... this is my artwork. My goal is to provide new visions of various aircraft and fill in the gaps left by early and inadequate photo technology.
Prints, posters, t-shirts, mugs etc. etc. can be purchased here:
https://3-james-vaughan.pixels.com/
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... don't mess with Ike!
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... dirt; lots and lots of dirt! That's the best way to ride out a nuclear blast. This is probably aftermath of one of the fifteen 'shots' during "Operation Teapot" during 1955 at the Nevada proving grounds. All sorts of 'blast-effects' were documented during this series of atomic bomb detonations; including what sorts of shelters worked best. We are looking at a reinforced concrete structure, mostly below grade, with a big mound of dirt piled on top.
note: don't be directly behind that door when the bomb goes off - it looks pretty thin and won't stop much of the 'hard radiation' x-rays and gamma rays coming from the instant of detonation.
... more death and destruction from the seemingly endless supply of Soviet Union (USSR) instructional posters.
On the other hand the babe in the upper series is someone I'd like to have in my shelter!
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... I got all excited thinking this was a promotional pamphlet from the time the 'Nike' nuclear tipped anti-aircraft missile was in operation. I was going to give it a big thumbs-up for the scare your pants off division of Cold-War information. Turns out to be a history article from a 2005 issue of 'Air & Space'. Oh well. I can't find the full article on the Internet so I'll throw in a documentary sure to leave you hiding under your beds!
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"... take a walk down the tarmac and you can see we've got three great little models for you- yessir!"
Left to right; engine intake and wing of the Martin B-57 'Canberra', North American XB-70 "Valkyrie'and the Lockheed YF-12. The YF-12 is pretending to be a possible super-duper interceptor so no one pays attention to the nearly identical SR-71 'Blackbird' spy-plane (still confuses me!).
... looking every bit the deadly predator that it was not; the BQM-34E 'Firebee' Target Drone runs for it's life!
Marvelous painting by Keith Ferris.
LINK
... a 'flight' of B-36 'Peacemakers' darkening the sky. I miss my childhood days (late 50's early 60's) when the USAF was much more keen on burning aviation fuel and scaring the barnyard chickens. All sorts of stuff used to go zooming over my small Ohio town. We got to see our "tax dollars at work!".
It was in fact reassuring and instilled some pride and sense of patriotism. For those of us that lived it; the Cold War was a very scary time!
BTW - I noticed how sharp the 36 sets of props are (and by all the dust marks I had to remove I can guarantee it's an original Air Force photo). My guess is that at the fastest shutter speed of the time, 1/1000th of a sec was enough to freeze those huge slow turning blades.
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... it's important to note that with everything is in full color these days - we may be safer from Atomic Annihilation!
... I had heard of this; but an enthusiastic fan provided much more info (and he just can't stop laughing about it!) The fan, Greg Renner, also provided the 'commemorative' art !
wiki LINK
... big ugly fellow isn't it? Did you know that of the six 'Typhoons' built; only [1] remains in service?
(Note to self: any presence of steam or smoke makes a picture semi-steampunk and twice as awesome!)
... shout-out for a new Cold War blog "Nuclear Companion". Glad to see you guys. It was getting sort of lonely out here!
... B-41 Hydrogen Bomb - yield 25 megatons - 500 built - largest weapon ever fielded by the the USA.
This is the 'warhead' used on most Atlas and some Titan ICBM's in the early 1960's. It rides on the very top of the missile. Toward the end of the ballistic trajectory the blunt nose will endure the heat of atmospheric re-entry and the H-bomb in the center section will detonate. The W-38 H-bomb in this 'package' had a yield of 3.75 megatons. The entire assembly weighed 3,080 lbs- about the same as a 1965 Ford Mustang.
... Air Force General James Stewart narrates this story of a day in the life of a bomber pilot in the Strategic Air Command. The big worry is getting home in time for little Jenny's piano recital. But first he has to fly half-way around the globe practicing the delivery of Mega-Death. Aside from his unusual job; our pilot is just a regular guy, good neighbor and is stuck commuting on a cranky motor-scooter!
... yes boys and girls there was a Miss Atomic Bomb! Linda Lawson was officially know as 'Miss Cue'. Named after the 1954, 29 kiloton 'Apple 2' shot, of the Teapot series of tests.
... wish I had a bigger better version of this. Construction of a 'hardened' underground Atlas ICBM site. I can easily imagine what it must have been like to be down there on a Friday evening after quitting time. Long shadows and golden light. Dust blowing in eddies and swirls. Still and silent after the din of heavy equipment. All of it like a vast excavation dig of a timeless temple. In reverse; being built and then buried.
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... scene from the movie 'Failsafe'. In the bunker 'waaay' down under the White House.
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Completed in 1953 and located in rural Pennsylvania speculation remains as to upgrades it has received over the years. Is it the HUCC (Hardened Underground Command Center)? Which means 'super-duper' hardened. Cut to scene of The President brushing the rock dust off his shoulders, shaking his fist at the ceiling and yelling "... 50 megatons, is that all 'ya got!"
We do know, from this nifty photo that Boris and Natasha provided, that mainly black or white SUVs and pick-up trucks are parked there. Except for the yellow Prius that probably belongs to that 'pinko' down in research!
Also fun to note that it never was 'secret'; at least as far as the local papers:
