Great Value Aviation Art. Michael Rondot renowned modern
aviation artist specialising in modern jet aircraft. Signed limited
edition prints by Michael Rondot available from the Military Art Company.
Cranston Fine Arts are proud to offer this superb range of aviation art
prints and to celebrate adding these aviation prints to our range you can
purchase an artist proof on many of these prints for the same price as the
normal edition.
Operated by 17 airforces in more than 20 different variants, Canberras have been to war at Suez and in India, in Vietnam and the Falklands campaign, and in 1996 Canberra PR9s were engaged in operational reconnaissance flights over Bosnia and in other......
You dont have to be an aviator to know that low flying in mountain valleys is fun. Anyone who has ever seen high-performance jets rolling and pulling through mountain passes will have correctly guessed that it is challenging, and exciting adrenaline......
Military pilots do not easily heap praise on one anothers aircraft but when the object of their attention is the McDonnell F-18 Hornet, they really do talk in superlatives. Whether displaying its awesome manoeuvrability and firepower in the air-to-ai......
There are few aircraft even today that can match the sheer power and brute performance of the F-4 Phantom, portrayed here with USAF RF-4C Balls 005 belonging to the 192 Tactical reconnaissance Squadron, Reno ANG,on a breathtaking low level high speed......
Flying beneath an overcast of grey, threatening cloud, two Tornado GRlAs break formation as the lead aircraft turns and accelerates towards a narrow gap in the cloud covered hills. The aircraft are flying a low-level tactical reconnaissance mission, ......
April evening: Wittering, 1993. Seventy five years after the formation of the Royal Air Force, Michael Rondot now portrays the most important new aircraft to enter RAF service, the night-attack Harrier GR7.......
A famous WWII pathfinder unit, No.7 Squadron flew Stirling bombers before converting to Lancasters to spearhead the RAF Bomber Command night offensive in 1942. Post-war, the squadron flew Lincolns, Valiants and Canberras before receiving Chinook he......
3 print editions available from £120.00 1 canvas print edition available from £375.00
A striking portrayal of a simulated low-level attack by four Jaguars from RAF Coltishall, over the beautiful pastoral landscape of Kilduff, in East Lothian, Scotland. Since its introduction in the 1970s to front-line service in the ground attack; nuc......
Fact. - No matter what the type of aircraft, the world record for low-flying can only ever be equalled; it cannot be beaten without hitting the ground. But getting close to it became an everyday routine for RAF Jaguar pilots on operational service in......
A Tornado GR-1 with JP 233 airfield denial weapons taking off at the start of a night low-level mission to attack an airfield target deep within Iraq. The television images of the Gulf War air campaign as a series of precision attacks with laser-guid......
At the beginning of her Golden Jubilee Year, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Royal Air Force Marham, the Norfolk airbase close to the Royal familys winter residence at Sandringham. RAF Marham personnel are very proud of their unique associatio......
Of all the classic fighters to have served with the RAF since the l950s, no other aircraft had the raw power and breathtaking performance of the Lightning, and of all the variants the F2A was considered to be the best.......
The popular and versatile Vampire served with front line RAF fighter squadrons until 1955 and continued in use as a trainer until 1966. This edition portrays Vampire FB9s over their Lincolnshire base at sunset pulling up into a formation loop. ......
For 33 years, the Wessex has been at the centre of RAF operations in Northern Ireland. As a reliable workhorse the Wessex has no equal, but after 31 March 2002 the Mighty Wessex will be retired from front-line operations. No.72 Squadron received its ......
In any conflict, accurate intelligence about the enemy is important, but during the Gulf War it was crucial to the rapid ending of hostilities with minimum Allied casualties. US Air National Guard RF-4C Phantoms, flying deep-penetration photo reconna......
In this remarkably accurate portrayal of low level action at sunset he features a pair of FLIR-equipped Tornado GR4s carrying a TIALD laser designator pod and GBU-24 Paveway III laser guided bombs. These weapons, used to such devastating effect durin......
Tornado F3 taking off on a dark and wet afternoon with the characteristic pink and blue afterburner plume blazing from its RB 199 engines. The controversial Tornado F3 replaced both the Lightning and F-4 Phantom in the RAF, and flew operational comba......
The Handley Page Victor played a significant role in the Falklands conflict of 1982 and in the Gulf War of 1991.The final flight by an RAF Victor was made in November 1993 when XH672 Maid Marian flew from its RAF Marham base destined for the RAF Muse......
Buccaneer aircraft in action, launching a co-ordinated attack with Sea Eagle anti-ship sea-skimming missiles, the moment when the leader of the first element (callsign Blue) achieves his firing solution and initiates the ripple launch of his formatio......
Concorde made supersonic history, bringing Mach 2 international travel in luxury surroundings at the edge of space to millions of air travellers. It is instantly recognisable, but Concorde is far more than just a sleek and pretty aircraft. Its shee......
The Vickers Valiant was the first four jet bomber of Britains Cold War nuclear strike V-Force whos Valiants, Victors and Vulcans, painted in distinctive anti-flash white, were a familiar sight in the 1950s & 1960s. Widely regarded as the best looking......
The Jaguar served with the Royal Air Force from 1974 to 2007 as a strike / attack and reconnaissance fighter bomber, equipping eight squadrons in Germany and the UK during the Cold War, and in the Balkans conflict. Now at the end of its RAF career,......
Old fighters never die and they dont fade away either. They live on in the hearts and minds of aircrews, groundcrews and enthusiasts alike. The F-4 Phantom may have reached the end of its front-line service with the RAF but the legend will live on fo......
Two BAe Hawks slice, low level through the Welsh valley skies as they Bug Out and prepare to re-attack 4 similar aircraft following a succesful Bounce. Currently just over Beddgelert Forest in the Caernarfon valley, the two aircraft are about to tur......
Known affectionately by it crews as the Twin Pin, the Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer was an outstanding short take-off and landing tactical transport aircraft. In RAF service, it was used mainly in the Far East, where its STOL qualities enabled it ......
2 print editions available from £120.00 1 canvas print edition available from £375.00
This print shows a Jaguar in particularly aggressive pose during a high speed low-level training mission to demonstrate modern fast-jet operations. As a serving Jaguar pilot, artist Michael Rondot was in a unique position to take passengers flying in......
2 print editions available from £75.00 1 ex-display print available from £50.00
226 OCU / 145 Sqn RAF Coltishall EE Lightning T5 XS420 226 OCU / 145 Sqn RAF Coltishall, taking off in full reheat for a max performance rotation and climb. No other jet fighter has been sorely missed since the Lightning retired from RAF service and......
Battle of Britain Spitfire Mk 1a, P7350 from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, flies in tight formation with the first production Eurofighter single seater F2. ......
3 print editions available from £75.00 1 canvas print edition available from £375.00
In this classic study of 2 v 2 air combat, two Mirage II fighters of the Royal Australian Air Force turn at the merge to engage a pair of evading A4 skyhawks over the Pacific. The painting features the first and last Australian built Mirages in the c......
To keep straight in the tankers wingtip vortices you have applied right spoiler and a bootfull of rudder, whilst your death-grip on the stick is inducing a violent porpoiseing motion. Over the radio a calm voice from the tanker clears you in, so with......
Life on the flightline at Royal Air Force Coltishall with the 41 Squadron engineering line building in the background. Coltishall was the last Royal Air Force station to operate three squadrons of aircraft from flightlines in front of squadron hanga......
During February 2003, fourteen RAAF F/A-18 Hornets flew to Al Udeid airbase in Qatar for air operations over Iraq as part of Operation Falconer. This was the first overseas deployment of Australian fighter aircraft for combat operations since July ......
2 print editions available from £120.00 1 canvas print edition available from £400.00
No.5 Sqn and No.11 Sqn Lightnings intercept a Tu-95 Bear, supported by an essential Victor tanker. QRA, day and night, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week 52 weeks a year, 365 days a year - never a day off, always ready! Over and over again for so many yea......
This classic portrayal of 92 squadrons flagship Lightning F2A XN778 King Cobra taking off from a rain-swept RAF Gutersloh in 1977 pays tribute to the legendary fighter,its pilots and the engineers who enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the difficu......
With Top Cover, Michael Rondot portrays a pilots eye view of the speed and excitement of modern high-tech aerial warfare. High over a panorama of broken clouds, a pair of F/A-18C Hornets from VFA-81 Sunliners dive onto a group of F-16s simulating an ......
A 14 Squadron Tornado GR1 based at RAF Bruggen Germany carrying a full JP233 war fit roars into the sky as a Jaguar overshoots to the right of the runway to go around to land. Of all the television and press images of the Gulf War, few were as drama......
No other jet fighter quite captures the imagination in the same way as the Harrier. To witness it in action for the first time is an experience few can easily come to terms with. A fighter flying at 500 knots and very low is fairly commonplace; but w......
The Jaguars are en-route to Cape Wrath to carry out precision-guided bombing attacks at Garbh-eilean weapons range. The lead aircraft is armed with a Paveway II laser guided bomb, whilst the No 2 is carrying a TIALD pod to laser designate their targ......
A sombre and moving portrayal of outbound Lancasters at sunset over the North Norfolk coast being overtaken by a target-bound Pathfinder Force Mosquito. The Lancaster portrayed is VN-B of No.50 Squadron, RAF Skellingthorpe, flown by Michael Beetham......
