TSR2: Hell-For-Leather

With that in mind, I always thought the B-36 Peacemaker had a very fitting name.

Things get more complex when you consider the success of say the Bomarc – and how it helped ‘shoot down’ the Avro Arrow. But that’s another discussion entirely! 🙂

Great though the artwork is, I can’t help thinking that depicting the aircraft delivering a bomb is a slightly critical supposition. Kinda suggests that the aircraft is/would have been a failure, given that the whole point of deterrence is to not actually drop any bombs on anyone… 😀

Seafuryfan, thanks! Yes indeed an earlier work-in-progress image had more contrast resulting in the aircraft being too dark for an effective book cover. It was more moody though and I preferred it in a way, but the plane needed to show more detail which prompted the addition of the AAA tracer fire for frontal illumination.

Paul, you’re possibly right, but it looked bad for the composition 😀 I had to take a bit of artistic license there, but due to gravity a tracer stream will ‘bend down’ so it’s not entirely wrong. Plus you could say that the crew was rather surprised and messed up their initial reaction by aiming very poorly! 😉

Don, thanks for the links. Amazing to read that the camera-to-nuke distance in that pic was 30 miles.

Deskpilot, I measured the actual distance you see in the artwork in Google Earth and it is about 8 to 10 miles. I virtually bombed the spot where I made the background photo using a B-61 nuke, on this website (a rather creative implementation of Google Maps!): http://www.carloslabs.com/projects/200712B/GroundZero.html
It would appear the TSR2 is out of harm’s way.

I bought it on Amazon a week or two ago and am really looking forward to reading it. Sorry that you get no remuneration for the copies sold…….

Seen as we’re evidently publicising TSR2 books yet again, I should add that my (Ian Allan’s) book is still widely available (and no, I don’t have any financial motive for mentioning it). According to the latest review in Aeroplane Monthly, it is “one of the best books of 2010” so I guess it ain’t bad!;)

Whilst both pictures are well done and capture the imagination of a lot of people, in reality, no plane dropping an atomic bomb would ever be so low and still so close to the explosion as the shock waves travels one hell of a lot faster than they do.

The new TSR2 book with that illustation on the cover, just poped up on my “suggested” list from Amazon.

Awesome artwork, looks absolutely fabulous. I will probably get burned bad here but shouldn’t the tracer from the Shilka be arching in the opposite direction? ie if the gun was elevating downwards as it tracked the TSR-2 it would be going in the reverse, this looks like it is elevating upwards in the opposite direction to the target.

Just me being very pedantic. Once again great job.

Cheers Paul

A thrilling piece of artwork, Ronnie. As the dominant light in the picture is from the bomb, did you experiment with the TSR2 more in silhouette? A tricky one, as then of course you would miss the detail of the aircraft :rolleyes:

Thank you very much for your replies! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think, and I am very glad it’s well-received! This image was in the making, off and on, since the autumn of 2006 and I am glad it’s finally finished. I definitely plan on more TSR2 art… not sure yet if I’ll do more what-ifs or simply a beauty shot of XR219 in flight. Or both and then some (if I find the time…).

Nice art work, did you do this one as well.

No, first time I see it. It looks like a composition of two photos. My artwork is a combination of a 3D model, digitally painted mushroom cloud and a modified background photo (all of which completely self-made). I did however use that same photo of the nuke as my main reference when drawing mine, so the similarity is not a coincidence. Incidentally, I shot the background photo of my artwork in December 2005 (before Damien commissioned me) in Hampshire on the day after the Buncefield depot went up in flames. The winter sunset and smokey skies made for a truly spectacular scene and I instantly knew it would come in handy if I ever were to do an artwork of a nuclear attack.

Cracking picture, superb. But err, is the pilot called “Damien” by any chance?
Look at the serial.

Ironic given the authors name!:D

Cracking picture, superb. But err, is the pilot called “Damien” by any chance?
Look at the serial.

TSR2 pic

Cor, that’s photo-realism painting at its best.

It’s the sort of artwork you’d buy the book for alone – and the kind of picture that turned you on to buying a model kit when it was box-art.

Superb, thanks for sharing.

Have a great Christmas everyone.

Anon.

Nice art work, did you do this one as well.

Continues to inspire:eek:

Fantastic artwork & I wish I had seen the TSR2 fly, but thank God that image is just that and nothing more. Very chilling to think what could have been.

Anyway, Merry Christmas everyone!

An excellent piece of work – and I must get more of the book read this holiday! 🙂

sensational work Ronnie.
oh and if it’s ok now my desktop wall paper

Very festive !

Hopefully around 2 pm tomorrow I’ll have my own version to look at as Mr Claus has sen fit to buy me the book it graces. OK, Amazon delivered it to my mum and she’ll wrap it up, give it to me with the money it cost so she gets me something nice for Xmas !:D

Fabulous work Ronnie (as usual!!) 🙂