Aviation art prints
of the Rhodesian Air Force, French, Spanish and Israeli Air Forces by aviation
artists Robert Taylor, David Pentland and John Wynne Hopkins, available
from aviationprints.co.uk, a subsidiary of Cranston Aviation Art Company.
Fireforce External
1979 by John Wynne Hopkins Rhodesian Air Force Paradak drop troops into conflict zone.
Kiwi Strike by Nicholas Trudgian A dramatic low-level attack on a Japanese base near Rabaul is in
progress by F-4U Corsairs of 16 Squadron, RNZAF. Taking the lead is
Bryan Cox, as the Corsairs leave a trail of smoke and debris in their
wake. Water vapor is squeezed out of the humid atmosphere as Cox's
wingman banks sharply to avoid groundfire. The Kiwi Corsairs
buccaneered their way through the intensly fought campaigns in the
Solomons and Guadalcanal.
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| Mustering of Storks, Bonnemaison, France, 4th July 1917 by David Pentland. French Spad VIIs of the famous Groupe de Combat 12 Les Cigognes (The Storks) during a relative lull on the front. Shown here are some of the famous names of Escadrille N3, Capitaine Georges Guynemer (No.2) , Capitaine Alfred Auger (No.6) , Sous Lt. Georges Raymond (No.9) and Adjutant Rene Guilliaumot (No.13) Signed limited edition of 200 giclee paper prints. Image size 26 inches x 16 inches (66cm x 41cm). Price £135.00  Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 26 inches x 16 inches (66cm x 41cm). Price £180.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Small limited edition of 20 artist proofs. Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 20cm). Price £60.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Small signed limited edition of 50 prints. Image size 12 inches x 8 inches (31cm x 20cm). Price £51.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Save £5 on selected prints - Was £56
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £370.00 £90 Off Selected Giclee Canvas Prints - Was £460
Original painting by David Pentland. . Price £ ITEM CODE DHM1545 |
| Amy Johnson by Ivan Berryman.
Signed limited edition of 1150 prints. Image size 16 inches x 25 inches (41cm x 64cm). Price £80.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 16 inches x 25 inches (41cm x 64cm). Price £135.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 20 inches x 30 inches (51cm x 76cm). Price £370.00 £90 Off Selected Giclee Canvas Prints - Was £460
ITEM CODE B0102 |
| Fireforce External 1979 by John Wynne Hopkins. Rhodesian Air Force Paradak drop troops into conflict zone. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 22 inches x 14 inches (56cm x 36cm). Price £95.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE DHM0688 |
| Czech - Mate by David Pentland. French Armee de L air Curtiss Hawk 75As flown by Czech ace Frantisele Pevina and his squadron Commander Captaine Jean Accaut, dive on unsuspecting Junker Ju87Bs (Stukas) during the Battle of France 1940. Signed limited edition of 1000 prints. Image size 12 inches x 17 inches (31cm x 43cm). Price £51.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Save £5 on selected prints - Was £56
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 12 inches x 17 inches (31cm x 43cm). Price £95.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 20 inches x 30 inches (51cm x 76cm). Price £370.00 £90 Off Selected Giclee Canvas Prints - Was £460
ITEM CODE DHM0580 |
| Patrule De Noche by David Pentland. Soviet Ace Stefanov claims two Italian SM81 Bombers during a night interception over Barcelona, Spanish Civil War 1937. Limited edition of 1000 prints. Image size 17 inches x 12 inches (43cm x 31cm). Price £51.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Save £5 on selected prints - Was £56
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Special Promotion : This print is HALF PRICE for a limited time only! Image size 17 inches x 12 inches (43cm x 31cm). Price £52.80 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £370.00 £90 Off Selected Giclee Canvas Prints - Was £460
Original painting by David Pentland. Image size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £2200.00 ITEM CODE DHM0787 |
