Lightning at Sea

The Keith Ferris painting Lightning at Sea (back cover) was commissioned by Pratt & Whitney Military Engines for presentation to the navy at its Naval Aviation Symposium at Pensacola in early May 2016. The 32” x 56” oil painting on canvas depicts the navy’s new Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II stealthy carrier fighter launching in the future from the navy’s newest new carrier CVN 78, the
USS Gerald R. Ford.

The aircraft is viewed from an altitude of 130 feet from a position 55 feet forward of the aircraft and 500 feet forward of the ship as it will appear about 5 or 6 seconds after launch. The deck crew scrambles to prepare the catapult for its next launch as other F-35Cs are in position on catapults and another is about to trap aboard.

This is the third of a three-painting series of Ferris works featuring the F-35 Stealth Fighter family commissioned by Pratt for presentation to the Air Force, Marines and the Navy.

Long time AAHS member, artist Keith Ferris was raised as an Air Corps dependent growing up on the grass flying fields of the early 1930s. Having spent his entire life in the midst of military aviation, he has built his now 70-year career around the documentation and portrayal of flight through art. His art has served the advertising, editorial, public relations, and historical documentation needs of the aerospace industry, aviation . . .