The unofficial motto of Number 2 Squadron Royal Air Force. It features, in typical Rondot style (and typical British weather!) Two No II (AC) Sqn Tornado GR-1As landing on a rain soaked runway on a typically filthy and wet Friday afternoon just minut......
Royal Air Force Jaguar strike aircraft in action over Bosnia on close air support and reconnaissance operations. Each print bears the colour Royal Crests of Royal Air Force Coltishall and No. 6, 41 and 54 Jaguar Squadrons.......
Designed and built in the early 1980s at the Lockheed Skunk Works under conditions of intense secrecy, the F-117A Stealth fighter was not revealed to the public until 1990, after it had been in service for over 7 years. A year later during Operation ......
Built to fly low and fast over very long distances, the Buccaneer reigned supreme during the Cold War years both as a carrier-borne and land-based strike aircraft. For 30 years, first with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm then with the Royal Air Force an......
During 2003 RAF Tornado GR4s from RAF Marham and Lossiemouth Wings deployed to the Gulf region as part of Operation TELIC (the UK codename for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM) As the deadline for war in Iraq approached, the detachments al Ali al Salem AB, K......
You can almost hear the Rolls-Royce RB211-524H engines accelerate to full power in this dramatic study by Michael. British Airways 767 Pilots are also qualified to fly the Boeing 757, which is featured in the background of this superb print. They fr......
Dominating the foreground of his evocative painting of a typical resupply operation in the field are a Leyland Daf Drops vehicle from 12 Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport and a Multiple Launch Rocket System from 39 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery. ......
Few aircraft have evoked such strong emotions with the airshow-going public as Vulcan XH558. Climbing almost vertically, with black smoke pouring from its thundering Olympus engines at full power, the Vulcan could bring any airshow to a complete stan......
Of all the big piston-engined navy fighters built after WWll, the Hawker Sea Fury was the greatest.Rugged, powerful and fast, the formidable Sea Fury achieved fame over Korea in both fighter and ground attack roles and was the last of the line of pis......
2 print editions available from £75.00 1 ex-display print available from £50.00
No 72 Squadron Meteor F8 and NF14 fighters over Castle Howard, North Yorkshire. Initially based at RAF North Weald with Meteor F8s, No72 moved to Church Fenton in 1953 where, in 1956, it became an all weather squadron with meteor NF12s and 14s Castl......
In a typical scene that many will remember from the 1950s and 60s, a Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind flies a low patrol along the shoreline. The Whirlwind is depicted over Eccles on Sea, Norfolk. It is a typical peaceful summers day and the crew have......
3 print editions available from £75.00 1 canvas print edition available from £375.00
Just off target there was a lot of flak. Its the first time I have ever seen tracer coming up at me. It was the longest minute of my life. These sobering words brought home the reality of war when a Jaguar pilot described his feelings to waiting pres......
A famous fighter squadron with a glorious history, No.54(F) Squadron began its distinguished career in the fierce fighting on the Western Front during World War I. In 1940, flying Spitfires, it was the highest scoring RAF fighter squadron in the Bat......
3 print editions available from £75.00 1 canvas print edition available from £400.00
Fast and manoeuvrable, the Gazelle has proved itself as one of the worlds best light battlefield helicopters. Since its introduction into the Army Air Corps in 1973, Gazelles have been used in every major conflict involving British Forces from the F......
3 print editions available from £95.00 1 canvas print edition available from £375.00
Short Sunderland ML814 served with 01, 422 (Canadian) and 330 (Norwegian) Squadrons during World War II and is now the worlds last airworthy Sunderland. Battered and weatherbeaten by the North Atlantic, ML814 flies over the Antrim coast.......
30th January 1991. Day 14 of Operation Desert Storm, and ships of the Iraqi navy make a desperate dash for the northern waters of the Persian Gulf and sanctuary in Iranian waters. Only a few of them will make it through the gauntlet of Allied air-pow......
2 print editions available from £95.00
Gazelle Over Salisbury
Plain by Michael Rondot. Fast and
manoeuvrable, the Gazelle has proved itself as one of the worlds best
light battlefield helicopters. Since its introduction into the Army Air
Corps in 1973, Gazelles have been used in every major conflict involving
British Forces from the Falklands to the Gulf Wars. Used
extensively on anti-terrorist observation and troop support operations
in Northern Ireland, Gazelles have also been heavily committed to NATO
operations in Bosnia.
Concorde Farewell by Michael Rondot
Concorde made supersonic history, bringing Mach 2 international travel
in luxury surroundings at the edge of space to millions of air travellers.
