Philip West. Aviation artist Philip West's range of US fighter aircraft including the Blackbird SR71, F15 and F16 in signed limited edition prints available from aviationprints.co.uk. Please note range of Phantom jet fighter prints by Philip West shown on phantom gallery page.

 Above and Beyond by Philip West  The SR-71 Blackbird is the worlds fastest and highest flying jet aircraft.  For over 23 years, the SR-71s gathered highly classified intelligence around the world for the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon and other governmental agencies, allowing them to make crucial decisions during the Cold War.

  The Untouchable by Philip West  The SR-71 Blackbird is the world's fastest and highest flying jet aircraft.  For over 23 years, the SR-71s gathered highly classified intelligence around the world for the President of the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Pentagon and other governmental agencies, allowing them to make crucil political and military decisions during the Cold War.  At Mach 3 + cruising speed, the SR-71's leading edges heat up to over 600 degrees F, where the outside air temperature is already at -60 degrees F.  In September 1975 the SR-71 set a world speed record from New York City to London in one hour, 55 minutes.  When the SR-71 was delivered to the National Air & Space Museum in 1990, it set a coast-to-coast record, flying from Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C., in 64 minutes, 20 seconds. 

Chippy Ho by Philip West  One of the most potent multi-mission fighters ever built, the rugged McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet has been a mainstay of the US Navy and Marine Corps during the last two decades.

Philip has made a classic study of an F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-195, tactical call sign Chippies, flying a fully armed mission exercise near Mount Fuji while detached to Kadena AB, Okinawa. The colourfully painted squadron CAG bird Chippy Ho, strikes a menacing pose, equipped with AGM-88 missiles, AIM-9L Sidewinders, drop-tanks and sensor pods.

The F-18 demonstrated its effectiveness and versatility during the Gulf War when, on a strike mission and loaded with 2,000 lb bombs, two Hornets from VFA-81 dispatched two Iraqi MiG-21s with Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles, before continuing to complete their bombing mission.