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A Bolt for the Blue by Gerald Coulson. (AP) - Cranston Military Prints

A Bolt for the Blue by Gerald Coulson. (AP)


A Bolt for the Blue by Gerald Coulson. (AP)

Gerald Coulson's dramatic painting Bolt for the Blue, published to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Lightning, captures the very essence of this formidable fighter. Seen climbing out of RAF Wattisham, a Lightning F.3 of Treble One Squadron scrambles to intercept an unidentified intruder plotted on the RAF's early warning radar. Almost certainly it will be Russian, probably he will be escorted out of harms way, but the interceptor is armed with a pair of air-to-air missiles just in case. A superb collector print for all who remember one of the greatest British fighters ever built.
Item Code : DHM6076APA Bolt for the Blue by Gerald Coulson. (AP) - Editions AvailableExtra....

A photograph of an edition of the print :

DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.
Great value : Value of signatures exceeds price of item!
Paper size 32 inches x 25 inches (81cm x 64cm)
Black, George
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC
Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC was born on the 10th of July 1932 in Aberdeen and joined RAF in 1950. Black was awarded the first flying scholarship in Scotland, gaining his private pilots licence at Strathtay Aero Club, Perth. e left No.107 (Aberdeen) Squadron Air Training Corps where he gained the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No.263 Squadron RAF at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer.
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Collins, Peter

Died : 2017
Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC (deceased)
Commanded No 111 Squadron and Royal Air Force Gutersloh. Reformed No 11 Squadron. Served on AFDS and Handling Squadron, Boscombe Down. He died on 17th April 2017.
Signature Value : £40
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Black, Ian
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Flt Lt Ian Black
Ian flew tours on the Phantom, Lightning and Tornado. He was the last RAF pilot to qualify to fly the Lightning, flying with No.11 Sqn, and also spent 4 years with the French Air Force flying the Mirage 2000. He flew operations in the Gulf and Bosnia, flying over 250 combat sorties. He is currently a Senior Captain on the A340/A330 and last flew the Lightning at 'Thunder City', South Africa.
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Mitchell, John

Died : 2016
Air Commodore John Mitchell, LVO, DFC, AFC (deceased)
John Mitchell had a remarkable career. An RAFVR officer, he was mobilised on the outbreak of war and just missed going to join a Fairey Battle Squadron in France where he would have undoubtedly been killed. He was instead posted to 58 Squadron flying Whitleys, surviving a tour of operations in 1940/41 including ditching in the North Sea. Awarded the DFC, he was sent to the US, helping to develop the first navigation training simulators with the famous Link Trainer factory. He was later awarded t
Signature Value : £50
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Molland, Hedley

Died : 2012
Flight Lieutenant Hedley Molland (deceased)
Flying Officer Hedley Molland. During air combat training Flying Officer Hedley Molland while Flying a Hunter made a cine attack on his target and followed it into a dive from 37,000 feet. At 31,000 feet the dive steepened uncontrollably, the aircraft diving vertically into the sea 7 miles east of Brawdsey, Suffolk. Flying Officer Hedley Molland survived the supersonic ejection at 25,000 feet, mach 1.1 - his left arm was broken on ejection as he only used his left hand to initiate ejection.
Signature Value : £50
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Dell, Jimmy

Died : 2008
Jimmy Dell OBE (deceased)
Jimmy Dell joined the RAF in 1942 and after the war flew F-86Es and the first radar equipped F-86D with the USAF. He was the first RAF Lightning Project Test Pilot and later became Chief Test Pilot at English Electric/BAC test flying Lightning, TSR 2 and Jaguar. One of a unique breed of aviators who have achieved great career success as a fast jet test pilot within both military and commercial environments. Probably best known for his work on the English Electric Lightning, Jimmy Dell has used
Signature Value : £50
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Thomson, Ian
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Died : 2010
Group Captain Ian Thomson (deceased)
Officer Commanding No.11 Sqn at RAF Binbrook from 1976 to 1977. He died on 23rd August 2010.
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Field, Paul
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Flight Lieutenant Paul Field
Paul flew over 1000 hours on Lightnings during his career. With 11 (f) Sqn, he completed a 3 year tour, including a Live Quick Reaction Alert Scramble from RAF Binbrook to intercept 2 Russian 'Bears' a few miles off the Scottish coast, this was a rarity for the Binbrook wing. He later became a Lightning Tactics Instructor before leaving the RAF in 1986.
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Page, Alan
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Flight Lieutenant Alan Page
Lightning pilot with No.5 Sqn and No.11 Sqn.
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Small, Ian
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE

Flight Lieutenant Ian Small
Lightning pilot with No.11 Sqn.
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

+ Artist : Gerald Coulson


Signature(s) value alone : £390
£35 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!
Now : £295.00

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Some other related items available from this site.