It is instantly recognisable, but Concorde is far more than just a sleek
and pretty aircraft. Its sheer size, combined with the glorious
power and noise of its Olympus engines endow Concorde with a unique
charisma. There is no other aircraft capable of stopping people in
their tracks and making them look to the sky in awe like Concorde taking
off in full reheat. Artist Michael Rondot has captured this sense of
power and energy in Concorde Farewell, a painting that pays tribute to one
of the most impressive aircraft in a century of flight.
The Marham Wing Over Sandringham by Michael RondotAt the beginning of her Golden Jubilee Year, Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II visited Royal Air Force Marham, the Norfolk airbase close to
the Royal family's winter residence at Sandringham. RAF Marham personnel
are very proud of their unique association with Her Majesty who became
Honorary Air Commodore of the station in 1976. To mark the occasion of her
Golden Jubilee Year this magnificent oil painting was commissioned by all
ranks of RAF Marham and presented to Her Majesty.The aircraft in Michael Rondot's painting represent the five
squadrons of The Marham Wing. A Canberra PR9 is portrayed lading four
Tornado GR4's, with aircraft tail letters specially marked to spell E II R
L for the Golden Jubilee, in a formation flown over Sandringham in Her Majesty's
honour. In the background, surrounded by wooded grounds, lawned
gardens and 20,000 acres of estate, stands a fine red brick and standstone
house built in 1870 for Prince Edward (later King Edward VII).
Buccaneer Thunder by Michael RondotBuilt to fly low and fast over very long distances, the Buccaneer
reigned supreme during the Cold War years both as a carrier-borne and
land-based strike aircraft. For 30 years, first with the Royal Navy Fleet
Air Arm then with the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force, the
Buccaneer's achievements in the low-level strike role approached the
proportions of legend. Roy Boot's classic design is unbeatable in many
respects even by the latest and most potent fighters and this much-loved
aircraft is still immensely popular. It enjoys a unique reputation as a
tough and reliable shipyard foundry-built aircraft and is sorely missed by
those who flew it or worked on it and regarded it as irreplaceable.
Pressed into service at short notice during the Gulf War, the Buccaneer
and its aircrews finally proved in the most spectacular manner what many
had been saying for years, - that the Buccaneer was a truly outstanding
machine that could only be replaced by another Buccaneer.As a tribute to the mighty Buccaneer, artist Michael Rondot has
painted in his Classic Combat Aircraft Series a striking and powerful
image of a Buccaneer "smoking" at 540 knots at low level.
Blue -Fire! by Michael Rondot Nightmare scenario. Dusk over an empty sea. With lights out and in
radio silence, three Buccaneers, each armed with 4 Sea-Eagle missiles,
prepare to attack a Surface Action Group still beyond radar range. 150
miles away, 3 more Buccaneers are approaching the same target in a pincer
attack timed to hit the target at exactly the same time. The first warning
that the target will receive of the attack is when all 24 missiles radar
seekers switch on at close range for the final phase of the attack. Whilst
the Buccaneers escape unseen, the defences will be swamped with their
worst nightmare - two volleys of missiles approaching without warning, at
wave-top height, at 180 degrees to each other.
Michael Rondot's painting captures the moment when the leader of the
first element (callsign 'Blue'), achieves firing solution and initiates
the ripple launch of his formation's missiles by breaking radio silence
with the traditional 208 squadron radio call of "Blue-Fire!"
Mutual Support by Michael Rondot In any conflict, accurate intelligence about the enemy is important,
but during the Gulf War it was crucial to the rapid ending of hostilities
with minimum Allied casualties. US Air National Guard RF-4C Phantoms,
flying deep-penetration photo reconnaissance mission into Iraq and
occupied Kuwait, provided much of the vital intelligence which enabled
Allied ground forces to outflank and overwhelm Iraqi opposition with such
devastation. Their missions were dangerous, taking them into the most
heavily defended air space over Baghdad and the Kuwait Theatre of
Operations in broad daylight. They were fired on by SAMs and AAA barrages,
but none were lost in over 300 missions.
The aircraft belong to 192nd PRS (Nevada National Guard) and the
second aircraft from the 106th TRS (Birmingham Alabama national Guard)
Michael Rondot's painting portrays a classic formation of 2 RF-4Cs in
action over Iraq, flying in company to provide lookout and mutual support
in case of attack. On the ground palls of sand and smoke drift away from
Iraqi positions following an air strike, as the Phantoms accelerate and
turn in for their battle-damage assessment photo run. In the next minutes
they will come under fire from heat-seeking missiles and flak defences
around the target before escaping South, back to their base at Sheikh Isa
AB, Bahrain.
Phantom Thunder by Michael RondotThere are few aircraft even today that can match the sheer power and
brute performance of the F4 Phantom, portrayed here on a breathtaking low
level high speed 'lake burner' run.
Coltishall - End of the Line by Michael Rondot. Life on the flightline at Royal Air Force Coltishall with the 41
Squadron engineering line building in the background.
