all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
1956 ... F-104 Starfighter
... 'Zoom to Ceiling' was the purpose and point of this "missile with a man in it!". One of the most important objectives in fighter defense against bombers is to get up to the altitude of the incoming enemy before they have passed you by. The 'Starfighter' was also fast, twice the speed of sound; which was really screamin' back then. It had a lot of faults, but it was a 'hot' ride and good pilots loved it and say it could still be competitive today! (note: in production for 30 yrs- over 2,500 built!)
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
1949 ... F-94C 'Starfire'
... Air Defense is a fascinating section of the history of the Cold War/Arms Race. For every advance on one side, there was a counter-measure developed on the other. These are unguided air-to-air rockets in the nose of the Lockheed F-94 'Starfire'. It was hoped that a barrage of these, fired at a slow moving Soviet bomber, would destroy the target. (You only needed one to score!). During normal flight they were covered with a streamlined doors which folded inwards for firing.
1956 ... tails of the Hustler!
... tail of a B-58 "Hustler". The last US bomber to have a tail mounted gun. It can be seen just below the elongated radome of the aiming radar. The preferred defense of the Mach 2 aircraft, was to simply outrun any fighters. It was said that there was some controversy surrounding the need for the gun; skeptics saying that at supersonic speed bullets from the Gatling gun would do little more than trickle out in the backward direction.
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
... more of my photo-illus work
... here is some of my recent portfolio work. These are photographic illustrations done with digital techniques. They are created using existing stock photographs as a starting point. Aircraft are often cut apart and reassembled with modification to angle and perspective as well as color, lighting and detail. The goal is to create photographic realistic illustrations of events and scenes that could not be created in any other way.
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
1983 ... gee-whiz!
... great illustration for a speculative fighter hot-rod. Seems to be using hydrogen 'zip-fuel'. From time to time engineers try to come up with a more exotic miracle fuel that will radically improve the performance of air-breathing aircraft.
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
1956 ... B-58 ejection capsule
... faced with the daunting idea of bailing out of an aircraft traveling at 1400 mph at 11 miles above the Earth, the engineers of the 1950's tried to come up with a solution. The Convair B-58 'Hustler' was one of several aircraft which have attempted to use an ejection 'pod' to protect the aircrew from the harsh environment. Sadly, none of them have worked very well. Pilots of the more contemporary SR-71 and the U-2 wear spacesuit style flight-suits which, together with an efficient ejection seat, seem to provide as much protection as possible. LINK
1958 ... big bad B-52
... snapshot of the tail and rear gunner compartment of a B-52 F (?). The rear tail gunner was in a pressurized housing separated from the rest of the aircraft and crew.
1968 ... flying Army Sanpan!
... okay - whose been smoking that wacky-weed over in the R&D department!
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