Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

Westland Wapiti II A

The first Westland Wapitis came to the IAF with the ‘A’ flight of No 1 sqn on 1 Apr 1933. No 7 Sqn was formed on 18 Nov 1942 at ‘Vizagapatnam’. Pending arrival of the new Vengeances, the Sqn flew the Wapiti IIA ex-6 CDF for about six weeks. Here Sqn Ldr ‘

Hawker Hurricane IIC

No 2 Sqn converted to the Hurricane IIC in Dec 42. Here one of their aircraft clears its plugs at Imphal before launching to carry out Tac/R for the scattered groups of Chindits and, if possible, some strafing of Japanese rolling stock along the Mandalay-

Vultee Vengeance MK I

Nos 7 and 8 were the first raisings on th Vultee Vengeance Mk I. Here Sqn Ldr PC Lal CO 7 Sqn (later Chief of the Air Staff) leads Flt Lts Nur Khan (later Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force) and ‘Minoo Engineer’ (later Air Marshall) into attack on

De Havilland Tiger Moth

De Havilland DH 92A Tiger Moth, HU 512 of the IAF’s Vintage Flight carrys out an air test before display at the Air Force Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1982. The Tiger Moth was being flown then Gp Capt AS Lamba VrC, after nearly 20 yrs after it lay unuse

Spitfire “Through the Storm”

One of my very first attempts. It’s a copy of Barrie Clark’s famous painting. Of course mine is nowhere near the original’s fantastic depiction. Oil on canvas 3’X2’. Artist’s collection.

Hawker Tempest Mk II

Two Tempests of 7 sqn operating from Sri Nagar and flown by Sqn Ldr BS Dogra and Flt Lt U D’Cruz enter the Shellatang valley along the Domel-Srinagar highway to strafe and rocket Pakistani invaders in Nov 48. 7 Sqn’s precise attacks on enemy raiders often

Supermarine Spitfire VIIIc

Supermarine Spitfire VIIIc A Spitfire VIIIc . Oil on canvas 3’X2’. Artist’s collection.

Supermarine Spitfire XIVc

A Spitfire XIVc from the Services Flying Trainig School (SFTS) at Ambala gambols over the plains of Punjab 1952. Oil on canvas 3’X2’. Artist’s collection.

HAL HF-24 Mk I Marut

An A&ATU (Aircraft and Armament Testing Unit) pilot tests the first Marut handed over to the IAF- BD 829 in Mar 1964. The early Maruts were characterized by the STR-9x VHF antenna on the nose. This painting has particular significance to me as that pi

Hawker Hunter 56. Fg Offr Adi Rustom Ghandhi of the No.7 Squadron, 'The Battle Axes' damages a PAF F-86 Sabre flown by Sqn Ldr Sarfaraz Rafiqui over the Halwara Airfield. Moments earlier, both Ghandhi and his formation leader Fg Offr PS 'Pingo' Pingale we

Dassault Mystere IVa. As the sun rises in the East, A Mystere IV A flown by Sqn Ldr AB " Tubby" Devayya of the IAF's No 1 "Tigers" sqn turns away from home to give battle to a PAF 9 Sqn F-104A Starfighter Flown by Flt Lt Amjad Hussein.

Hawker Hunter 56A. Flt lt ‘Kukki” Suresh of the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) attacks T-59s of Pakistan’s 22 Cav at Longewalla on 5 Dec 71. In a subsequent attack Kukki, distracted by a T-59 main gun shell aimed at him, impacted the ground but recover

HAL Ajeet. The prototype HAL Ajeet EI083 (Gnat Mk II) climbs out over Bangalore in Aug 78. The Ajeet was the ‘ground attack’ variant of the much acclaimed Gnat with a wet wing, new avionics and modified controls. Oil on canvas 3’X2’. ASTE collection.

Hawker Hunter 56A Wg Cdr ‘Ben’ Brar, CO 20 Sqn leads the ‘stand-by’ leader on a familiarization trip over Colombo, Sri lanka in 1983. 20 sqn became the IAF’s formation aerobatic team in 1981 with 12 Hunter 56As.The ac were painted in Oxford blue with whi

Kiran MK II A Kiran MK II deploys its anti-spin chute during inverted spinning trials in 1983. Oil on canvas 3’X2’. ASTE collection.

Hawker Hunter 56A An ASTE pilot carries out trials on a R-60 AAM equipped Hunter for operations from Leh during the initial phase of the Siachen conflict. The Hunter was the only ac that could operate from that elevation at that time (10,827’). A-918 was

Mig-21 FL. A Mig 21 FL (T-77) of OCU vaults over the afternoon’s dissipating thunder heads typically seen over the Brahmaputra. Oil on canvas 3’x2’. OCU museum collection.

Hawker Hunter 56A Wg Cdr Cecil Parker CO, 20 Sqn pulls out of his attack on the Attock oil refinery on 6 Dec 71. Operating at the Hunters max range the ac carried only gun ammo and long range fuel tanks. The blaze so created acted as a navigation aid to

Operation Poolmalai Wg Cdr Ajit Bhavnani escorts two of the An-32s from PTS involved in the relief supply drops over Sri Lanka known as 'Operation Poolmalai'.

Operation Cactus Wg Cdr Anil Vaidya and Fg Offr R Nambiar of the Battle Axes make a low turning pass over Male airfield where an Il-76 of No.44 Squadron had landed to disembark troops of the 50th Para Brigade from Agra.

HAL Jaguar IM Two maritime Jaguars of 6 Sqn practices an anti shipping strike with the Sea Eagle missile. Oil on paper 3’X2’. Private collection of an ex 6 sqn pilot.

General Dynamics F-16. Two Pakistani F-16s contrail at height in the early ex delivery paint scheme. Water color 2’X1’. Artists collection.

Dassault Mirage 2000 TH A Mirage 2000 trainer flown by an ASTE crew tests laser guided munitions in the desert. Oil on canvas 3’X2’. ASTE collection.

HS-748 Avro (AEW). Avro H 2175 modified with a rotodome for possible development as an AEW platform carries out handling trial at the hands of an ASTE crew. The rear fuselage of the ac is painted black an adorned with wool tufts to visualize airflow pa

Mig-21 Bis Upgrade. An IAF test pilot puts the first upgraded Bis, C 2777 through its paces over Nizny Novograd, in Russia during the types development programme. The paint scheme was particularly designed to depict the Indian national colors. Oil on c

Mirage 2000TH taking off from Yelahanka at Aero India 2001 Aero India 2001 saw a Mirage 2000 being displayed by a French pilot. The Mirage was an Indian Air Force aircraft that just rolled out of HAL's overhaul facility. It was loaned to the French for

MiG-29 and a PAF F-16 The painting shows the MiG-29 in the markings sported during the 80s, meet an F-16 on its way down. - Lohegaon AFS Mess

PAF F-16 and IAF Mirage 2000 H An Indian Mirage crosses a Pakistani F-16 head on during a ‘what if’ visualization. Many Mirage pilots have chided me for putting the Mirage in a supposedly inferior position. This is not true. I have deliberately shown t

Mirage 2000TH attacking Tigerhill 24/25 June 1999, 0200 hrs. a 7 sqn Mirage 2000 releases the first ever night drop of an LGB (in anger), at dug in Pakistani troops on the top of Tiger hill in the kargil area. the attacks softened the target so that th

Aeronautical Development Agency's Tejas (Light Combat Aircraft) Till date three prototypes of the ADA's Light combat aircraft have taken to the air. Though none of them sport the IAF's camoflage colors, this painting simulates a Tejas in the IAF's rounde