Juanita Franzi Aero Illustrations | Publisher
Juanita Franzi Aero Illustrations
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24.01.2022 Hornets of OKRA Not since Korea have the RAAFs fighters/ground-attack aircraft seen so much active service. Here is a 3SQN Classic and a 1SQN Super depicted while they were deployed in the Middle East under Op OKRA. My last posting for 2019. Looks like 2020 will be a year of change. Wishing you a wonderful New Year.
24.01.2022 Tomorrow 77SQN will farewell their Classic Hornets after 33 years! The Hornets will be missed. I don't think any RAAF aircraft since WW2 (Korea maybe) has had as many colourful scheme as the Hornet. https://aeroprints.com.au//f-a-18-hornet-77sqn-says-farew/
24.01.2022 Just released: RAAF BAC One-Eleven from 34 Sqn There are only a limited number of these A3 lithographic prints available. The BAC 1-11 is fondly regarded by those who operated her, and it was with the help (and prompting) of some ex-34 Sqn RAAFies that this print was developed. Just PM me directly or email me on [email protected] (Only Aust $ 22)
23.01.2022 Eight decades of RAAF Airlift; C-47 to C-27 The WW2-era C-47 Dakota could be described as the RAAFs first dedicated airlifter. It did everything: long-haul, strategic airdrop, medivac. Compared at scale is the latest Air Mobility Group fixed-wing hauler: C-27J Spartan battlefield airlifter. Comparisons: Length: 19.6m versus 22.7m Capacity: C-47B: 28 Troops or 2,700kgs of cargo versus C-27J: 34 troops or 5,000kg of cargo. (read below for info on a C-27J print)
23.01.2022 Bristol F.2 Fighters The very ugly ones Working on illustrations for the forthcoming Air -Britain book on the Bristol Fighterhave slipped in a few examples relating to Australia. Unfortunately, some are at the extreme ‘ugly’ end of the Bristol lineage: a Sunbeam Arab powered training aircraft of AFC 7 (Training) Squadron, UK, and the Puma-powered Tourer used by Brearley’s pioneering Western Australian Airways Ltd in the early 1920s..
22.01.2022 Republic Thunder A scale comparison between the WW2 fighter that made the Republic name famous (P-47 Thunderbolt) and the companys first swept-wing aircraft (F-84F Thunderstreak). Both these types have dedicated fans!
21.01.2022 Beautiful sunset in Sydney...and out there is a Beaver seaplane being tied down for the night.... (just to the left of the photo's centre, see comments below for enlargement)
21.01.2022 You can now get the lithographic prints direct. If everything goes according to plan, there will be some new RAAF types being added over the next few months. https://aeroprints.com.au/
21.01.2022 The last edition of Aero Australia is hitting the newsstands; make sure you get your copy. The magazine frequently included my artworks and this Issue 65 is no exception; with a full-page layout of RAAF F-111 profiles in a range of schemes. As always, they've done a lovely job of presenting and printing my artwork (thanks Steward and Mat). Im very sorry to see the magazine close its doors. :-(
20.01.2022 Changing the guard at 2OCU: a taste of things to come One of the 2OCU Hornets in a schemes it carried in 2012, next to the aircraft that will replace it: the F-35. A35-001 was the first RAAF F-35 delivered (2014). It was retained in the USA for use in the training role; even though it hasnt served with 2OCU the tail marking are appropriate.
20.01.2022 A flight of Bulldog Whether you call them Beagle Bulldogs or Scottish Aviation Bulldogs, its still a nice looking aeroplane. Sample of artworks prepared for recently released Air-Britain book.
20.01.2022 The Air-Britain book on the Bristol Fighter is getting closer to release...to pique your interest, here are a few of the profile artworks prepared specially for the book. Philip Jarrett has updated the original book authored by Ray Sturtivant, Gordon Page and James J Halley. The new edition features Mick Davis' scale drawings and completely new profile artworks.
20.01.2022 Wonderful to see a DH9 in the air....suspect its over 85 years since a DH9 last flew. Was with the DH9 PD restoration voluntary team for a couple of years in my teens and I have a soft-spot for the type.
20.01.2022 F-82 Twin Mustangs & Korea The gloss-black F-82s of the 68th Fighter (All Weather) Sqn were called into action from the moment the Korean conflict began and they claimed the first aerial victory. FQ-415 was one of the last F-82s operated by the 449th All Weather Sqn based in Alaska. This weary Korean War veteran, like other F-82s in the 449th, was no longer used in the all-weather role. Stripped of their radar pods they still performed good-weather long range reconnaissance and undertook ground attack practice.
