Reconnaissance Collection

Four Royal Australian Air Force F-111 aircraft
February 14, 2006 - Four Royal Australian Air Force F-111 aircraft head out to the ranges on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during Red Flag 06-1

Two Nimrod R1s of 51 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, pictured flying in formation

Fairey Swordfish Torpedo-Bomber; Second World War, 1941
Painting showing a Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bomber-reconnaissance airplane flying over a British destroyer (bottom centre) and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (back right), 1941

The Westland Lysander, 1941. Creator: Unknown
The Westland Lysander, 1941. British army liaison aircraft made by Westland Aircraft, used before and during the Second World War

Royal Australian Air Force F-111 in flight
Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, February 14, 2006 - A Royal Australian Air Force F-111 flies to the ranges during Red Flag 06-1

Mitsubishi Ki-46-II Dinah -Used between mid-19441-1945 by the Japanese Army for long range reconnaissance

Dropping from a Kite Balloon 1917
A British observer drops from the car of a kite balloon, attached to the parachute which is hanging over the side of the basket. His colleague has already jumped and is on his way to the ground

RAF Bristol Blenheim Fighter-Bombers; Second World War, 19
Illustration showing three Royal Air Force Bristol Blenheim mark IV fighter-bomber-reconnaissance airplanes over enemy territory in 1941

Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 of the Royal Air Force taken on its base at RAF Kinloss, Scotland

A SR-71B Blackbird flying across the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California during a 1994 flight

U-2 spy plane with fictitious NASA markings, USA, 1960. Creator: NASA
U-2 spy plane with fictitious NASA markings, USA, 1960. After Francis Gary Powers was shot down over the Soviet Union during a CIA spy flight on May 1, 1960

A Supermarine Spitfire Mk-18 in flight near West Chester County, Pennsylvania

PBY Catalina vintage flying boat
Consolidated PBY Catalina vintage flying boat in U.S. Army Air Force naval rescue colors

Tornado GR4 with Raptor Reconnaissance Pod
A Tornado GR4 aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force, takes off from RAF Marham in Norfolk. A Raptor Airborne Reconnaissance Pod can be seen fitted beneath the fuselage

Republic XF-12 Rainbow RC-2
Republic Rc-2 Rainbow Airliner Cutaway Drawing Date: 1940s

Supermarine Walrus
A Search & Rescue Supermarine Walrus Picking Up a Downed and Stranded Pilot in a Rubber Life-Raft Dinghy in the Sea Date: 1940s

Aerial view of trenches, West Flanders, Belgium, WW1
Aerial view of front line trenches near Kemmel and Wulvergem, West Flanders, Belgium, on 8 May 1918. Date: 1918

Fairey Campania two-seat seaplane
Fairey Campania two-seat carrier-borne reconnaissance or coastal patroller seaplane, which entered production in early 1917. It was mounted on a wheeled trolley for takeoff from a ships flight deck

Aerial view, Clairmarais aerodrome, Northern France, WW1
Aerial view of part of Clairmarais aerodrome, Pas de Calais, Northern France, with handwritten annotations, showing buildings and aeroplanes. Date: 1918

Henschel Hs 126 -the Luftwaffes standard tactical reconnaissance airtcraft

British RE8 biplane and pilot, WW1
A British Royal Aircraft Factory RE8 two-seater biplane with the pilot in the cockpit, used by the Royal Flying Corps for reconnaissance and bombing during the First World War

Short seaplane Type 184 in flight, WW1
A British Short seaplane Type 184 in flight during the First World War. It was a two-seater reconnaissance, bombing and torpedo-carrying folder seaplane designed by Short Brothers. 1915-1918

Aerial photograph of ruined suburbs, Arras, France, WW1
Aerial photograph (Canadian) of the ruined suburbs of Arras in northern France, taken from a kite balloon during the First World War. Date: November 1917

