print depicts an F-8 Crusader piloted by USMC General Drax Williams as he chases a pair of MiG-21s during an A-6 escort mission in Vietnam. Signed by the artist! 16"x 11½".