Editorial View
The Gallery's Perspective
A steady sense of courage and motion comes through the painting’s sunlit sky: a Mitchell B-25 dominates the foreground, banks slightly toward the viewer, and two smaller fighters flank it as if circling the same tense moment. The warm olive tones of the bomber sit against cool, expansive clouds, creating a convincing feeling of altitude and air moving around metal and glass. Small, careful details—the glazed nose, the radial engines, the suggestion of crew positions—give the plane a human presence without dwelling on faces or drama. The composition balances the machine’s solidity with the sky’s openness, so you feel both the weight of the mission and the vulnerability of flight. As a commemorative image tied to a specific wartime raid, it reads as respectful and resolute: a visual tribute that honors action and endurance more than spectacle.
The Artwork
About Engaging the Enemy Limited Edition
Engaging the Enemy<br> LIMITED EDITION PRINT
On April 18, 1942 a group of 16 B-25s carrying 80 men emerged from the Pacific sky to launch an historic attack on the central island of the Japanese empire proclaiming with unexpected force that war was coming to the Japanese homeland. Lt. Richard O. Joyce and the crew of Plane 10 (#40-2250) engaged and eluded as many as seventeen Japanese fighter aircraft throughout their mission. S/Sgt. Edwin W. Horton's twin-50s in the top turret played a crucial role in keeping the enemy at bay as Lt. Joyce piloted the B-25 across the hostile skies of Japan and on to China.
Sixty-nine years later, only five of the original 80 airmen that flew on the Doolittle Raid on Japan remain. Just enough to man a single B-25, one last crew. Time has been kind and granted you the opportunity to own an authentic piece of Doolittle Raider history, but that door is closing. The print and canvas editions of Engaging the Enemy will be signed by the actual Raiders attending their 69th reunion.
Engaging the Enemy was painted specifically for the 69th Omaha reunion, home to pilot Richard O. Joyce. The fine art canvas is an exact replica of William S. Phillips’ original 24” x 24” painting. Only by spending tens of thousands dollars for the original could you possess something better. The edition is limited to just 50 copies, so only a few will have the chance to own one.
The fine art print is three pieces of art in one. Two printed remarques, original Phillips pencil renderings of a Mitsubishi Zero and Crew 10’s Mitchell B-25 Bomber, enhance the entire presentation and frame the Raider’s signing area. The reproduction quality of this Giclée Paper is second to none.
You will own, with the print or canvas, a true and authentic historical document. No other artist has developed the deep relationship that Phillips has with the Doolittle Raiders. “Remembering the sacrifices of brave men and women helps us become more aware of how we should view this great country and the freedoms we so often take for granted,” says Bill Phillips. “This art helps us to keep these memories alive and gives us something to pass on to the next generation.”
Doolittle Raiders committed to sign: Col. Richard E. Cole, Col. Robert Hite, Lt. Col. Edward Saylor, Maj. Thomas Griffin and S/Sgt. David J. Thatcher.
Sixty-nine years later, only five of the original 80 airmen that flew on the Doolittle Raid on Japan remain. Just enough to man a single B-25, one last crew. Time has been kind and granted you the opportunity to own an authentic piece of Doolittle Raider history, but that door is closing. The print and canvas editions of Engaging the Enemy will be signed by the actual Raiders attending their 69th reunion.
Engaging the Enemy was painted specifically for the 69th Omaha reunion, home to pilot Richard O. Joyce. The fine art canvas is an exact replica of William S. Phillips’ original 24” x 24” painting. Only by spending tens of thousands dollars for the original could you possess something better. The edition is limited to just 50 copies, so only a few will have the chance to own one.
The fine art print is three pieces of art in one. Two printed remarques, original Phillips pencil renderings of a Mitsubishi Zero and Crew 10’s Mitchell B-25 Bomber, enhance the entire presentation and frame the Raider’s signing area. The reproduction quality of this Giclée Paper is second to none.
You will own, with the print or canvas, a true and authentic historical document. No other artist has developed the deep relationship that Phillips has with the Doolittle Raiders. “Remembering the sacrifices of brave men and women helps us become more aware of how we should view this great country and the freedoms we so often take for granted,” says Bill Phillips. “This art helps us to keep these memories alive and gives us something to pass on to the next generation.”
Doolittle Raiders committed to sign: Col. Richard E. Cole, Col. Robert Hite, Lt. Col. Edward Saylor, Maj. Thomas Griffin and S/Sgt. David J. Thatcher.
Collector Details
What to Know About This Piece
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About the Collection
Aviation art meets nostalgic American landscapes in finely detailed compositions that capture the beauty of flight and historical moments. With a focus on military aviation fine art and vintage aircraft scenes, each painting showcases the precision and drama of flight through masterful realism. From WWII aircraft artwork to classic flight illustrations, these works bring aviation history to life with dynamic sky compositions and rich, atmospheric detail. Patriotic landscape art blends aviation heritage with timeless settings, preserving the legacy of historic air combat and peaceful moments in aviation history. Whether depicting soaring aircraft or flight-inspired landscapes, these paintings combine technical accuracy with artistic emotion, creating a compelling tribute to the golden age of aviation.
Artist Signature
Signed by the artist
This piece is artist signed and includes a Certificate of Authenticity.
Image Rights
Image copyright © 2026 by William Phillips.
Authorized Source
Authenticity & Documentation
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Limited-edition artwork includes a Certificate of Authenticity when one is issued by the artist, publisher, studio, or authorized source. Open-edition pieces may not include a certificate; this does not affect their authenticity. The Collection Shop sources artwork through artists, publishers, authorized distributors, galleries, and other approved channels. Any additional documentation included with this specific piece will be noted above.
"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. Phillips often spends days observing landscape
subjects. Finding companionship with the land, he is able to convey the
boundlessness of nature on the painted canvas inspiring a reverence for the
natural landscape in its beholders.
After one of his paintings was presented to King Hussein of Jordan, Phillips
was commissioned by the Royal Jordanian Air Force. He developed sixteen major
paintings, many of which now hang in the Royal Jordanian Air Force Museum in
Amman. The Smithsonian Institution s National Air and Space Museum presented
a one-man show of Phillips work in 1986. He is one of only a few artists to
have been so honored.
In 1988, Phillips was chosen to be a U.S. Navy combat artist. For his
outstanding work, the artist was awarded the Navy s Meritorious Public Service
Award and the Air Force Sergeants Association s Americanism Medal. At the
prestigious annual fund raiser for the National Park Service, Bill s work has
been included in the Top 100 each year he has entered the competition and his
work has won the Art History Award twice.
Phillips was selected as the Fall 2004 Artist in Residence at the
North Rim of the Grand Canyon and tapped by the U.S. Postal Service to paint
the stamp illustrations and header design for a pane of twenty stamps in 1997
entitled Classic American Aircraft. He was chosen again in 2005 for a pane of
twenty stamps (ten designs) entitled American Advances in Aviation."
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