TSR2: H*ll-For-Leather (or Drive By Shooting Cold War Style)

[Skyraider3D]

Hopefully you all had a good Christmas! Here's one of my latest works:



H*ll-For-Leather

After their nuclear attack against a Soviet industrial target, the crew of this TSR2 dive back to the relative safety of supersonic low-level flight. With the bomber’s cover now broken, a “Shilka” self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is the first enemy unit to respond. As they speed away from the target, hopes are high for a safe return to their forward air base in West Germany... if it is still there. This is the doomsday scenario that could have unfolded, had the Cold War turned hot and had the TSR2 not been cancelled in 1965.


Around the height of the Cold War, the British government released a specification for a nuclear-capable strike and reconnaissance aircraft. The result was the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2. Sadly Britain was in a poor financial position at that time and simply couldn't afford this state-of-the-art machine. The cancellation that followed in 1965 nearly wiped out military aircraft production in the UK.

This image was created for Damien Burke's superlative book, published by Crowood, about this fascinating aircraft. If you have any interest in the TSR2 at all, this is the one book to get. Freshly researched, it debunks all the misinformation and myths that surrounds it and adds lots of new insight, information and fantastic technical detail that has been hidden in archives for over four decades. An absolute must for anyone interested in Cold War aviation. More information about this book can be found on http://www.tsr2.info

Prints of the cover art are available through my web store at http://www.digitalaviationart.com

Cheers,

Ronnie


PS. Below a few close-ups:

[Skyraider3D]

I was banging my head over why the images weren't showing up, when I realised a rather overenthusiastic PC-filter changed the word h3ll to heck!

[Ztex]

Powerful scene...scares the crap outta me.

Good stuff.

[Nathan]

Love the art work of the jet. The background though, is disturbing. Hope it never happens.

[DC3R4DC47]

i did a thesis on the TSR2 when i was studying in Blighty during my university days,back then i flew a straight tail '61 C150 out of Denham,that scene chills me too,God's grace may it never come to that.

[Speedy]

I like the camo job! I got a chance to look at the TSR2 at Duxford a few years back. A very impressive 'what if?' aircraft, just like the Avro Arrow.

You can almost feel the heat in that painting.