Broken Silence by Michael Rondot. The Jaguars are en-route to Cape Wrath to carry out precision-guided
bombing attacks at Garbh-eilean weapons range. The lead aircraft is armed
with a Paveway II laser guided bomb, whilst the No 2 is carrying a TIALD
pod to laser designate their target. In the background mighty Ben Hope,
soaring up to 3040 feet, forms a massive backdrop against a darkening sky
as the Big Cats get down to business.
Distant Thunder by Michael Rondot This print shows a Jaguar in particularly aggressive pose during a high
speed low-level training mission to demonstrate modern fast-jet
operations. As a serving Jaguar pilot, artist Michael Rondot was in a
unique position to take passengers flying in this remarkable ground-attack
aircraft and to put their experience onto canvas. Each print is signed by the Base Commander and all 3 Squadron
Commanders of RAF Coltishall.
Desert Cats by Michael RondotFact- no matter what type of aircraft, the
world record for low flying can only ever be equalled; it cannot be beaten
without hitting the ground. But getting close to it became an everyday
routine for RAF Jaguar pilots on operational service in the Gulf after the
Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The barren featureless wastes of the desert
offer few opportunities for a low-flying aircraft to hide from enemy
defences by terrain screening or ducking below radar cover. The only
effective counter over a flat desert is to fly so low that any missile
fired at the aircraft hopefully will proximity-fuse on the ground before
it reaches its target. Faced with an unprecedented threat from
surface-to-air missile systems and fighter aircraft, the Jaguar pilots who
deployed to Thumrait, Oman, as the spearhead of Operation Granby in August
1990 trained as they expected to fight, - at ultra low level.
In October 1990 the Jaguars moved to Al-Muharraq, Bahrain, and
continued to train at ultra low level, but as the outbreak of hostilities
drew close and it became apparent that US fighters were more than capable
of dealing with any Iraqi air threat, they switched to medium-level
tactics, preferring to take their chances with the AAA and SAM threat
rather than low-flying through a hail of small-arms and short-range
defensive fire around their targets in Kuwait and Iraq. Blessed with the
sustained luck and inspired leadership of Wg Cdr Bill Pixton DFC AFC, the
gamble paid off, 3 aircraft were hit by Iraqi AAA fire during the 6 week
war, but none were lost.
The Longest Minute by Michael Rondot Michael Rondots painting depicts the moment when the last man to
attack, the number 8 at the tail end of the formation watches and waits
before tipping for attack. For him the longest minute is about to begin.
The first four Jaguars have already attacked and are 'feet wet' returning
to base, having dropped their load of 1000lb bombs on the target. During
the next few minutes the second four-ship will press home their attack,
releasing sixteen 1000lb airburst bombs totally devastating the target
before escaping out to sea, away from the coastal AAA flak belt and back
to their base at Bahrain.Michael Rondot flew on this mission and on 28 others during Operation
Desert Storm. His Gulf War series of paintings reflect an authority and
atmosphere which can only come from having witnessed the stark realities
of war from the cockpit of a combat aircraft. The print is signed by all 22 Operational Jaguar pilots who flew combat
missions during the Gulf War.
Coup de Grace by Michael Rondot Heavily armed and using Victor tankers to in-flight refuel, Jaguars
flew from Al-Muharraq, Bahrain during the Gulf War, their mission to seek
and destroy targets in Kuwait and southern Iraq. The results were
invariably the same: the targets were hit and the Jaguars, despite coming
under fire, returned safely home. Coup de Grace captures the aggressive lines of the weather beaten
Jaguars against the background of a stricken Iraqi ship. Signatories: Grp Capt. William Pixton DFC AFC, Flt. Lt. Pete
Tholen.
Jaguars Over Kilduff by Michael Rondot since its introduction in the 1970s to front-line service in the ground
attack, nuclear strike and reconnaissance roles, the Jaguar has defied
sceptics and proved itself to be one of the finest tactical aircraft in
the history of the Royal Air Force. Battle-tested in the Gulf War, where
618 sorties were flown without loss by just 12 aircraft, the Jaguar has a
reputation as a rugged, effective and exceptionally reliable combat
aircraft.
The painting portrays the Jaguar at 450 knots and 250 feet during a
four aircraft low level sortie over Southern Scotland. Jaguars are from
number 6, 41(F) and 54(F) squadrons based at RAF Coltishall, Norfolk.
Signed by two distinguished Jaguar pilots: Air Chief Marshal Sir John
Thompson GCB CBE AFC, Wing Commander Steve Griggs AFC.
