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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.
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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.
Signed limited edition of 250 prints, with 3 signatures. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £95.00 Signed by General Sir Michael Walker GCB CMG CBE ADC, General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE MC and Major General The Duke Of Westminster KG OBE TD DL.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs, with 3 signatures. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00 Signed by General Sir Michael Walker GCB CMG CBE ADC, General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE MC, Major General The Duke Of Westminster KG OBE TD DL, Major Alex Rogers and Warrant Officer H David Whiteley.
Limited edition of 25 remarques, with 3 signatures. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £235.00 Signed by General Sir Michael Walker GCB CMG CBE ADC, General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE MC, Major General The Duke Of Westminster KG OBE TD DL, Major Alex Rogers and Warrant Officer H David Whiteley.
Limited edition of 10 giclee canvas prints. Size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £375.00 Signed by General Sir Michael Walker GCB CMG CBE ADC, General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE MC and Major General The Duke Of Westminster KG OBE TD DL.
ITEM CODE DHM2290
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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.
Signed limited edition of 425 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £
ITEM CODE MR0058
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The Marham Wing Over Sandringham by Michael Rondot.
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 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 Rondots painting represent the five squadrons of The Marham Wing, formed in August 2001 to become the Royal Air Forces largest and most potent fast-jet main operating base. A Canberra PR9 is portrayed leading four Tornado GR4s, one from each squadron with aircraft tail letters specially marked to spell E II R L for the Queens Golden Jubilee, in a formation flown over Sandringham House in Her Majestys honour. In the background, surrounded by beautiful wooded grounds, lawned gardens and 20,000 acres of estate, stands the fine red brick and sandstone house built in 1870 for Prince Edward (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra.
Signed limited edition of 300 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £80.00 Signed by Air Vice-Marshal Glen Torpy CBE DSO, Group Captain Dick Garwood DFC ADC, Wing Commander Ken Smith, Wing Commander Paddy Teakle OBE, Wing Commander Moose Poole, Wing Commander Derek Watson and Wing Commander Phil Osborn.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00 Signed by Air Vice-Marshal Glen Torpy CBE DSO, Group Captain Dick Garwood DFC ADC, Wing Commander Ken Smith, Wing Commander Paddy Teakle OBE, Wing Commander Moose Poole, Wing Commander Derek Watson and Wing Commander Phil Osborn.
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £ Signed by Air Vice-Marshal Glen Torpy CBE DSO, Group Captain Dick Garwood DFC ADC, Wing Commander Ken Smith, Wing Commander Paddy Teakle OBE, Wing Commander Moose Poole, Wing Commander Derek Watson and Wing Commander Phil Osborn.
ITEM CODE MR0057
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Buccaneer Thunder by Michael Rondot.
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 and the South African Air Force, the Buccaneers achievements in the low-level strike role approached the proportions of legend. Roy Boots 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.
Signed limited edition of 300 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £80.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £
ITEM CODE MR0056
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Blue -Fire! by Michael Rondot.
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 formations missiles by breaking radio silence with the traditional 208 Squadron radio call of Blue,-Fire! 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, three 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 missile radar seekers switch on at close range for the final phase of the attack. Whilst the Buccaneers escape unseen, the defenses will be swamped with their worst nightmare - two volleys of missiles approaching without warning, at wave-top height, at 180 degrees to each other.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £75.00 Signed by Barry Laight and Wg Cdr Bill Cope.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £130.00 Signed by Barry Laight and Wg Cdr Bill Cope.
ITEM CODE MRX0003
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Atlantic Trail by Michael Rondot.
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 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. Ever wondered what it is like learning to tank? Imagine a fragile basket trailing six feet up and down at the end of a fifty-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. Most military pilots use colourful language to describe their first stabs at air-to-air refuelling with phrases like: it was like a goat taking a running f##k at a rolling doughnut. With practice it gets easier, and phrases like rat up a drain pipe and in like a burglar become the norm, but it is a tricky business, especially at night or in turbulent cloud.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MRX0001
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Black Jet by Michael Rondot.