Zeppelin shed at Nordholz, aerial photograph during WW1
Aerial photograph of a Zeppelin shed on a turntable, after its reconstruction and extension to a length of 200 metres, at the Nordholz Zeppelin Base in northern Germany during the First World War

United States Air Force - Martin NRB-57D Canberra 53-3973 31 May 1956 accepted by the 4080 Strategic Reconnaissance Wing 1959-61: AFSC. Converted to WB-57D

Canberra PR9
Pictured during a routine sortie, aircraft WJ874 was painted to represent the first prototype Canberra, VN799, when it flew for the first time on 13 May 1949 at Warton airfield

Aircraft mark The Queens 90th Birthday with a fly-past over Buckingham palace
Pictured are an RAF Sentinel an Airseeker and two Tornado GR4 s. Her Majestys official 90th Birthday celebrations ended with an impressive display of 15 different types of aircraft

Mitsubishi Ki-46-II Dinah -constant improvements ensured that this Jabpanese Army reconnaissance type remained faster than most Allied fighters

RA-5C Vigilante in flight, circa 1966

British airship Beta at Firminy, France, WW1
The British airship Beta (HMA No. 17) on the landing ground at Firminy near Dunkirk, northern France, during the First World War

East African Reconnaissance Regiment in Burma
Photograph of a soldier from the East African Reconnaissance Regiment, checking a machine-gun, Burma, 1945. The East African Reconnaissance Regiment, part of 11th East African Division

Focke Wulf FW 189A -this twin engined tactical reconnaissance type was used extensively on the Eastern Front

Airco DH 4 two-seater light bomber, first flown in mid-August 1916, and used by the RFC and the RNAS. Seen here is serial no. A 7845, a reconnaissance fighter version. Date: circa 1916-1918

A U. S. Air Force E-3A Sentry taking off from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada
A U.S. Air Force E-3A Sentry AWACS from 552nd Air Control Wing, taking off from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, during Red Flag 2016-2

PBY Catalina vintage flying boat
Consolidated PBY Catalina vintage flying boat in U.S. Army Air Force naval rescue colors

A Royal Air Force Harrier GR9 flying low over North Wales. The Harrier GR9 is a single seat, multi-role combat aircraft that is capable of operating in extreme environments

Short S23 Empire Flying Boat G-AETY Clio
Short S23 Empire Flying Boat, G-AETY, Clio, on arrival at Belfast for conversion to a military role for coastal reconnaissance

Aerial photograph of Bayernschloss, Germany, WW1
Aerial photograph (German) of an area described as Bayernschloss, Germany, during the First World War. Date: 12 July 1917

MQ-9 Reaper spyplane. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), formerly called RQ-9 Predator B, is piloted remotely and powered by the propeller at the rear (left)

Aerial photography by G. H. Davis
Aerial photography by the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit of the RAF: details of cameras and methods in use during the Second World War. Date: 1944

German Air Force Tornado aircraft of Germanys reconnaissance wing 51 in Tiger Meet markings, Neuburg, Germany

A U. S. Army RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle
March 7, 2011 - A U.S. Army RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle sits on the flight line before takeoff at Hurlburt Field, Florida, during Emerald Warrior 2011

A U-2 Dragon Lady takes off from Osan Air Base, South Korea
October 21, 2009 - A U-2 Dragon Lady takes off from Osan Air Base, South Korea, during the base Air Power Day air show

King George V with RAF officers, Western Front, WW1
King George V inspecting RAF officers on the Western Front in France during World War One, August 1918. The men belonged to the 11th and 2nd Balloon Wings (air reconnaissance). 1918

BRITISH BABY AIRSHIP 2
The British Armys Baby intended for observation and reconnaissance, depicted flying low over London

Entrance to the dockyard, Portsmouth
Entrance to the dockyard at Portsmouth, where Lieutenant Commander Lionel Kenneth Phillip Buster Crabb (1909-1956) disappeared on 19 April 1956