Jaguars Over Bosnia by Michael Rondot Royal Air Force Jaguar strike aircraft in action over Bosnia on close
air support and reconnaissance operations. All prints bear the colour Royal Crests of Royal Air Force Coltishall
and Number 6, 41 and 54 Jaguar Squadrons. Prints can be personalised with
remarque drawing of individual squadron aircraft.
54(F) Squadron
Farewell by Michael Rondot A famous fighter squadron with a
glorious history, No.54(F) Squadron began its distinguished career in
the fierce fighting on the Western Front during World War I. In
1940, flying Spitfires, it was the highest scoring RAF fighter squadron
in the Battle of Britain and went on to become one of the few squadrons
to fly Spitfires operationally during the whole of World War II.
Always a front line squadron, No.54(F) Squadron flew Tempests, Vampires,
Meterors and Hunters before graduating from F4 Phantoms to Jaguars in
1974. Commanded by Wg Cdr Terry Carkton, it became the first RAF
Jaguar Squadron at Coltishall, so continuing its tradition of flying
only fighter/ground attack aircraft during its distinguished history.
Magpies Over Baghdad by Michael Rondot
During
February 2003, fourteen RAAF F/A-18 Hornets flew to Al Udeid airbase in
Qatar for air operations over Iraq as part of Operation Falconer.
This was the first overseas deployment of Australian fighter aircraft
for combat operations since July 1953 when RAAF Meteor F8s flew their
last ground attack missions of the Korean War. The Australians
were airborne from the start of the airstrikes on 20th March and
continued in the thick of the action of the air campaign until the end
of combat operations on 27th April, by which time they had flown 350
combat missions and dropped 122 laser guided bombs. Their missions
ranged from air defence to interdiction and close air support and
included operations with Australian SAS and Commando forces, as well as
numerous missions flown in support of US Marines involved in fierce
street fighting around Baghdad and Tikrit. The Hornets returned to
Australia in May after one of the most successful combat deployments in
the history of the RAAF.
Top Cover by Michael Rondot
With Top Cover, Michael Rondot portrays a pilot's eye view of the speed
and excitement of modern high-tech aerial warfare. High over a panorama of
broken clouds, a pair of F/A-18C Hornets from VFA-81 'Sunliners' dive onto
a group of F-16s simulating an attack on a formation of low flying
A-7 Corsairs far below. The low-flying A7s are in deep trouble, having
been bounced by the F-16s, and will evade as hard as they can to shake off
their opponents. For the F/A18 Hornet pilots the priority id to kill the
F16s before they can threaten the A7s. The fight's on!
You could easily be forgiven for believing that US Navy and Marine
Corps aviators enjoy an unfair advantage in life. They fly the finest
aircraft around, in the most demanding and exciting roles, and they get to
practise their art in some of the most beautiful and exotic parts of the
world, basking in the glamour and mystique of US Naval Aviation. the
reality is more down to earth. Flying the F/A18 Hornet in both the air-defence and the ground attack role is hard, challenging work. Pilots
from the attack community have to learn the skills of air-to-air fighting,
and air defenders have to learn the art of putting bombs and bullets onto
a pinpoint target from a first pass attack in bad weather. It is an
uncompromising and unforgiving environment, with no room for bullshit.
Hornet the Hunter by Michael Rondot Military pilots do not easily heap praise on one another's aircraft,
but when the object of their attention is the McDonnell F18 hornet, they
really do talk in superlatives. Whether displaying its awesome maneuverability
and firepower in the air-to-air combat role, or delivering
a hefty war load with unerring accuracy in the ground attack role, this
aircraft has few, if any, equals. Hornet the Hunter is the 6th print in Michael Rondot's authoritative
series of Gulf War paintings. set against a deep blue sky receding into
the pink heat haze of the desert, a pair of Canadian Armed Forces CF18s
head for the danger zone on a Combat Air Patrol mission. The aircraft are
loaded for action with a full war load of AIM7 Sparrow and AIM9 Sidewinder
missiles, in addition to their 20mm M61 cannon. Each print is counter signed by operational aircrew from Desert Shield
and Desert Storm.
Concorde Farewell by Michael Rondot
Concorde made supersonic history, bringing Mach 2 international travel
in luxury surroundings at the edge of space to millions of air travellers.
It is instantly recognisable, but Concorde is far more than just a sleek
and pretty aircraft. Its sheer size, combined with the glorious
power and noise of its Olympus engines endow Concorde with a unique
charisma. There is no other aircraft capable of stopping people in
their tracks and making them look to the sky in awe like Concorde taking
off in full reheat. Artist Michael Rondot has captured this sense of
power and energy in Concorde Farewell, a painting that pays tribute to one
of the most impressive aircraft in a century of flight.
767 by Michael Rondot A British Airways Boeing 767-300 at the start of its take-off roll on a
rain-soaked runway moments after a thunderstorm has cleared the airfield.