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 Desert Storm, laser-guided precision bombing images from the cockpits of Black jets over downtown Baghdad were on every television screen and newspaper front page around the world. Night after night, the theory of an aircraft designed to evade radar detection was tested by brave pilots in combat over densely packed Iraqi radar-directed air defences. The results, together with the aircraft and its pilots, are now legend.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £95.00 Signed by 24 operational F-117A pilots from the 49th Fighhter Wing, Holloman AFB : Lt Col Bill Aten, Maj Dan Backuhus, Cap Matt McKeon, Capt Jack Mayo, Sqn Ldr Chris Topham, Capt Damian McCarthy, Capt Kevin Tarrant, Capt Dave Wooden, Capt John Jerakis, Capt Jake Shepherd, Capt Pete Hunt, Capt Charlie Hainline, Maj Steve Edgar, Capt George Biondi, Capt Marcus Cooper, Capt Gregg Nesemeier, Sqn Ldr Ian Wood, Capt Mike Senna, Capt Chris Williams, Capt Zane Morris, Capt Bobby Concannon, Capt Rich Steckbeck, Capt Larry Alicz and Capt Eddie Osteen.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £150.00 Signed by 24 operational F-117A pilots from the 49th Fighhter Wing, Holloman AFB : Lt Col Bill Aten, Maj Dan Backuhus, Cap Matt McKeon, Capt Jack Mayo, Sqn Ldr Chris Topham, Capt Damian McCarthy, Capt Kevin Tarrant, Capt Dave Wooden, Capt John Jerakis, Capt Jake Shepherd, Capt Pete Hunt, Capt Charlie Hainline, Maj Steve Edgar, Capt George Biondi, Capt Marcus Cooper, Capt Gregg Nesemeier, Sqn Ldr Ian Wood, Capt Mike Senna, Capt Chris Williams, Capt Zane Morris, Capt Bobby Concannon, Capt Rich Steckbeck, Capt Larry Alicz and Capt Eddie Osteen.
ITEM CODE MRX0002
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High in the Sunlit Silence by Michael Rondot.
A solo Spitfire flies high over the aerial battlefield of the Battle of Britain.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Paper size 25 inches x 20 inches (64cm x 51cm). Price £75.00 Signed by Johnnie Johnson (deceased).
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 25 inches x 20 inches (64cm x 51cm). Price £ Signed by Johnnie Johnson (deceased), Harry Broadhurst, Jimmy Corbin, A C Leigh, Desmond Sheen, and George Unwin (deceased).
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 25 inches x 20 inches (64cm x 51cm). Price £ Signed by George Baldwin, Harry Broadhurst, Jimmy Corbin, Peter Cowell, Roger Hall, Johnnie Johnson (deceased), Hugh Kelly, A C Leigh, Jim Mansfield, Jim Payne, Desmond Sheen, Ken Stoddart, George Unwin (deceased) and Alex Vale.
Battle of Britain Signature edition of 5 prints from the signed limited edition of 850 prints. Paper size 25 inches x 20 inches (64cm x 51cm). Price £160.00 Signed by :
Flight Lieutenant Ron Smyth DFC AE,
Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC,
Air Commodore Ricky Wright CBE DFC DFM,
Tony Whitehouse,
Flight Lieutenant Wallace Cunningham DFC,
Flight Lieutenant Richard L Jones
and
Flying Officer Ken Wilkinson.
ITEM CODE MR0024
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Night Attack by Michael Rondot.
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.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0036
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Meteors Over Castle Howard by Michael Rondot.
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 Castle Howard, set in more than 1,000 acres of Yorkshires finest parkland, was the magnificent location for the televison filming of Brideshead Revisited.
Signed limited edition of 300 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0033
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Testing Times by Michael Rondot.
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 piston-engined Fleet Air Arm fighters.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £120.00
**Signed limited edition of 500 prints. (One copy reduced to clear) Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £50.00
ITEM CODE MR0043
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Boeing E-3A Sentry by Michael Rondot.
