It is the summer of 1940. A woman rides her bike through the English countryside. Dawn has broken and the land begins to stir with the sound of birds and farm animals. But this summer the wind carries another sound as well, that of warplanes rising into amber skies.

This is the summer of the Battle of Britain and the inhabitants of this small island nation struggle for their very way of life against a menacing foe amassed along the eastern coast of Europe.

The woman stops, gazes upward and offers a silent prayer, as Spitfires from 92 Squadron roar skyward to search out and destroy the encroaching fighters and bombers of Hitler's Luftwaffe.

During the Battle of Britain there were three groups equipped with Spitfires. They were #11 Group in the south, #10 Group in the west and #5 Group in the northeast. They were all three flying mainly Spitfire MK IIs.

What sets a Phillips work of aviation art apart from others is his prowess as a landscape artist. This Anniversary Fine Art Edition Canvas captures all the vivid color and brilliance of the original William S. Phillips work of art. At 30" x 20" this exclusive release of On Wings as a Prayer matches the size of the original painting and is 35% larger than the paper print released in 1999. This is one of Phillips’ most revered and sought after works of art and a prize for the collection of any true aviation enthusiast.