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 71-0291 (msn 0012/B002), at the 1980 SBAC Farnborough Airshow on 6 September 1980. Built as the second TF-15A

Aerial photograph of damage to the Messerschmitt factory in Regensburg. 17th August 1943

United States Navy - North American RA-5C Vigilante 156608 NK601 RVAH-13 (RVAH - heavy aircraft reconnaissance squadron) in the early 1970s Date: 1972

Arado AR-234
A Captured Luftwaffe Arado Ar-234 in Royal Air Force RAF Marking Parked, As Flown by Test-Pilot Captain Eric Melrose Winkle Brown, Cbe, Dsc, Afc, Fraes

Grumman US-2C Tracker 133360
United States Navy - Grumman US-2C Tracker 133360 (msn N-32), of VU-7. The sixty S2F-2 (S-2C) Trackers were built to carry the MK-90 nuclear depth charge in an enlarged weapon bay

Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01559
United States Air Force - Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01559 (msn ) of the 527th TFTAS, 10th TRW, at RAF Alconbury on 27 April 1977. Date: 1977

Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01552
United States Air Force - Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01552, of the 527th TFTAS, 10th TRW, at RAF Alconbury on 9 August 1977. Date: 1977

Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01551
United States Air Force - Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01551, of the 527th TFTAS, 10th TRW, at RAF Alconbury on 9 August 1977. Date: 1977

Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01560
United States Air Force - Northrop F-5E Tiger II 74-01560 (msn ) of the 527th TFTAS, 10th TRW, at RAF Alconbury on 27 April 1977 Date: 1977

McDonnell Douglas RF-4C Phantom 68-0580
United States Air Force - McDonnell Douglas RF-4C-39-MC Phantom 68-0580 (MSN 3532), of the 33rd Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron, based at Shaw AFB, SC. Date: 1971

Northrop T-38A Talon 64-13301
United States Air Force - Northrop T-38A-55-NO Talon 64-13301 (MSN N.5730), of the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale AFB. Date: circa 2000

SOP. 1E.2
Aviation Militaire - SOP. 1E.2 two-seat trainer, with student pilots. One of many hundreds licence-built in France, in reconnaissance (Sop. 1A.2), bomber (Sop. 1B.2), single-seat bomber (Sop)

Alfa Romeo 1900 M 'Matta', given the designation AR 51 ( AR - Autovettura da Ricognizione - Reconnaissance Car). A civilian version was also produced in limites numbers as the AR52. Date: circa 1990

Claire Ogden, giving watch to Lieutenant W.C.F. Brown, between c1915 and c1920. Creator: Bain News Service
Claire Ogden, giving watch to Lieutenant W.C.F. Brown, between c1915 and c1920. Shows Claire Ogden with Lieutenant W.C.F. Brown in an event related to the 1919 transcontinental reliability

British & French artillery observers, between 1915 and 1918. Creator: Bain News Service
British & French artillery observers, between 1915 and 1918. French and British military observers during World War I

Observation balloon, U.S.A. 9 Dec 1917. Creator: Bain News Service
Observation balloon, U.S.A. 9 Dec 1917 (date created or published later). An observation balloon ready to be launched over German trenches in Europe in World War I

German observers, between c1915 and 1918. Creator: Bain News Service
German observers, between c1915 and 1918. German soldiers, including two on a ladder and one using a binocular trench periscope during World War I

French Infantry scouting in woods, between c1914 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
French Infantry scouting in woods, between c1914 and c1915. French soldiers in woods at the beginning of World War I

McDonnell RF-4C Phantom 64-1073
United States Air Force - McDonnell RF-4C-23-MC Phantom 64-1073 (msn 1116, base code AR ), of the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, from RAF Alconbury

Bomb damage to central Berlin near the Tiergarten area. 8th March 1944

Damage to the central areas of Berlin after R. A. F. raids. 24th March 1944
Damage to the central areas of Berlin after R.A.F. raids. 24th March 1944

Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker 57-2589
United States Air Force - Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker 57-2589 (MSN 17725) 13 December 1958: First flight. 21 January 1959: 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Offutt AFB, NE

United States Air Force - Boeing WB-29 Superfortress
United States Air Force - Boeing WB-29-90-BW Superfortress 44-87744 (msn12547), force landed at Moses Point Airport, Elim, Alaska due to two in-flight engine failures

Alabama Air National Guard - Republic RF-84F Thunderflash
Alabama Air National Guard - Republic RF-84F-35-RE Thunderflash 53-7529, of the 160th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, with 53-7526, 53-7542, 53-7547, 53-7611 (-40) and 53-7595 (-40)

Nakajima C6N Saiun (Iridescent Cloud) (Allied codename Jill), carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service in World War II At Freeman Field Arizona

Royal Air Force Supermarine Swift FR. 5 WK281
Royal Air Force Supermarine Swift FR.5 WK281. Built by Vickers Armstrong and delivered on 5 November 1956, WK281 joined No 79 Squadron at RAF Gutersloh

Short S. 38 - SA. 1 Sturgeon S. 1 RK797
Short S.38/SA.1 Sturgeon S.1 RK797, the first prototype of a new carrier-borne strike and reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy

Republic XF-12 Rainbow
Republic Xf-12 / Xr-12 Rainbow Flying Date: 1940s

Supermarine Walrus Mark 1 / I
A Royal-Navy 277 Squadron Supermarine Walrus Mark 1 Flying over Fields Date: 1941

English Electric Canberra B-6
RAF English Electric Canberra B-6S flying in formation over Fields. Wj778, Wt371= RAF 139 Squadron; Wj771, Wj780= RAF 109 Squadron. All Were Binbrook Based Date: 1956

Flanders Operations; Before relief of the Belgians by the French... 1917. Creator: Unknown
Flanders Operations; Before relief of the Belgians by the French: a French officer inspects the Belgian sector, 1917. From "L'Album de la Guerre 1914-1919

On the Eastern Front; An artillery observer in a position captured... 1917. Creator: Unknown
On the Eastern Front; An artillery observer in a position captured from September 7 to 10, between Lake Malik and Lake Ohrid, 1917

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Exploring the Skies: A Glimpse into the World of Reconnaissance" From the iconic Two Nimrod R1s of 51 Squadron to the legendary Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, it has always been at the forefront of aviation. This captivating field takes us back in time to witness history unfold through aerial lenses. In 1941, amidst the chaos of World War II, Four Royal Australian Air Force F-111 aircraft soared across enemy lines with unwavering determination. Meanwhile, the Fairey Swordfish Torpedo-Bomber showcased its versatility as it braved treacherous waters during critical missions. The Westland Lysander, shrouded in mystery and created by an unknown genius in 1941, proved instrumental in covert operations. Similarly, Mitsubishi Ki-46-II Dinah played a pivotal role between mid-1944 and 1945 as it gathered vital intelligence for strategic planning. Witnessing a Royal Australian Air Force F-111 gracefully glide through the sky is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Its presence reminds us that reconnaissance remains essential even in modern times. Equally impressive is the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2 of the Royal Air Force - a symbol of technological advancement and precision. As we delve deeper into history's archives, we encounter breathtaking sights such as an SR-71B Blackbird majestically soaring above Sierra Nevada Mountains or a U-2 spy plane masquerading under fictitious NASA markings during Cold War tensions - reminding us that truth can often be disguised behind illusions. Amidst these remarkable machines lies beauty too; behold a Supermarine Spitfire Mk-18 gracefully cutting through clouds with unparalleled elegance. And who could forget about PBY Catalina vintage flying boat? It served not only as an invaluable asset but also captured hearts with its nostalgic charm. Reconnaissance encompasses more than just technology; it embodies courage and dedication.