A wintery morning take-off portrayal of a Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0016
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Rock and Roll by Michael Rondot.
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-pumping stuff. Artist Michael Rondot served as a fast-jet pilot in the RAF for 25 years and remembers his introduction to low flying in North Wales : My first encounter with the A5 pass at Ogwen came in 1969 when I was a student pilot flying the Folland Gnat trainer from RAF Valley. My instructor, a chap called Norrie Bell, took control of the aircraft towards the end of a training sortie and said Shut up and watch, I want to show you something. We descended through a break in the cloud cover to low level, very low level, closer to the ground than I had ever been except when landing and accelerated to 420 knots. This was my first experience of low flying in the Gnat and I sat mesmerised in the front cockpit with eyes like saucers as the ground rushed past. Trees, water, stone walls and roads flashed by as we continued to accelerate to 480 knots at very low level. Suddenly we were in a deep U-shaped valley with a cloud-covered rock wall at the far end and, as far as I could see, no means of escape except by climbing, and climbing very, very soon, like NOW ! Next thing, I saw the ground rotate and we were in a hard 5G turn pulling DOWN into the valley floor with about 135 degrees of right bank and descending below the level of the road which I could see above my head. We raced out of the valley, still in the weeds until reaching Bethesda village when with a long sigh he handed over control to me and announced: That, young Michael, was the A5 pass. I never forgot that experience and during the next 23 years I took every opportunity to revisit the A5 pass in whatever aircraft I happened to be flying. In 1977 I flew it in a Canberra PR9 on a windy day in poor weather but would not care to repeat that frightening experience. I flew it many times in Hawk and Jaguar aircraft. For me it has a mystique unlike any other place in the UK low flying system. The best students at RAF Valley got the chance to fly the A5 pass in fighting wing formation just like these two in my painting, but I dare say the instructors in the back seats are doing the flying.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £80.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0055
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Hawk Country by Michael Rondot.
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 turn left and head for the A-5 pass in Snowdonia. News of the first flight of the Hawk on 21 August 1974 was greeted with derision by Hunter Pilots at the RAFs tactical weapons training unit. For understandably selfish reasons they were sceptical about the ability of the Hawk to replace the rugged, versatile and much loved Hunter. FORGET HAWK - FLY HUNTER was one typical bumper sticker at the time but now 25 years on, such scepticism seems barely credible. With the arrival of the first Hawk aircraft at RAF Valley in November 1976, a new era of RAF flying training began, and the first of thousands of fast-jet Pilots discovered the joys of flying this truly thoroughbred aircraft. Since then, the BAe Hawk has earned the reputation as the worlds best advanced trainer and light strike aircraft. The basic design has been refined and improved in a series of variants ranging from multi-role light fighter to the US Navys carrier trainer. But the one quality that sets the Hawk apart from other aircraft is handling characteristics.
Signed limited edition of 650 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0022
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Mirage III First and Last by Michael Rondot.
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 colours of nos. 75 and 77 squadrons.
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £150.00
ITEM CODE MR0034
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Gauntlet by Michael Rondot.
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 when that same aircraft suddenly decelerates to a standstill and starts flying backwards, hovering like a helicopter before landing vertically on a tiny patch of ground, it takes on a different perspective. Only the Harrier can do this, and in its updated redesigned form, it is continuing to prove its worth as the worlds finest V/STOL close air support fighter. Although capable of VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) performance, the Harrier usually operates in the STOVL mode (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing) allowing it to haul a hefty warload from confined spaces without the need for conventional hard runways. The Harrier is a proven combat aircraft with distinguished service in the Falklands Campaign and the Gulf War. Harrier IIs from the United States Marine Corps flew hundreds of close air support and interdiction missions during Operation Desert Storm from forward airstrips close to the Saudi/Kuwait border which could not be used by other, conventional attack aircraft. Gauntlet portrays a bomb-laden Harrier from the RAF Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit in STO-motion, transitioning to forward flight from a short take off run at about 100 knots as the aircraft rapidly accelerates to cruising speed. It is carrying two AIM 9L Sidewinder missiles, ADEN 25mm cannon pods and seven Hunting BL755 cluster bombs - double the warload of the earlier Harrier variants.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 29 inches x 20 inches (74cm x 51cm). Price £115.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 29 inches x 20 inches (74cm x 51cm). Price £160.00
ITEM CODE MR0021
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Wessex Over South Armagh by Michael Rondot.
