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BAC Lightning jet fighter of the Royal
Air Force shown in aviation art prints by Michael Rondot. Including Lightning's
of 19 and 145 squadrons. The last pure British jet
fighter, the Lightning is shown in these wonderful aviation art prints,
available from Cranston Fine Arts.
English Electric (later BAC)
Lightning. Originally designed by W F Petter (the designer of the
Canberra) The first Lighting Prototype was first flown on the 4th
August 1954 by Wing Commander R P Beamont at Boscombe Down. The second
prototype P1A, The name of Lightning was not used until 1958)
(WG763) was shown at the Farnborough show in September 1955. The Third
prototype was flown in April 1957 and was the first British aircraft ever
to fly at Mach 2 on the 25th November 1958 The first production
aircraft made its first flight on 3rd November 1959 and entered
operational service with the RAF on the 29th June 1960with |NO. 74 squadron
based at Coltishall. The F1 was followed shortly after by the F1A which
had been modified to carry a in-flight refueling probe. The
Lightning F2 entered service in December 1962 with no 19 and 92 squadrons.
a total of 44 aircraft F2 were built. The F3 came into service between
1964 and 1966 with Fighter Command squadrons, re engined with the Roll's
Royce Avon 301 turbojets. The Lightning T Mk 5 was a training
version Lightning a total of 22 were built between August 1964 and
December 1966. The BAC Lighting F MK 6 was the last
variant of the lightning, base don the F3, this was the last single seat
fighter and served the |Royal Air Force for 20 years. First Flown on 17th
April 1964, and a total of 55 F6 saw service with the Royal Air Force, and
the last Lightning F6 was produced in August 1967. A Total of 278 lightning's
of all marks were delivered. In 1974 the Phantom aircraft began replacing
the aging Lightning's, but 2 F6 remained in service up to 1988 with Strike
Command until finally being replaced with Tornado's
Specifications for MK1 to 4: Made by
English Electrc Aviation Ltd at Preston and Samlesbury Lancashire,
designated P1B, All Weather single seat Fighter. Max Speed: Mach 2.1
(1390 mph) at 36,000 feet Ceiling 55,000 feet
Armament: Two 30mm Aden guns and Two
Firestreak infra red AAM's.
Specificaitons for MK 6: Made by
English Electrc Aviation Ltd at Preston Lancashire, designated P1B,
All Weather single seat Fighter. Max Speed: Mach 2.27 (1500 mph) at 40,000
feet Ceiling 55,000 feet Range: 800 miles
Armament: Two 30mm Aden guns and Two
Firestreak infra red AAM's. or Two Red Top. or two retractable
contain 24 spin-stabilized rockets each.
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| Lightning Legend by Michael Rondot. 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 the Counter Aviation Authority (CAA) set about keeping surviving examples grounded. However, not all fighters die, and some Lightnings did not fade away either. They lived on because there were people willing to spend time and fortunes lavishing TLC on them until 1999, against all odds and officialdom, Lightnings are back in the sky. The return of the Lightning is celebrated in Michael Rondots brilliant portrayal of a Lightning T5 in the markings of 226 OCU/145 Squadron taking off in full re-heat for a maximum rotation climbout. This outrageous, extravagant display of scorching performance is just one of the heady delights of the gloriously overpowered Lightning. It is an aircraft of which legends are made. Stories abound this special aircraft and the pilots who flew it but none were more deserving of legendary status than the test pilots who first flew the Lighting. Signed limited edition of 650 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £75.00 Signed by Wing Commander Roland Bee Beamont CBE DSO DFC DL (deceased), Jimmy Dell OBE (deceased) and Flight Lieutenant John Squier (deceased).
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00 Signed by Wing Commander Roland Bee Beamont CBE DSO DFC DL (deceased), Jimmy Dell OBE (deceased) and Flight Lieutenant John Squier (deceased).
ITEM CODE MR0031 |
| Lightning by Michael Rondot. 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 difficult and technically challenging Lightning. Signed limited edition print. . Price £
Limited edition of 50 artist proofs. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £120.00 Signed by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC, Air Vice-Marshal John Howe CB CBE AFC, Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC, Air Commodore Roger Topp AFC 2 bars, Group Captain Dave Seward AFC, Group Captain Ed Durham, Group Captain Bruce Hopkins AFC, Group Captain Graham Clarke, Group Captain Dick Cloke AFC, Wing Commander Alex Reed OBE, John Spencer CBE AFC and Dick Carrey.
Limited edition of 25 remarques. Paper size 27 inches x 20 inches (69cm x 51cm). Price £ Signed by Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC, Air Vice-Marshal John Howe CB CBE AFC, Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC, Air Commodore Roger Topp AFC 2 bars, Group Captain Dave Seward AFC, Group Captain Ed Durham, Group Captain Bruce Hopkins AFC, Group Captain Graham Clarke, Group Captain Dick Cloke AFC, Wing Commander Alex Reed OBE, John Spencer CBE AFC and Dick Carrey.
ITEM CODE MR0060 |
| Lightning QRA Intercept by Michael Rondot. 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 years, the air defences of Britain were regularly tested by Russian Tu-95 Bears as they probed NATO airspace high above the North Sea. Signed limited edition of 150 prints. Paper size 27.5 inches x 17.5 inches (70cm x 44cm). Price £95.00 Signed by
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC,
John Spencer CBE AFC,
Flt Lt Ian Black,
Sqn Ldr Bob Tuxford AFC
and
Flt Lt Carl Lamb.
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Paper size 27.5 inches x 17.5 inches (70cm x 44cm). Price £150.00 Signed by
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC,
John Spencer CBE AFC,
Sqn Ldr Ron Blackburn MBE,
Sqn Ldr Peter Bedwin MBE,
Air Commodore Bob Lightfoot AFC,
Group Captain Ed Durham,
Group Captain Bruce Hopkins AFC,
Flt Lt Ian Black,
Sqn Ldr Dick Russell AFC,
Sqn Ldr Bob Tuxford AFC,
Flt Lt Carl Lamb.
ITEM CODE MR0070 |
| Lightning Thunder by Michael Rondot
A No. 19 Squadron Lightning F2A on take-off. Of all the classic fighters to have served with the RAF since the
1950s, 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. Lightning by Michael Rondot
A 50th Anniversary tribute to the English Electric Lightning.
Lightning Legend by Michael Rondot No other jet fighter has been more sorely missed since the Lightning
retired from RAF service and the Counter Aviation Authority (CAA) set
about keeping surviving examples grounded. However, not all old fighters
die, and some Lightning's did not fade away either. They lived on because
there were people willing to spend time and fortunes lavishing TLC on them
until 1999, against all odds and officialdom, Lightning's are back in the
sky. The return of the lightning is celebrated in Michael Rondots
portrayal of a Lightning T5 in the markings of No.226 OCU/145 Squadron
taking off in full reheat for a maximum performance rotation climbout.
This outrageous display of scorching performance is just one of the heady
delights of the overpowered Lightning. It is an aircraft of which legends
are made. Stories abound about this special aircraft and the pilots who
flew it but none were more deserving of legendary status than the test
pilots who first flew the Lightning. |
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