Phillips grew up loving art but never thought he could make it his livelihood. At college he majored in criminology and 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 a renowned aviation artist and the landscape artist of choice for many collectors. Bill's strengths as a landscape painter, a respect and reverence for a time and place, help him when painting aviation as well as classic landscapes. 

Making its combat debut in Vietnam in 1965, the A-6 Grumman Intruder provided the U.S. Naval Aviation with the capability to operate in some of the worst weather Southeast Asia could muster. 

Guided by digital integrated attack and navigation equipment, the aircraft ushered in a new era of aviation technology that all but eliminated visibility problems. An A-6 crew could take off, fly to its target at any altitude, drop its ordinance and return to base without the crew ever seeing the outside of the cockpit. The A-6's performances soon made it the standard carrier-based medium attack craft of the Navy and its uncanny accuracy earned the nickname the "mini B-52."

This A-6 of VA-196th is dropping through scattered clouds as it prepares to strike a target in the Vietnam hills. Mission completed, the aircraft will return to the "Enterprise" in the Gulf of Tonkin.

 Countersigner: Stephen Coonts, author.

'Going in Hot'

By William S. Phillips

Print.

Measures 30" x 25.5"