| Balbos Amazing Flight by Stan Stokes. Italo Balbo, the father of the Italian Air Force, appointed undersecretary for air in 1926, was truly amazing. His first task was to complete a study that concluded that the Aeronautica was woefully inadequate in terms of ground support facilities, supplies, spare parts, fuel, and ammunition. In addition his study concluded that the 551 aircraft of record included only 200-300 combat ready planes. Balbo, like Billy Mitchell in America, believed that a powerful argument for an air force independent from the control of either the army or the navy could be made. Many of Balbos beliefs were derived from conversations with Giulio Droughet, the famous Italian air combat theorist. In Balbos view the Aeronautica should have a first strike capability, and he shared Droughets view that the days of single plane raids were over. Future air attacks would involve waves of hundreds, if not thousands, of aircraft. By 1926 Italy had its share of accomplished aviators including De Pinedo, De Bernardi, and Ferrarin, but Balbo did not appreciate the prima donna image of these record setters. He conceived the idea of record setting massed flights to show the collective heroism of the Regia Aeronautica, and as a way to sway public opinion of his belief, and in the process earn a larger budget. The first massed flight of 61 seaplanes toured ports in the western Mediterranean in May and June of 1928. As the tour progressed the formation flying skills of the pilots improved and wherever they went they were received enthusiastically. A second massed flight of the eastern Mediterranean, utilizing 35 aircraft, took place later, and both these flights increased the prestige of the fascist regime in Italy. In December of 1928 Balbo visited America, and he immediately began planning in his mind the possibility of a massed flight to America. In 1931 Balbo took 12 SM.55X flying boats to Brazil, and by 1933 he was ready for his trip to America. Utilizing 25 aircraft Balbo once again chose the reliable SM.55X. The route would include stops in Amsterdam, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Montreal, and finally Chicago. On July 15, 1933 Balbos aerial armada arrived over Lake Michigan. Hundreds of thousands of spectators jammed the Chicago shoreline to welcome the aviators. Four days later Balbo lead his team to New York, where they made several passes over Manhattan before landing at the Coney Island seaplane base. The Italians drew huge crowds in New York, and Balbo traveled to Washington to meet with President Roosevelt and Wiley Post. Mussolini grew jealous of the attention Balbo was receiving and wired him to return to Italy. He later removed him as head of the Aeronautica and sent him to Libya as Governor. Balbos epic flights were a watershed in the transition of aviation from the pioneering efforts on single aviators to the discipline and organization required to operate a modern air force. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0181 |
| Buffalo Ace by Stan Stokes. The Brewster Aeronautical Corp. commenced development of the F2A Buffalo in 1936 in response to a US Navy request for a carrier-based fighter capable of 300 MPH. Development took place at the time when Grumman was also working on its first carrier-based fighter for the Navy. Utilizing an all-metal, mid-wing, monoplane design, the first Brewster Buffalo prototype flew in 1937. An initial order for fifty-four aircraft was placed in mid-1938. The F2A-1 utilized a 900-HP R-H20-34 radial engine, and was armed with four machine guns. Eleven of the aircraft from the first production order were assigned to VF-3, which was based at that time on the USS Saratoga. The remaining forty-three aircraft were sent to Finland, which was fighting off an invasion by the Soviet Union. In 1940 the F2A-2 variant entered production utilizing a more powerful 1200-HP engine. Capable of 323-MPH, orders for three hundred additional aircraft were obtained, including 170 from the RAF, which at that time was in the midst of the Battle of Britain.. The Brits found the Buffalo very ineffective, and not capable of dog fighting with the faster and highly maneuverable Bf-109s it faced. The British withdrew the Buffalo from front line service, sending most of its aircraft to units in the Far East, where the Buffalo would later play a role in defending Java, Burma, Manila, and Singapore. Meanwhile the US Navy was becoming disenchanted with the aircraft due to weakness in its landing gear, and its minimal armor plating. Nonetheless, the Buffalo was one of the front line fighters the United States had in its arsenal when America entered WW II on December 7, 1941. During the only serious combat in which the Buffalo was flown by US forces, VMF-221 lost 18 of its 25 F2As during the Battle of Midway. The Buffalo proved to be no match for the faster and highly maneuverable Mitsubishi Zeroes flown by the Imperial Navy. Despite its lack luster reputation, the Buffalo was utilized effectively by the Finnish Air Force