20.01.2022 Hot of the press: Caloundra Hueys: the print This Limited-Edition A3 size Lithographic print is available exclusively from QAM and the Caloundra RSL. It features Vietnam Vet UH-1B A2-1022 and UH-1H A2-310. These two Hueys now reside at Caloundra. Read the comments below for more information.
19.01.2022 Avalon 2019 It's hot! Go early so you can enjoy the outdoor exhibits - RAAF, Historic and Civil. When you're ready to cool off go to the Aero Australia mag stand (Hall 1). They have books and prints on special...but limited stock so don't miss out...and its air-conditioned!
18.01.2022 In case you haven't heard, the next issue of 'Aero Australia' will be the last. Its tragic to be losing another Australian aviation/aero-historical publication. It will be leaving the newsagent shelves bereft of Australian aviation history :-( I have worked with Stewart and Wendy for decades and I'm personally very sorry to see the end of this publication. https://www.aeroaustraliamag.com/aero-australia-end-era/
18.01.2022 737...First flew 1967... Youve come a long way Baby Who would have imagined that 50 years later the 737 airframe would evolve into Australias most advanced surveillance and AEW&C aircraft: the P-8A Poseidon and the E-7 Wedgetail. Its a great credit to 737 design. My first drawing board encounter with the 737 was over a decade ago, and its one of my top favourite aircraft types.
18.01.2022 Great Aussie Airlines A familiar sight in country areas of Australia during the 1960s: Vickers Viscount in TAAs livery of the early 1960s. MacRobertson Miller Airlines Fokker F-27 Friendship in its final scheme.
17.01.2022 Saab B 18: Swedens last piston-engined bomber. The B 18 entered Swedish service in 1944 and served through to the late 1950s when it was replaced by the Saab 32. This example was one of several that were lost when a training flight ran into bad weather in 1946. It was recovered in 1979 and is the last survivor.
17.01.2022 X/Y-Planes, USA 1943 Many new and radical design were considered during WW2. Here is the twin-boom Vultee XP-54 featuring a pressurised cockpit. This was no paper design, the first one flew in January 1943. Apparently, the handling was good but the cancellation of the Lycoming engine production put an end to the XP-54. Below this, at the same scale, is the YP-59, one of the first US jet fighters. It was a traditional design fitted with two GE turbojet engines. The prototype flew in late 1942 and the production P-59s were delivered in late 1944. The types performance was mediocre, and it never saw action.
16.01.2022 Tempests at the Wars end The Hawker Tempest was essentially a slim wing development of the Typhoon. The test aircraft utilised several different engines. The first to go into service was the Mk V (top) with the Napier Sabre engine, giving it a similar appearance to the Typhoon. The radial-engined Mk II variant just missed seeing action in WW2. This combination would later be developed into the great post-War fighter, the Sea Fury.
16.01.2022 Aero Prints: Did you know? My RAAF aircraft prints can be purchased directly...just Private Message me or use the contact page at www.aeroillustrations.com The shopfront website is almost ready to go once my web designer has returned from fighting fires.
16.01.2022 The Vultee XP-54 and the Bell P-59 looked even better out of camo....1943/1944
15.01.2022 RAAF Bombers in transition Depicted at the same scale: the RAAF’s last piston-engine powered bomber, the Avro Lincoln, and one of its first jet-bombers, the BAC Canberra. These have been prepared for a forthcoming Air Force History and Heritage publication.
14.01.2022 The Fokker Jumbo, 1930 The Fokker F-32 was a mammoth of its time. It could carry 30 passengers in comfort with catering and bathroom facilities. Its interesting to compare it with the 21-seater DC-3 (same scale) that went into production 5 years later. It was time of rapid change. The F-32 is one of the illustrations prepared for the forthcoming book The Fokker Fours, which covers the F-32, F.XXXVI and F.XXII.
14.01.2022 Civil wings: Piper Cub v Diamond DA42 Twin Star The 2-seat Cub is a well-loved classic light aircraft developed in the late 1930s. Its up against the DA42, a sleek, 4-seater, composite-built design developed through the 2000s. The Twin Star is a popular trainer; this example was operated by CTC Aviation (NZ) around 2014. These are to the same scale. The Cub is dwarfed by most aircraft but the DA42 is extremely compact.