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 first Wessex in 1964 at RAF Odiham and deployed to Northern Ireland on 15 August 1969 when Air Marshal Sir Tim Jermer (then a junior pilot) landed the first Wessex at the start of the current Troubles. Since then, the Wessex has been employed on all major security operations as well as day-to-day troop carrying and re-supply tasks. It enjoys a unique reputation as a tough and reliable foundry-built aircraft and will be sorely missed by the aircrew who regard it as an indestructible evergreen. To commemorate the retirement of the Mighty Wessex, Michael Rondot has painted a striking image of a pair of gun-armed Wessex over the scene of an incident in the border area of South Armagh Bandit Country.
Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £80.00 Signed by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Day KCB OBE ADC BSc RAF
ITEM CODE MR0054
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The Last Sunderland by Michael Rondot.
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.
Signed limited edition of 200 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 19 inches (69cm x 48cm). Price £ Signed by Sqn Ldr Don Gray and Sqn Ldr Dick Dulieu.
Limited edition of 100 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 19 inches (69cm x 48cm) Sold Out Edition. Just two secondary market prints left. . Price £180.00 Signed by Sqn Ldr Don Gray and Sqn Ldr Dick Dulieu.
ITEM CODE MR0044
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Canberra Tribute by Michael Rondot.
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 regions. It is widely and justifiably regarded as one of the greatest aircraft designs of all time. The English Electric Canberra first flew on Friday 13 May 1949 when its performance created a sensation. Such was the quality of the original design that in May 1951, when the first B2 Canberras entered service with No 101 Squadron at RAF Binbrook they could out manoeuvre all the fighters of the period and fly with impunity more than 10,000 feet above them. 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 regions. It is widely and justifiably regarded as one of the greatest aircraft designs of all time.
Signed limited edition of 650 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
Signed limited edition of 650 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £260.00
ITEM CODE MRX0009
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| 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 Rondot.
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 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 Rondot.
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 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!"
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.
Black Jet by Michael Rondot.
In one of the most dramatic limited edition prints ever published,
Michael Rondot portrays a sinister black Lockheed F-117A Stealth fighter
landing at dawn with its distinctive black breaking parachute streamed.
This superb print, the seventh edition in the Gulf War series, is
countersigned by more than 20 operational F-117A pilots from the 49th
Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, serving in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere,
symbolising a remarkable breakthrough in access to the once super secret
Black Jet and its aircrews.
Night Attack by Michael Rondot. April evening:
Wittering, 1993. 75 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.Print is signed by 8 pilots : AW Bill Bedford OBE AFC
FRAeS, John
Farley, Chris Roberts, Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr KCB KBE AFC, Air
Vice-Marshal Peter Squire DFC AFC, Air Marshal Dick Johns CB CBE LVO,
Group Captain Pete Day AFC and Group Captain Chris Burwell MBE.
Meteors Over Castle Howard by Michael Rondot.
The 'Meatbox', as it affectionately became known, formed the backbone
of RAF Fighter Command during the heyday of the 1950s, equipping regular
and auxiliary RAF squadrons in the day-fighter, reconnaissance and
night-fighter roles. The Meteor F8 day-fighter and NF14 night-fighters
featured in Michael Rondot's painting represent the ultimate versions of
this classic jet fighter which served on front-line squadrons until the
late 1950s. Meteors of number 72 Squadron are seen in formation over the
magnificent Yorkshire panorama of Castle Howard country house, the setting
for Brideshead Revisited. In the background overlooking the vale of
Pickering to the North Yorkshire Moors, dark storm clouds form a striking
backdrop to this wonderful aviation painting. Prints also signed by Wing Commander Ian Hawkins and Air Marshal Sir
John Nicholls KCB CBE DFC AFC.