in fighting the Soviets. Some of this success is no doubt due to the relative lack of combat experience by many of the Soviet pilots, the fact that the Soviets had stuck with bi-plane fighter designs longer than other countries, and the fact that Finland had some excellent pilots of their own. The top Finnish ace, Eino Juutilainen, attained thirty-three of his incredible ninety-four victories while flying the Brewster Buffalo. Several of his victories were obtained against American-built Curtis P-40s, which had been sold to the Red Air Force. In his dramatic depiction, entitled Buffalo Ace, aviation artist Stan Stokes shows Juutilainen in action against Soviet P-40s during the defense of Finland. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Signed limited edition of 225 prints. Size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm). Price £109.00 Signed by top Finnish Ace Eino Juutilainen. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0132 |
| Against the Tide by Stan Stokes. As dawn broke on the morning of May 10, 1940, an irresistible tide of German armored and aerial might crashed across the frontiers of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. A combination of paratroopers, fast moving panzer units, truck born infantry, and mobile artillery smashed its way through the dazed and outnumbered defenders. Leading the Luftwaffe assault were waves of fast fighter aircraft, twin-engine bombers, and screaming Stukka dive bombers. Blitzkrieg had arrived. Within four short weeks Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg had all capitulated to the victorious Wermacht, and the British Expeditionary Force had been forced to evacuate at Dunkirk. By the middle of June the battered and demoralized French Army was in full retreat and falling back towards Paris. In desperate attempts to stem the tide, valiant but outnumbered units of the Armee de lAir struck back with great courage against advancing German Panzer divisions, vainly trying to save their beloved capital city. In Stan Stokes painting entitled Against the Tide, French warplanes of two generations rendezvous over Paris before the battle begins. The Detwoitine D.520 was undoubtedly the best French fighter of WW II. Had the armistice not taken place the D.520s career would have paralleled that of its contemporaries in Germany and Britain. Production was slated to reach more than 2,000 aircraft in 1940, and plans had been put in place to have this aircraft produced in America by the Ford Motor Company. In comparative tests with the Bf-109E, the Detwoitine showed superior maneuverability, and plans were adopted for upgrading the power of its engine to provide comparable speed and rates of climb to the 109. Armed with a 20mm nose mounted cannon and four 7.5mm wing-mounted machine guns, the D.520 could obtain a top speed of 332-mph with its 910-HP Hispano-Suiza 12Y45 engine. Among Frances highest scoring fighter pilots who flew the D.520 was Sous-Lieutenanat Pierre Le Gloan. Le Gloan destroyed 11 opposing German and Italian aircraft during the Battle of France and later would fight against the British during the campaign in Vichy-controlled Syria. His final total reached 18 before his death is a flying accident in 1943. Indicative of the dramatic changes in the Armee de lAir at the start of WW II are the obsolescent Bloch MB 210 medium bombers and the Breguet Bre.693 assault aircraft. The MB 210 (numerically the most important French bomber in late 1939) with its severe angularity, slab-sided fuselage, glass-house nose, and birdcage-like turrets was a typical French bomber of the 1930s. With a crew of 5, and a maximum bomb load of 3,500 lbs the 210 had a top speed of only 210-MPH. In contrast, the Bre.693 was a sleek and modern attack aircraft with fighter-like performance. With twin 700-HP radials this heavily armed aircraft was capable of 301-MPH. Many of these aircraft were lost during the Battle of France in low level attacks on German armour. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0128 |
| Opening Gambit, Poland, 2nd September 1939 by David Pentland. Porucznik Stanislaw Skalski of 142nd Eskrada, flying a Polish airforce PZL P-11c, downs a Messerschmitt 110 during the first days of WWII. Although officially credited as a Dornier bomber, it is now believed that the aircraft was an Me110 from 1/ZG1. The discrepancy is attributed to the fact that the reported aircraft used nose mounted cannons unlike the Dornier, and up until then the 110 was a well kept secret. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 20 inches x 16 inches (51cm x 41cm) Printed on high quality artist paper board.. Price £105.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Image size 20 inches x 16 inches (51cm x 41cm). Price £150.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 giclee canvas prints. Image size 20 inches x 16 inches (51cm x 41cm). Price £250.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Original painting by David Pentland. Image size 20 inches x 16 inches (51cm x 41cm). Price £1700.00 ITEM CODE DP0017 |