13.01.2022 Time to go retro: Bf 109E v Storch These are to scale - surprised to see the Fi 156 Storch was considerably larger than the Bf 109 E. Both these artworks were created for Luftfahrtverlag-Start books: Mit der Kamera an der Front (Bf 109 E) which features unpublished WW2 colour photos and a large number of these profiles, and the invaluable reference book Emblems of the Luftwaffe.
13.01.2022 Following a theme: The Good, (the Bad), and the Ugly Who could have imagined the elegance of the North American F-86 Sabre (CAC Sabre in this case) would descend from the ugliness of the USN FJ-1 Furyall it needed was some German aeronautical genius and some NA engineering brilliance.
12.01.2022 Lockheed Legend: Electra-Orion - 60yrs in Oz The L188 Electra turbo-prop airliner entered Australian service with Ansett-ANA in 1959. Although all were retired from airline/air freight service by 1984, the type lived on with the RAAF in its military variant, the P-3 Orion. The bulk of the RAAFs Orion fleet was retired by late 2019, two secret-squirrel examples still soldier on VH-ECD in its 1960s scheme and A9-751 in 2017, not long before it was retired.
12.01.2022 I don't usually post anything other than aviation on this page...but being someone who loves history, the wilful destruction of historical material is a crime against all humanity. And this is happening now, in 'civilised' Australia: https://www.smh.com.au//blast-destroys-one-of-country-s-ol
11.01.2022 The delightful Cub A rendition of a contemporary Canadian example with a few modern fittings lovingly added by the owner.
08.01.2022 Me 109 E: Weary fighters of LG 2 Although LG 2 was often operating aircraft that had been passed on from other squadrons, its experienced pilots were still a potent force. These artwork were prepared for Mit der Kamera an der Front and decals sheets. This book covers the history of the unit from the Western Campaign 1940, through the attack on England to the Russian campaign (1942) and features the unpublished colour photos by a cameraman with the unit.
08.01.2022 More Fortresses: Captured Over the course of WW2 many B-17s were captured and flown. Here is B-17F Wulf Hound, the first B-17 captured and flown by the Germans. The early B-17G was one of many interned by the Swiss after landing within their borders. These were some of the artworks prepared for the MMP/Stratus book "The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in Foreign Service"
08.01.2022 The Pilatus PC-21: The Swiss 'sports car of the sky'. Have just finished these two: the Roulettes Aerobatic Team PC-21, and the sleek grey 4SQN example
07.01.2022 Il-2 White 1 was flown by I.F. Pavlov (twice Hero of the Soviet Union). Its colourful markings have made it a popular topic for artist and resulted in many colour interpretations. Here is my version.. ;-)
07.01.2022 SEPECAT Jaguar: a post from the past The Jaguar is a great looking aircraft. Its shape is evocative of 1970s Formula 1 racing cars: blended angular contours and tightly radiused corners. This example from 14 Sqn, Germany, was shot down in 1982 by friendly fire - the pilot made a successful hasty exit.
06.01.2022 The B-17 Fortress wasnt just operated by the USAAF/USAF & RAF! The military of Canada, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Portugal were among those operating the B-17...with the last one being retired in the 1960s. These artworks are a selection from those prepared the MMP/Stratus books The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in Foreign Service. Author Jan Forsgren
06.01.2022 American Beau The USAAF had four Beaufighter night fighter squadrons in the Mediterranean during 1943/1944. This particular aircraft, KV912, was from the 416th NFS. The squadron was initially deployed to Algeria and, as the Allies gained ground, they moved their base to Tunisia and then to the heel of Italy.
06.01.2022 Fresh off the drawing board: Albatros D.III Albatros produced some great looking fighters. This particular example was operated by Fliegerabteilung 300, based in Syria. It was shot down by 111 Squadron RFC on 8 October 1917. The pilot forced landed and the intact aircraft was salvaged by Australian forces.
04.01.2022 B-17 Fortress in post-war colour With the Cold War following closely behind WW2, the US continued developing new weapons. B-17 drones were vital for testing everything from radiation level to missiles. Top artwork: remotely-control air sampling drone from the Bikini nuclear tests. The red QB-17 drone was use to film missile tests. The missile was intended to make a close pass, not a direct strike.
04.01.2022 B-17: When the war was over...they didnt stop flying: Brazil purchased a fleet of B-17s in the 1950s (top artwork) for use in the search & rescue role and for photo mapping/recon. A significant number of B-17s were converted by the USAAF/USAF into VIP transports. This particular example (bottom) was based in Tulln, Austria, with the European Air Transport Service in the late 1940s.
