ATOMIC-ANNIHILATION: September 2016

... early Intercontinental Bomber ideas!

... before the practical development of in-flight refueling, if you wanted to go a really long way, you had to have a really big airplane. Lots and lots of fuel meant big fuel tanks, bigger wings for more lift, bigger tails for better steering in the high-altitudes which meant bigger engines etc. etc. There were a lot of designs. And a lot of wacky ideas.

Remember- in the late 1940's and early 50's there was a distinct lag between long range radar coverage, interceptor technology and the chance that this big baby (or a B-36) just might be able to slip through to it's target!

all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!

1968 ... USAF in Spaaaaace!

... we have to realize that much of what spurred the "Space Race" was the Cold War and the "Arms Race". Big rockets meant big payloads; and those payloads could either be heroic astronauts of H-bombs. The Air Force had it's own space program throughout this period. USAF interest in military applications of space continued throughout the Cold-War. Remember Reagan's 'Star-Wars' (SDI) program. Here we see the sort of nifty magazine cover that I am trying to resurrect in my own illustration work. (no wimpy articles on green, baby-whale saving, technology here!)

Lifting body research helped lead to the Space Shuttle; but the fly-boys were talking manned bombers and fighters in orbit ... oorah!

all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!

1952 ... Avro "Vulcan"

... my photo-illus - Vulcan

... I've always really liked the Vulcans in their original all-white 'anti-flash' livery.

But it's difficult to find good photos from that period. So I settled for a more moody depiction of this big V starting it's descent for it's low-level bomb run.

all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!