| Low Level Recovery by Trevor Lay. An F-84F-25 of 31st Escadrille, 10th Wing, Belgian Air Force, returns at low level over the Ardennes to its home airfield of Kleine Brogel. Signed limited edition of 500 prints Image size 15.5 inches x 11 inches (39cm x 28cm). Price £42.00 Signed by artist Trvor Lay and the pilot of the aircraft of the 31st Escadrille. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE DHM2546 |
| Pre Season Practice by Trevor Lay. The Belgian Air Force F-104 display team, The Slivers(1968-75), roar off the runway of their base at Beauvechian for a rehersal prior to the start of another Air Show season. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 15.5 inches x 11 inches (39cm x 28cm). Price £42.00 Signed by artist Trevor Lay and 2 pilots from the F-104 display team, the Slivers. Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE DHM2547 |
| Auf Wiedersehen by Philip West. This symbolic bouquet break by the Patrouille Suisse with the snow covered peaks of the Swiss Alps below signifies the retirement of the beloved Hawker Hunter from team service in 1994. Limited edition of 500 prints. Image size 12 inches x 15 inches (31cm x 38cm). Price £65.00 Signed by six pilots of the Patrouille Suisse who flew the last display in the Hawker Hunter : Maj Fredy Ramseier, Oblt Markus Thoni, Oblt Paul Thoma, Hptm Werner Hoffmann, Cap Stephane Rapaz and Hptm Daniel Hosli.
ITEM CODE DHM2540 |
| Chance Encounter by Robert Taylor. December 7, 1941 was, said President Roosevelt a day of infamy. The surprise attack by Japanese aircraft on that fateful day, brought America into a war that was to become global. The Japanese airstrike was the first of many attacks that day against America and other Allied Forces in the Pacific. Within a few days the British capital ships Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk, the Japanese had landed on the coast of Malaya, Guam was seized, Hong Kong taken, and landings were made in the American held Philippines. In those first grim days of the Pacific War one territory after another quickly fell to the Japanese onrush - resistance, though heroic, was almost futile as the unprepared Allies were simply overwhelmed. Retaliating as best they could, Allied Forces hit back wherever possible and one of the first successes was by Dutch Forces on 23 December, just 16 days after Pearl Harbor. A Japanese invasion fleet had been spotted steaming south towards British Borneo. Royal Netherlands Navy submarine K XIV, alerted to their position, was heading west in order to make an interception. But the Japanese changed course on to an easterly heading during the night and made for the beaches off Ktiching - the opposite direction to that of the submarine. However a patrolling Dornier 24 of the Royal Netherlands Navy sighted the fleet on its new course, and by a remarkable chance encounter also spotted the submarine on the surface, and immediately signalled the location, course and speed of the convoy. The submarine quickly engaged the Japanese in the shallow waters off the landing beach head, causing chaos amongst the fleet. Two ships were sunk and another two severely damaged. The Dornier, despite being heavily engaged by Pete floatplanes from a Japanese heavy cruiser, managed to return safely to base. Signed limited edition of 450 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 19 inches (69cm x 48cm). Price £175.00 Signed by Oud Adjudand Onderofficier Vlieger Paul Kommer, Luitenant ter Zee VK 20C b.d. Gerardus ‘Gerard’ van Schooten, Kapitein-Leitenant ter Zee KMR b.d. Julius ‘Red’ van Nieuwenhuizen, Leitenant ter Zee SD 20C b.d. Hendrik ‘Henk’ van den Ende and Luitenant ter Zee VK 20C b.d. Eelke ‘Bob’ Scholte.
Limited edition of artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 19 inches (69cm x 48cm). Price £295.00 Signed by Oud Adjudand Onderofficier Vlieger Paul Kommer, Luitenant ter Zee VK 20C b.d. Gerardus ‘Gerard’ van Schooten, Kapitein-Leitenant ter Zee KMR b.d. Julius ‘Red’ van Nieuwenhuizen, Leitenant ter Zee SD 20C b.d. Hendrik ‘Henk’ van den Ende and Luitenant ter Zee VK 20C b.d. Eelke ‘Bob’ Scholte.
