Opening Sky

Opening Sky by Robert Taylor is an aviation art print depicting the morning sun glinting on the fuselages of the 78th Fighter Group P-51 Mustangs, crossing the Dutch coastline far below. They are heading back towards their base at Duxford, England at the end of a long sweep east of the Rhine crossing, Spring 1945. The final months of the war in Europe lie ahead, and for the P-51 pilots the victory is within sight. Finally, after years of toil, the sky was theirs. Robert Taylor's visually poetic masterpiece pays tribute to the American P-51 Mustang fighter pilots who flew and fought for freedom during World War II, and is the third in his highly successful new Tribute Series. It follows the recent release of his popular RAF Hurricane tribute, Height and Sun; and Luftwaffe Mel09 tribute Dawn Eagles Rising.

Limited edition prints of Opening Sky have been signed by many of the United States' most famous P-51 fighter pilots, and together with the other prints in this new series, create an extraordinary opportunity for aviation art and military history collectors.

Edition

• 300 Limitied Edition, personally signed by the artist Robert Taylor, together with THREE of the USAAF's top P-51 Mustang Aces:
  Colonel CLARENCE 'BUD' ANDERSON, 357th Fighter Group / 16.25 victories
  Lieutenant Colonel CLYDE EAST 10th Photo Reconnaissance Group / 13 victories
  Colonel ART FIEDLER 325th Fighter Group / 8 victories

• P-51 Tribute Edition (sold out)
  175 prints, signed as above, plus a further fourteen original signatures from P-51 fighter pilots, including many Aces, making a total of SEVENTEEN signatures in total:
  Major BILL ALLEN, 55th Fighter Group / 5 victories
  Captain JIM BROOKS, 31st Fighter Group / 13 victories
  Captain CLINTON BURDICK 356th Fighter Group / 5.5 victories
  Captain WAYNE COLEMAN 78th Fighter Group / 4 victories
  First Lieutenant RAYMOND TED' CONLIN 357th Fighter Group
  Lieutenant Colonel DON CUMMINGS, 27th Fighter Group, 55th Fighter Group / 6.5 victories
  Major URBAN DREW, 361st Fighter Group / 6 victories
  Lieutenant Colonel BOB GOEBEL 31st Fighter Group / 11 victories
  Lieutenant Colonel ROBERT A. KARR 52nd Fighter Group / 6 victories
  Colonel WALKER 'BUD' MAHURIN, 56th Fighter Group, 3rd Fighter Group, 51st Fighter Group / 24.25 victories
  Colonel STEVE PISANOS 4th Fighter Group /10 victories
  First Lieutenant JOHN SKARA 357th Fighter Group
  Second Lieutenant LOWELL STEWARD 332nd Fighter Group
  First Lieutenant CLINT WHITE 31 st Fighter Group