God Is My Co-Pilot

[442RCT]

I used to buy and frame aviation art prints as a hobby. I'd gather 'stuff' to shadowbox with the print and sometimes I'd paint a patch to go along with the print.

This print was a shark mouthed P-40 flown by Col. Robert L. Scott of "God Is My Co-pilot" fame, (if you haven't read it, it's a good read...I think they ought to remake the movie again, except stay true to the book.) I took the dustcover off my book and added collar insignia, rank, wings, a bullion CBI and 14th AF patch, a few of the medals he was awarded and painted a 23rd FG Tiger patch to add to the ensemble.(btw - none of the memorabilia was actually his)

 

[Stony]

Nice! Scott died just about 3-4 years ago and was in his mid-90s if I'm not mistaken. Do a search of aviation artist Roy Grinnell and check out his painting "Scotty's Last Combat".

http://www.roygrinnell.com/images/plane64m.jpg

 

[442RCT]

Thanks! I did a little research when I noticed how similar the action looked, just from different angles, with the same formation of enemy bombers. Here's what I found:

These prints are both of the same day, December 26th, 1942, while flying over Yunnan-Yi, China, Colonel Scott (in a single pass) shot down 2 Japanese Kawasaki Ki-48s. Scott's Curtiss P-40K Warhawk, "Old Exterminator", returned from that mission without a scratch. General Scott spoke of that mission as "the day I owned the sky".

http://www.aviationarthangar.com/avarthawayby10.html
http://www.aviationarthangar.com/avarthasclac.html