ITEM CODE DHM2129 |
| Italian Air Stallion by Stan Stokes. The Italian campaign was conceived as a way to strike at Hitlers soft underbelly and obtain necessary airfields and port facilities to assist in the eventual invasion of Europe by the Allies. In July of 1943 while Allied forces were smashing resistance in Sicily, Mussolini plotted strategy with Hitler near Rimini. One week later Mussolini was arrested and King Victor Emmanuel took control of the Italian Armed Forces. By September the King had negotiated Italys surrender, but the Germans strengthened their forces in northern and central Italy leading to a long and difficult campaign of liberation for the Allied forces. In a country with many mountains and poor roads, air power played a major role. Little has been written about Major Adriano Visconti who was Italys highest scoring ace in WW II. Visconti flew as a reconnaissance pilot in Libya in 1940. Later he was assigned to the 7th and 16th Gruppo of the 54th Stromo C.T. Flying over Malta in 1941 and 1942 Visconti downed two RAF Hurricanes and 2 Bristol Blenheims. Later in fighting over Tunisia and Sicily, Visconti was credited with 14 more victories. When Italy surrendered in September of 1943, Visconti flew north in his Macchi 205 fighter crammed with three ground personnel. He joined the air forces of the newly organized New Fascist Republica Sociale Italiana, as a group commander. In the next year he would add seven more victories to his totals, including a P-38 and four P-47s. Visconti was assassinated in Milan in April of 1945 by anti-fascist partisans, having achieved a total of 26 confirmed aerial victories. The Aeronautica Macchi launched a development project in 1935 which led to the introduction of the M.C. 200 Saetta (Arrow) in 1937. Strong, highly maneuverable, and fast in ascent, the 200 was capable of 312 MPH powered by its 14 cylinder 870 HP radial engine. More than 1,000 of these aircraft were built. The Macchi C.202 Folgore (Thunderbolt) was introduced in 1940, and more than 1,100 were produced. It was capable of 370 MPH with an operational ceiling of 37,000 feet. The 202 was powered by a Daimler-Benz, 12-cylinder, inverted-V, liquid-cooled engine, which was capable of 1200 HP. As the war progressed the Macchi MC 205 Veltro (Greyhound) was introduced. It was an aircraft with elegant and aerodynamic lines. It differed from the 202 in many respects. Utilizing a more powerful Daimler-Benz 605-A engine rated at 1,475 HP, the Veltro was a much more capable aircraft than its predecessor. Entering combat in April of 1943 the Veltro was equipped with two 20mm canon in its wings, which replaced the 7.7mm machine guns utilized on the 202. The 205 was capable of 400 MPH, had a range of nearly 600 miles and an operational ceiling in excess of 39,000 feet. With a wingspan of 35 feet the 205 was just a bit smaller that a P-51 Mustang. At the close of WW II a small number of 205s remained in service with the 5th Flight Group of the Italian Air Force. As depicted in Stan Stokes striking painting entitled Italian Air Stallion, Visconti is depicted in his Macchi 205 Veltro in a dogfight over Northern Italy with a P-38 during a beautiful early evening sunset. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 25 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £414.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 25 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £284.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0118 |
| Bekaa Valley by Robert Taylor. A dramatic combat between an F-16 Falcon and a Mig23 fought over the Bekaa Valley in June 1981. In a three day period the Israeli pilots brought down over 80 Syrian aircraft without loss. Robert Taylors brilliant painting shows a close-up view of the action. Limited edition of 1500 prints. Paper size 24 inches x 20 inches (61cm x 51cm). Price £75.00
ITEM CODE DHM2125 |
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Czech-Mate by David Pentland French Armee de L'air Curtiss Hawk 75A's flown by Czech ace
Frantisele Pevina and his squadron Commander Captaine Jean Accaut, dive
on unsuspecting Junker Ju87B's (Stukas) during the Battle of France
1940.
Patrule De Noche by David Pentland Soviet Ace Stefanov claims two Italian SM81 Bombers during a night
interception over Barcelona, Spanish Civil War 1937.