 A pair of 29 Squadron Lightning F.Mk3s tuck their gear up and head skyward from the Wattisham tarmac in the summer of 1972.

QRA Scramble by Ivan Berryman.
The last purely British fighter aircraft to be used by the Royal Air Force, the Lightning offered a truly massive performance advantage over existing equipment when it was introduced into squadron service in 1960, achieving level flight speed of around, 1400mph. The prototype known as the P1 had flown in 1954 but production aircraft were not available until 1959, a long gestation period but perhaps understandable with such an advanced machine with many untried, new features. The painting shows an F1A of 111 squadron taking off from its base at Wattisham. The remarque drawing shows an aircraft of 56 squadron Firebirds in 1963 when they were the official RAF aerobatics team for that year. 337 Lightnings were produced, serving with nine squadrons of the Royal Air Force before being supersede by the Phantom and Tornado.

BAC Lightning by Keith Woodcock by Keith Woodcock.
 A pair of 29 Squadron Lightning F.Mk3s tuck their gear up and head skyward from the Wattisham tarmac in the summer of 1972.

QRA Scramble by Ivan Berryman.
 Trained as a pilot on the Jet Provost, Gnat and Hunter before joining No.54 Sqn flying the Lightning.  He then became an instructor on the Hawk and Gnat, retiring in 1998 from the RAF but then becoming the Training Manager at RAF Valley.  He died in 2019.

Clipped Signature - Chris Taylor.
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC
*Signature Value : £45

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Black, George
(Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC)

Air Vice-Marshal George Black CB OBE AFC was born on the 10th of July 1932 in Aberdeen and joined RAF in 1950. Black was awarded the first flying scholarship in Scotland, gaining his private pilots licence at Strathtay Aero Club, Perth. e left No.107 (Aberdeen) Squadron Air Training Corps where he gained the rank of Sergeant to commence National Service duty in the RAF. After undergoing flying training in Canada he joined No.263 Squadron RAF at RAF Wattisham in the rank of Flying Officer. George Black served as a fighter pilot. In 1952 his National Service was converted to a permanent commission and he was seconded to the Fleet Air Arm as a carrier pilot. Flying Officer Black returned to the RAF in 1961 in the rank of Flight Lieutenant and served with No.74 Squadron RAF flying English Electric Lightnings. After a period as a flying instructor at HQ Fighter Command, in 1964 he became squadron commnader of No.111 (Fighter) Sqdn (1964-66,) and ldr of the Lightning Aerobatic Team in 1965. In 1967 he became Cdr Lightning Operational Conversion Unit (1967-69,) then Cdr No.5 (Fighter) Sqdn between 1969 and 1970. On promotion to Group Captain in 1972 Black was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wildenrath in Germany. He became Commander Allied Sector One, Brockzetel in May 1980 on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore and was later appointed Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen in July 1981 until 1983. Air Vice-Marshal George Black retired from the RAF in July 1987. He was awarded an Air Force Cross in 1962 while with No.74 Squadron and achieved a bar in 1971. He was awarded an OBE in 1967 and became a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1987. Air Vice Marshal Black is a member of the RAF Historical Society and during his career recorded over 5,000 flying hours on around 100 different types of aircraft.




Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC (deceased)
Died : 2017
*Signature Value : £40

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Collins, Peter
(Air Vice-Marshal Peter Collins CB AFC (deceased))

Commanded No 111 Squadron and Royal Air Force Gutersloh. Reformed No 11 Squadron. Served on AFDS and Handling Squadron, Boscombe Down. He died on 17th April 2017.


Flt Lt Ian Black
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Black, Ian
(Flt Lt Ian Black)

Ian flew tours on the Phantom, Lightning and Tornado. He was the last RAF pilot to qualify to fly the Lightning, flying with No.11 Sqn, and also spent 4 years with the French Air Force flying the Mirage 2000. He flew operations in the Gulf and Bosnia, flying over 250 combat sorties. He is currently a Senior Captain on the A340/A330 and last flew the Lightning at 'Thunder City', South Africa.




Air Commodore John Mitchell, LVO, DFC, AFC (deceased)
Died : 2016
*Signature Value : £50

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Mitchell, John
(Air Commodore John Mitchell, LVO, DFC, AFC (deceased))

