Blackbird

[The Barbarian]

 

[zombiemann]

I love the processing on this one. Great job.

 

[GaryT]

Very cool, almost looks like it's cgi. What a machine!!!

 

[MiFleur]

This is not all all my type of shot, but this one is really interesting, love it!
great treatment, interesting perspective and captivating scene!

 

[SCraig]

Great shot, beautiful bird.

Is that a MiG-21 in the background or something sticking up off the SR-71? There shouldn't be anything there on the Blackbird but it looks like it's growing out of it.

 

[The Barbarian]

That appears to be a vertical stabilizer on the aircraft, with what appears to be a third engine. Never saw one like that before; it wasn't that way on the YF-71 (the earlier, fighter model)

Didn't really think about it before. Now I've got a mystery to solve, unless someone knows about it here. (Barbarian checks) Ah, it's a drone.

A Blackbird is on display at "The Museum of Flight", Boeing Field near Seattle-Tacoma Airport. This one is actually an A-12 (early version of the SR-71) with a D-21 drone installed between the vertical stabilizers ( photo at right). The D-21 was designed to be launched from the A-12, flying unmanned over unfriendly territory (accurate designation was the M-21 when mated with the D-21 drone). Kelly Johnson cancelled the program when a D-21 was launched into the area behind the cockpit of the M-21 resulting in loss of the Launch Control Officer's life and loss of the aircraft. The "Museum of Flight" A-12/Drone display is the only combo in existence.
http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/srqt~1.htm

 

[SCraig]

OK, that makes sense. The vertical stabs on the SR-71 and YF-12 (NASA version) are on the engine nacelles, and I could see them. It didn't really look like a MiG-21 because I couldn't see a cockpit and the intake "Spike" looked like it was the same material as the main engines, but that was all I could think of.

It is a unique catch! I've never seen a SR-71 with that on it before, so I'm glad you solved the mystery.

I've seen several up-close-and-personal and the never cease to amaze me. Such a truly remarkable airplane, especially for its day and time. I saw a show about it once, and they stated that it was designed and the first prototype built in less than 2 years. This in the early 60's when a computer was a slide rule and there was nothing off-the-shelf about the airplane. Every single thing about it was brand new, had to be designed from scratch, and completely untested. It's a testament to Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works at Lockheed for certain.

That appears to be a vertical stabilizer on the aircraft, with what appears to be a third engine. Never saw one like that before; it wasn't that way on the YF-71 (the earlier, fighter model)

Didn't really think about it before. Now I've got a mystery to solve, unless someone knows about it here. (Barbarian checks) Ah, it's a drone.

A Blackbird is on display at "The Museum of Flight", Boeing Field near Seattle-Tacoma Airport. This one is actually an A-12 (early version of the SR-71) with a D-21 drone installed between the vertical stabilizers ( photo at right). The D-21 was designed to be launched from the A-12, flying unmanned over unfriendly territory (accurate designation was the M-21 when mated with the D-21 drone). Kelly Johnson cancelled the program when a D-21 was launched into the area behind the cockpit of the M-21 resulting in loss of the Launch Control Officer's life and loss of the aircraft. The "Museum of Flight" A-12/Drone display is the only combo in existence.
SR-71 Questions and Thoughts about the Blackbird

 

[EDL]

How did you capture it without ghosting the people?

 

[DGMPhotography]

How did you capture it without ghosting the people?

Deghosting.

OP: awesome find.

 

[The Barbarian]

The titanium skin on the bird, when viewed up close, gives it a weird, alien look. Tiny cockpit, monster engines, with no attempt to make them quieter. A total, no-compromises performance aircraft.

 

[JRE313]

Well done!!!

 

[BanditPhotographyNW]

Is that Bowing Air Museum?

 

[Woodsman]

that is very cool, nicely done