Hard to be
Humble by
Robert Tomlin We are proud that during the summer of 1999 Robert was specially
commissioned by the French Air Force to paint the Mirage 2000s of EC/12,
the "Tiger" squadron from Cambrai. Here is the resultant picture
entitled 'Hard to be Humble' in which two Mirages intercept two MIG 29s
over the French coast, the storm clouds just passing over.
Millennium
Mirage by
Robert Tomlin In addition to Bob's print 'Hard to be Humble' and in keeping with the
others in our Display Series collection, Bob has created this superb small
print showing the gleaming Mirage 2000 taking off during typical Northern
European display weather at Orange.
Opening
Gambit, Poland, 2nd September 1939 by David Pentland Porucznik Stanislaw Skalski of 142nd
Eskrada, flying a Polish airforce PZL P-11c, downs a Messerschmitt 110
during the first days of WWII. Although officially credited as a
Dornier bomber, it is now believed that the aircraft was an Me110 from
1/ZG1. The discrepancy is attributed to the fact that the reported
aircraft used nose mounted cannons unlike the Dornier, and up until
then the 110 was a well kept secret.
Low Level Recovery by Trevor Lay An F-84F-25 of 31st Escadrille, 10th Wing, Belgian Air Force, returns
at low level over the Ardennes to its home airfield of Kleine Brogel
Pre Season Practice by Trevor Lay The Belgian Air Force F-104 display team, The Slivers(1968-75), roar
off the runway of their base at Beauvechian for a rehersal prior to the
start of another Air Show season.
The Vikings
Legend by
Robert Tomlin The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was undoubtedly one of
the most remarkable aircraft of the famous Century Series of American jet
fighters. Sold to so many Air Forces around the world, it featured
strongly in the inventories of most European countries but none more so
than West Germany. A difficult learning curve gave the aircraft a
bad reputation but once mastered it proved a formidable interceptor.
The ultimate proof that the machine had been tamed was given from 1983 to
1986 by the German Navy Display Team The Vikings who thrilled
crowds throughout Europe by demonstrating the surprising agility of the
Starfighter in spectacular fashion. This picture commemorated their
achievements and gives The Vikings their rightful place in the
history of Aeorbatic Display Teams.
The legendary team is depicted over the dream Bavarian castle of
Neuschwanstein. Each of the 500 limited edition prints is
individually autographed by team leader Axel Ostermann and his frequent
partner Siggi Schmidt.
Auf Wiedersehen by Philip West After thirty years of
thrilling displays around Europe, the Hawker Hunters of the Patrouille
Suisse performed their last public display at Nancy in France on 25th
September 1944. Considered by many to be the most beautiful jet fighter
ever to grace the skies the Swiss machines, with their striking paint
scheme, enabled the Patrouille Suisse to bring an exceptional element of
grace and elegance to the dynamic type of aerobatic display performed by
most jet aerobatic display teams.Even more remarkable in their performance
is the fact that the team members were all regular pilots with the
Surveillance Wing of the Swiss Air Force and as such were able to practice
just once per month when normal duties allowed.
Their appearances were comparatively rare
as they performed only about 6-10 public displays per year but their
professionalism was legendary amongst aerobatic teams, one of the most
memorable moments being at Fairford, England in 1993 when they flew an
outstanding display immediately after the mid-air collision by Russian
MiGs.Individually autographed by the six team
members who flew the final display, and is dedicated to the Patrouille
Suisse and their Hunters - truly a piece of aviation history.
Chance Encounter by Robert Taylor A Dornier 24 flying boat of the Royal Netherlands navy
sights the Japanese invasion fleet off Kuching, British Borneo, 23rd December
1941. By Chance it also sighted patrolling Dutch Submarine K-XIV on the
surface, unaware of the enemy position. receiving the pilots signal
"enemy to the north east" the submarine quickly engaged
sinking two ships and damaging two in one of the first allied successes
against the Japanese in World war two.
Cold War
Warrior by David Pentland Mig21MF, East German Air
force. Such
aircraft were the mainstay of the Warsaw Pact forces from the 1960's
through to the 1980's.
Early Morning Briefing by Barry Rowe Depicting a Pitcairn mailwing
US Mail - Coast to Coast by Barry Rowe Depicting a de
Haviland. |
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