John Mitchell had a remarkable career. An RAFVR officer, he was mobilised on the outbreak of war and just missed going to join a Fairey Battle Squadron in France where he would have undoubtedly been killed. He was instead posted to 58 Squadron flying Whitleys, surviving a tour of operations in 1940/41 including ditching in the North Sea. Awarded the DFC, he was sent to the US, helping to develop the first navigation training simulators with the famous Link Trainer factory. He was later awarded the US Legion of Merit, signed by Harry Truman. Returning to the UK in 1942, he was selected to join the crew of Winston Churchill's personal aircraft, the famous Avro York – Ascalon. For two years he navigated 'The Owner' – as he was known – around the world from North Africa to Italy, the Middle East to Moscow, including to the famous Teheran and Yalta conferences. He flew 'General Lyon' (aka HM George VI) on several occasions (for which he was personally decorated), as well as some of the great military leaders of their time from Alexander to Alanbrooke, Smuts to de Gaulle. After the war he continued to enjoy an eventful career. He was Senior Navigation Instructor at the RAF College, Cranwell and then held a similar post at RAF Manby where he undertook long-range exercises over the North Geographic Pole in the converted Lincoln, Aries III. He later returned to Air Attaché duties and was appointed to Moscow during the Brezhnev regime, finishing his career in the Air Intelligence world of the MoD. John Mitchell died 5th February 2016.




Flight Lieutenant Hedley Molland (deceased)
Died : 2012
*Signature Value : £50

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Molland, Hedley
(Flight Lieutenant Hedley Molland (deceased))

Flying Officer Hedley Molland. During air combat training Flying Officer Hedley Molland while Flying a Hunter made a cine attack on his target and followed it into a dive from 37,000 feet. At 31,000 feet the dive steepened uncontrollably, the aircraft diving vertically into the sea 7 miles east of Brawdsey, Suffolk. Flying Officer Hedley Molland survived the supersonic ejection at 25,000 feet, mach 1.1 - his left arm was broken on ejection as he only used his left hand to initiate ejection. He also suffered two black eyes and a fractured pelvis. His crash helmet, watch, gloves and one shoe were blown off during ejection. The parachute opened automatically at about 10,000ft and speed of descent was normal. Molland was unable, because of his injuries, to inflate his dinghy in the water. He is thought to be the second man ever to have baled out successfully at such a speed - the first was an American. Molland was rescued. The accident was finally attributed to the probable effects of using flaps at high speeds as an aid to combat manoeuverability. While with 111 Sqd RAF Flt. Lt. Hedley Molland also ejected from a Lightning over Battisford Hill, near Wattisham on the 29th September 1965. He died in February 2012.




Jimmy Dell OBE (deceased)
Died : 2008
*Signature Value : £50

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Dell, Jimmy
(Jimmy Dell OBE (deceased))

Jimmy Dell joined the RAF in 1942 and after the war flew F-86Es and the first radar equipped F-86D with the USAF. He was the first RAF Lightning Project Test Pilot and later became Chief Test Pilot at English Electric/BAC test flying Lightning, TSR 2 and Jaguar. One of a unique breed of aviators who have achieved great career success as a fast jet test pilot within both military and commercial environments. Probably best known for his work on the English Electric Lightning, Jimmy Dell has used his skill, courage and intimate knowledge of aerodynamics to reach the very top of a highly demanding profession. Joining the RAF in 1942, Jimmy Dell did his initial pilot training in Southern Rhodesia. By 1944 he had already become a Flying Instructor for advanced trainers. After the war Jimmy performed various training and test flying roles on aircraft such as Spitfires, Meteors, Venoms and Hunters. He also led test flight teams to the USA and France to work on aircraft such as the F-100, F-104, F-105, F-106, Mystere 4 and Mirage 3. In 1960 he joined English Electric on the Lightning development programme and was Chief Test Pilot from 1961 to 1970. Jimmy also worked on the TSR2 programme and flew 12 of the aircraft's 24 test flights, before its untimely cancellation in 1965. He worked on the French / UK Jaguar programme, and finally became Director, Flight Operations with responsibility for all Tornado test flight activities across the three participating countries. Jimmy Dell retired in 1989. Amongst his awards was the OBE for services to test flying. Sadly, Jimmy Dell died on 25th March 2008.


Group Captain Ian Thomson (deceased)
Died : 2010
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Thomson, Ian
(Group Captain Ian Thomson (deceased))

Officer Commanding No.11 Sqn at RAF Binbrook from 1976 to 1977. He died on 23rd August 2010.


Flight Lieutenant Paul Field
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Field, Paul
(Flight Lieutenant Paul Field)

Paul flew over 1000 hours on Lightnings during his career. With 11 (f) Sqn, he completed a 3 year tour, including a Live Quick Reaction Alert Scramble from RAF Binbrook to intercept 2 Russian 'Bears' a few miles off the Scottish coast, this was a rarity for the Binbrook wing. He later became a Lightning Tactics Instructor before leaving the RAF in 1986.


Flight Lieutenant Alan Page
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Page, Alan
(Flight Lieutenant Alan Page)

Lightning pilot with No.5 Sqn and No.11 Sqn.


Flight Lieutenant Ian Small
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Limited edition of 25 artist proofs.


Small, Ian
(Flight Lieutenant Ian Small)

Lightning pilot with No.11 Sqn.
Squadrons Related to This Print
No.111 Sqn
Aircraft Related to This Print
Lightning (RAF)

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