McDonnell F18 Hornets of the US Navy
and Marine Corps and Royal Canadian Air Force in aviation art prints of
F18 Hornets by aviation artist Michael Rondot.
|
| Top Cover by Michael Rondot. 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 attack on a formation of low flying A-7 Corsairs far below. The low-flying A-7s 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/A-18 Hornet pilots the priority is to kill the F-16s before they can threaten the A-7s. The Fights 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 practice 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/A-18 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. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £95.00
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE MR0048 |
| Hornet the Hunter by Michael Rondot. 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-air combat role, or delivering a hefty warload with unerring accuracy in the ground-attack role, this aircraft has few, if any, equals. Ask any RAF Jaguar pilot from the Gulf War what modifications he would have liked to improve the combat effectiveness of his aircraft, and the answer is invariably the same - Twin fins, bubble canopy, big engines, a powerful multi-mode radar and face-shooting missiles. In other words, Id rather be flying an F-18. Of all the single-seat combat aircraft in service today, the Hornet is universally regarded by those in the know as the most versatile and effective aircraft around. Capable of both ground-attack and day/night all-weather air-to-air missions, the hornet has earned a justifiable reputation as the most sought-after cockpit in the single-seat business. During the months before the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf War, Hornets flew round-the-clock Combat Air Patrols to provide top cover for Allied fleets. They played a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Iraqi aircraft probing their defenses before turning away, but when the war started it was a different game and in deadly earnest. US Navy and Marine Corps F-18s were among the first Allied aircraft to cross the Iraqi border and they remained in the thick of the fighting throughout the air campaign. In addition to flying escort and sweep missions in support of strike aircraft to and from targets deep within Iraq, Hornets also flew bombing and defence suppression missions and participated in raids on Baghdad. They flew more than 10,000 sorties and 25,000 flight hours during Operation Desert Storm, and shot down two Iraqi MiG 21s to add to the proud McDonnell boast that every enemy fighter shot down in combat was downed by one of their aircraft. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £95.00  Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £150.00
Limited edition of 2 artist proofs, signed by 13 aircrew. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £185.00
ITEM CODE MR0025 |
| Magpies Over Baghdad by Michael Rondot (AP) 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. Limited edition of 40 artist proofs. Image size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Image size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £
Limited edition of 10 giclee canvas prints. Image size 30 inches x 20 inches (76cm x 51cm). Price £400.00
ITEM CODE MR0062 |
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. |
|