Testing Times by Michael Rondot. Of all the big
piston-engined navy fighters built after WWII, 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 piston-engined Fleet Air Arm
fighters.
Boeing E-3A Sentry by Michael Rondot. Bearing all the familiar hallmarks of his powerful atmospheric
paintings, this dramatic winte5ry morning take-off portrayal of a Boeing
E3A AWACS aircraft of the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force is set at
Geilenkirchen, an area noted for leaden skies and long cold winters. With
his masterly technique, Michael has combined superb detail and technical
accuracy with an emotionally charged atmosphere that really captures the
essence of "heavy metal" in action. Michael Rondot pays tribute
to the multi-national crews of NATO E3s who have been involved in every
major air battle of the conflict over the former Yugoslavia.
Desert Scorpions by Michael Rondot.
The great land offensive by the 1st British Armoured Division during
the Gulf War was only made possible by the outstanding levels of logistic
support achieved by units of the Royal Corps of Transport, Royal Army
Ordnance Corps and the Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers. Desert
Scorpions marks their exceptional role in Operation Granby and Operation
Desert Storm. dominating the foreground of this 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.
Rock and Roll by Michael Rondot. You don't 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 pumping stuff.
Artist Michael Rondot served as a fast-jet pilot in the RAF for 25 years
and remembers his introduction to low flying in North Wales. "My first encounter with the A5 pass at Ogwen came in 1969 when
I was a student pilot flying the Folland Gnat trainer from RAF Valley. My
instructor, a chap called Norrie Bell, took control of the aircraft at the
end of a training sortie and said "Shut up and watch, I want to show
you something." We descended through a break in the cloud cover very
low level, closer to the ground than I had ever been except when landing
and accelerated to 420 knots. This was my first experience of low flying
in the Gnat and I sat mesmerised in the front cockpit with eyes like
saucers as the ground rushed past. Trees, water, stone walls and roads
flashed by as we continued to accelerate to 480 knots. Suddenly we were in
a deep u-shaped valley with a cloud-covered rock wall at the far end and,
as far as I could see, no means of escape except by climbing, and climbing
very , very soon, like NOW! Next thing, I saw the ground rotate and we
were in a hard 5G turn pulling DOWN into the valley floor with about 135
degrees of right bank and descending below the level of the road which I
could see above my head. We raced out of the valley, still in the weeds
until reaching Bethesda village when with a long sigh he handed over
control to me and announced: "That, young Michael, was the A5
pass". I never forgot that experience and during the next 23 years I
took every opportunity to revisit the A5 pass in whatever aircraft I
happened to be flying. In 1977 I flew it in a Canberra PR9 on a windy day
in poor weather but would not care to repeat the frightening experience. I
flew it many times in Hawk and Jaguar aircraft. For me it has a mystique
unlike any other place in the UK low flying system. The best students at
RAF Valley got the chance to fly the A5 pass in formation just like these
two in my painting, but I dare say the instructors in the back seats are
doing the flying."
Hawk Country by Michael Rondot. The outstanding handling and agility of the Hawk make it a joy to fly
in any situation, but for most Hawk pilots nothing compares with the
"knife fight in a telephone box" excitement of Hawk versus Hawk
low-level tactical evasion training in mountainous terrain as portrayed in
Hawk Country. Set over the A4085 road by Beddgelert Forest in the
Caernarfon Pass, North Wales, two grey-painted Hawks pursued by a 'bounce'
fly out of the picture in a left hand turn heading for Capel Curig and the
A5 Nant Ffrancon/Ogwen Pass, whilst 3 other Hawks, resplendent in the RAFs
new gloss black paint scheme turn hard against the towering backdrop of
cloud-capped Snowdon. |
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