| In the Air Tonight by Michael Rondot. 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-guided bombs, dropped from the relative safety of medium altitude, takes no account of the fearsome price that was paid in delivering these early low-level attacks. 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 GR.1 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. Approaching their targets over featureless desert, the aircrews were faced with ferocious barrages of AAA gunfire and missiles defending the airfields. It took a special kind of determination to press home attacks in the face of the full fury of Iraqs air defenses flying straight and level through curtains of tracer fire to deliver JP 233 weapons. Afterwards, some of the pilots were icily matter-of-fact about these missions: You could see the AAA from over twenty miles away but from five miles out at 200 feet you could steer a path through the lines of tracer to the target. It was a bit scary, but we were more concerned about being forced off track and laying down our weapons a hundred yards right or left of the intended impact path, than we were about bullets going past the window. Others were more sombre about their experiences, perhaps realising that running a gauntlet of enemy fire and surviving unscathed owed more than a little to luck and the Iraqi gunners tactics of hosing the sky with unaimed fire
Signed limited edition of 500 prints, with 19 signatures. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £95.00
Signed limited edition of 500 prints, with 19 signatures. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £150.00 19 RAF Tornado aircrew from Operation Desert Storm, including holders of the Distinguished Service Order and Distinguished Flying Cross awards for gallantry. ITEM CODE MR0026 |
| Shiny II - Tornado Recce by Michael Rondot. 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, aiming to locate, identify and film a camouflaged target using their sophisticated on-board video recording sensors.
As night falls and low cloud envelops 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. These high-resolution sensors enable Tornado to identify pinpoint targets from tree-top height, by day or by night, even in the most appalling weather conditions. Signed limited edition of 650 prints. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £95.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £135.00
Two Artist proofs. signed by 17 pilots. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £185.00
Special four copies specially signed by 17 Royal Air Force Tornado Pilots. Paper size 25 inches x 19 inches (64cm x 48cm). Price £160.00 ITEM CODE MR0042 |
| Panavia Tornado GR1 by Michael Rondot. 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 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 JP 233 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 in the background. Signed limited edition of 450 prints. Paper size 36 inches x 22 inches (91cm x 56cm). Price £120.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 36 inches x 22 inches (91cm x 56cm). Price £155.00 ITEM CODE MR0050 |
| Second to None by Michael Rondot. (AP) 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 minutes before the bar opens, and their home base at RAF Marham in Norfolk, closes in cross winds and driving rain. (Just in time to get to the mess for a quick one!) The main aircraft illustrated, is ZA400 (T) which was the personal aircraft of Wg Cdr R F Garwood DFC during the Gulf War in which he flew 19 low level night reconnaissance missions over Iraq. Notice the spray shooting off the main and nose wheel undercarriage legs, the distorted reflections of red and green bouncing up from the runway from the Port and Starboard navigation lights, you can almost feel the pressure and the whole weight of the awesome Tornado bearing down on that nose wheel as the aircraft decelerates down from its initial 150kts landing speed to the subtle gentle momentum of taxi. But what makes it for me is the second ship just behind and to the left of Zulu Alpha 400 bringing up the rear, braking hard, landing lights full on in an naive attempt to try to carve out a tunnel of vision for the Pilot in an absolute impossible wall of spray behind the leader. (Try this one, Michael Schumacher?) Limited edition of 100 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 19 inches (69cm x 48cm). Price £150.00 ITEM CODE MR0041 |
| Operation TELIC by Michael Rondot. (AP) 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, Kuwait, and Al Udeld 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 war for the Tornado GR4 uing long range reconnaissance systems and medium altitude attacks. It was exclusively a precison guided weapons conflct in which the ornad GR4 Force, its aircrews, groundcrews and support teams performed with distiction. 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 th conflict and these Tornados were no exception; ZA542 DM and ZA560 BC became Danger Mouse and Brave Coq, and both carried tribtes 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 the typical interdiction/Close Air Support fit, armed with Paveway II GPS/laser guided bombs, TIALD pod and RBL-755 cluster bomb to represent all Tornado GR4 Op TELIC operations 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 £260.00 ITEM CODE MR0059 |
| 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 £250.00 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. ITEM CODE MR0057 |
| 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 |
| Tornado F3 by Michael Rondot. (AP) 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 combat air patrols throughout the Gulf War. Limited edition of 20 artist proofs. Paper size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm) Sold Out Edition. Four secondary market prints available.. Price £150.00 Signed by Air Marshal Sir John Curtiss KCB KBE. ITEM CODE MR0049 |
| Paveway Tornados by Michael Rondot. 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 during the Gulf War by USAF F-lllF and F-117A Black Jet aircraft, now give the RAF the same capability to attack targets with pinpoint accuracy, both day and night, in adverse weather and from all altitudes. 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 MR0038 |
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