You can almost hear the Rolls-Royce RB211-524H engines accelerate to full
power in this dramatic study. British Airways 767 pilots are also
qualified to fly Boeing 757, which is featured in the background. Both the
757 and 767 can perform fully automatic landings in the extreme weather
conditions of fog and low cloud, and are cleared to operate down to the
almost incredible visibility of only 75 metres. The 767 was one of the
first twin engine passenger aircraft allowed to operate over the North
Atlantic.
747 Classic by Michael
Rondot British Airways Boeing 747-200 at the moment of lift-off on a sunny
winter afternoon at the start of another intercontinental flight. In
British Airways service the 747-200 and its older sister the 747-100 are
known affectionately as the 747 'Classic'. 'Classic' by name and 'Classic'
by nature the 747-200 has served British Airways since entering service in
1977, for many years providing the backbone of the company's longhaul
fleet. An aircraft which has seen service in nearly every corner of the
globe, the 747-200 has the range to fly from London Heathrow to Hong Kong
non-stop, and features a three class cabin seating up to 382 passengers.
With a wingspan of almost 60 metres and a maximum take-off weight of
nearly 372 metric tonnes, 'Jumbo' is a very appropriate nickname.
Operation TELIC by Michael Rondot
Royal Air Force Tornado GR4s in action over Baghdad during Operation TELIC.
During February 2003, Tornado
GR4s from the Royal Air Force Marham and Lossiemouth Wings deployed to the
Gulf region as part of Operation TELIC (the UK code name for Operation
Iraqi Freedom). As the deadline for war in Iraq approached, the
detachments at Ali al Salem AB, Kuwait, and Al Udeid AB, Qatar, prepared
for action 12 years after the end of the first Gulf War in 1991.
This time, however, the RAF was much better prepared, with new weapons
systems and tactics developed after long years of operational combat
experience on Operation Southern Watch over Iraq and in the skies over the
Balkans. Operation TELIC was a high-tech air war for the Tornado GR4
using long-range reconnaissance systems and medium altitude attacks.
It was almost exclusively a precision-guided weapons conflict in which the
Tornado GR4 Force, its aircrews, groundcrews and support teams performed
with distinction.
This striking new painting by artist Michael Rondot depicts a pair of
Tornado GR4s on station over the Baghdad killbox. The aircraft are
powerfully set against the ominous background of central Baghdad sprawling
beneath the dark smoke of oil fires deliberately lit in an effort to mask
the city from airborne targeting pods. Many RAF aircraft received
colourful nose art during the conflict and these Tornados were no
exception; ZA542 'DM' and ZA560 'BC' became "Danger Mouse" and
"Brave Coq", and both carried tributes to favourite Scottish
Whiskies alongside their mission markings. With their paint finish
battered and weather beaten by the scars of battle, the aircraft are
portrayed in a typical Interdiction / Close Air Support fit, armed with
Paveway II GPS / laser guided bombs, TIALD pod and RBL-755 cluster bombs
to represent all Tornado GR4 Op TELIC operations.
Panavia Tornado GR1 by Michael Rondot Of all the television and press images of the Gulf War, few were as
dramatic as the pictures of the first waves of aircraft taking off to
attack Iraqi airfields under cover of darkness. Yet when this print of a
tornado taking off carrying a full warload of JP233 airfield denial
weapons was published, such a scenario was unthinkable. The events of 1991
are foretold in this powerful portrayal of a Tornado taking off in a blast
of steam from a rain drenched runway, with a Jaguar strike/attack aircraft
breaking into the circuit background.
Tornado F3 by Michael Rondot Signed by Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE this print depicts a
Tornado F3 taking off on a dark and wet afternoon with the characteristic
pink and blue afterburner plume blazing from its RB199 engines. The
controversial Tornado F3 replaced both the Lightning and F4 Phantom in the
RAF, and flew operational combat air patrols throughout the Gulf War.
Shiny II - Tornado Recce by Michael Rondot
Flying beneath an overcast of grey, threatening cloud, two Tornado
GR1As break formation as the lead aircraft turns and accelerates towards a
narrow gap in the cloud covered hills. The aircraft are flying a low-level
tactical reconnaissance mission, aiming to locate, identify and film a
camouflaged target using their sophisticated onboard video recording
sensors. As night falls and low cloud envelopes them, they have the
capability, unmatched by any other recce aircraft in the world, to fly
their mission in darkness, at very low level, and still locate and record
their target.During the Gulf War recce Tornados were tasked
to fly deep-penetration low-level missions at night into Iraq and the
Kuwait Theatre of Operations, searching out troop concentrations, armour,
and mobile SCUD missile launchers. Their missions were dangerous and
lonely work, flying alone and without fighter escort, often into the most
heavily defended areas of Iraq and Kuwait. None were lost on these
missions, but the dangers they faced, and the professionalism displayed by
the aircrews from No.II (AC) Sqn, and No.13 Sqn, were recognised in the
Gulf War Honours List by several awards for bravery in the air, including
the DSO and DFC. Already regarded as one of the finest strike and attack
aircraft in NATO, the Recce Tornado dispenses with conventional cameras
altogether, and instead, features infrared linescan and side-looking
thermal imagers mounted inside the forward fuselage gun bays.
Paveway Tornados by Michael Rondot Low
level action at sunset by a pair of FLIR-equipped Tornado GR4s carrying a
TIALD laser designator pod and GBU-24 Paveway III laser guided bombs.
These weapons, used to such devastating effect during the Gulf War by USAF
F-111F and F117A Black Jet aircraft, now give the RAF the same capability
to attack targets with pinpoint accuracy, both day an night, in adverse
weather and from all altitudes.
In the Air Tonight by Michael Rondot During the opening nights of Operation Desert Storm, hundreds of RAF,
US and Coalition aircraft unleashed a tidal wave of low-level bombing
attacks on airfield targets in Iraq and in occupied Kuwait. Spearheading
the RAF attack were Tornado GR1 units based at Tabuk and Dhahran in Saudi
Arabia and Muharraq, Bahrain. These early missions, flown at low-altitude,
often under cover of darkness, were strictly for the brave.
A Tornado GR1 with JP 233 airfield denial weapons taking off at the
start of a night low-level mission to attack an airfield target deep
within Iraq. The bad weather and dark, overcast evening sky of the first
days of the war add power and atmosphere to the dramatic scene as the
Tornado accelerates along the runway with afterburners blazing. As a
Jaguar pilot working alongside Tornado crews at Bahrain, Michael Rondot
witnessed many scenes like this, and his painting pays tribute to those
who flew the Tornado, some of whom, tragically, did not survive the war.
Prints are signed by 19 RAF Tornado aircrew form Operation Desert
Storm, including holders of the Distinguished Service Order and
Distinguished Flying Cross awards for gallantry.
Atlantic Trail by Michael Rondot Ever wondered what it is like learning to tank? Imagine a fragile
basket flailing six feet up and down at the end of a 50 foot hose as the
tanker flexes its wings in turbulence. In your cockpit it feels like the
throttles are connected to the engines with knicker elastic. To keep
straight in the tanker's wingtip vortices you have applied right spoiler
and a bootfull of rudder, whilst your death grip on the stick is inducing
a violent porpoising motion. Over the radio a calm voice from the tanker
clears you in, so with one engine in afterburner and with eyes like
saucers you move forward to attempt a controlled mid-air collision.
Welcome to the air-to-air refuelling club. In Michael Rondot's remarkably accurate portrayal of refuelling
operations high over an Atlantic panorama, a Tornado moving forward to
refuel makes contact with the basket trailed by a VC10 tanker. In these
last critical moments the Tornado's probe can either move snugly into the
centre of the basket and plug in, or rip through the spokes, sending a
shower of debris into the engine intake. It is all a matter of skill,
judgement, age and luck.
Second to None by Michael Rondot "Second to None" is the unofficial motto of No II (AC)
Squadron Royal Air Force, whose Tornado GR1A aircraft are portrayed by
Michael Rondot in this painting of a pair of aircraft landing on a
typically filthy and rainswept summer afternoon. Signatories: Wg Cdr. R F Garwood
DFC, Air Vice-Marshal G E Stirrup AFC,
Air Commodore T G Thorn AFC, Gp Capt.. R Fowler AFC, Wg Cdr. D C Ferguson
AFC, Gp Capt.. N J R Walpole OBE, Air Commodore R H G Weighill CBE DFC,
Sqn Ldr. RM Pugh AFC.
David Dipnals evocative images of the restful idyllic scenes of southern England are well known, epitomising, as they have for years, all that is endearing about traditional English landscapes. His well known images of his beautiful and fertile homeland are a world away from Australia, where he now spends most of his time. In the last decade, David Dipnall estimates that he has travelled nearly 2 million miles, continuing to maintain a busy work schedule of exhibitions and regularly commuting between England and Australia. His originals are highly sought after, and over fifty of his images have been published as limited edition prints, many of which have sold out. Always a traveller, he believes in the philosophy that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and his beautifully detailed traditional English landscapes are definitely painted from the heart.
Spotlight on Landscape Artists
A newly available selection of superb landscape art from some of the best known landscape artists around.
We have now added to a website a large selection of landscape art prints by artists including Bill Makinson, David Dipnall and Rex Preston, in addition to our existing stocks of superb Gerlad Coulson landscape prints. These can be found at our website or see the artists own pages by clicking the images below