Trolling for a Kill

Trolling for a Kill
Graphite pencil on illustration board
Prints no longer available
1996

Trolling for a Kill is a rendition of a heavy fire team of Huey gunships. The Royal Australian Air Force operated Iroquois helicopters in Vietnam from 1965 onwards; first the 'B' Model and then the stretched 'D' Model.

Whilst there, industrious aircrew managed to acquire from their American allies (through means fair and foul) rocket launchers, M60D General Purpose Machine Guns and 7.62mm miniguns. Through trial and error, they were mounted onto the airframes and the RAAF gunships were then the most heavily armed Hueys in theatre.

In 1986, the Australian Government moved all Air Force helicopters over to Army control and the gunships were allocated to 5th Aviation Regiment until they were transferred to 1st Aviation Regiment in the late 90's and were retired from service in 2004.

Independent Productions and Aviation Services is the website of Conway Bown, Australian Army Official War Artist and Aviation Consultant. Services include portrait painting and other portraiture, aviation services such as CRM - Crew Resource Management - and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training - HUET - which may include Emergency Breathing Systems - EBS - training using Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Devices - HABD - or Helicopter Emergency Egress Device - HEEDs.

During 2006, Conway Bown deployed to the Middle East as the Australian Army's Official War Artist, what the US Armed Forces call Combat Artist. This website features the artwork created during this project as part of the Australian Army's Official Art Scheme.

For more information on War Art, Combat Artists, Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS) or Crew Resource Management (CRM), please visit the relevant webpages: