|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art and Artists Modern Era Aircraft  Blackbird |
[UP] - Blackbird - Hercules - Hunter - Jaguar - Phantom (US) - Stealth - Thunderchief - Tornado - TSR2 - Vulcan - More Aircraft - Helicopters |
| Blackbird Aviation Prints |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Text for the above items : |
Above and Beyond by Philip West. The SR-71 Blackbird is the worlds fastest and highest flying jet aircraft. For over 23 years, the SR-71s gathered highly classified intelligence around the world for the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon and other governmental agencies, allowing them to make crucial decisions during the Cold War. |
Way Ahead of its Time by Stan Stokes. Aviation artist Stan Stokes has appropriately entitled his outstanding painting of an SR-71 Blackbird as, Way Ahead of its Time. The Blackbirds origins, amazingly, date back to the 1950s. At that time the U.S. government was very concerned about nuclear developments in the Soviet Union, and a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft was needed to overfly the Soviet Union. The Lockheed Corporation responded by developing the U-2, which was akin to a high powered glider. The U-2 was based on cost effective adaptations of currently available technologies, and was very effective initially, but as surface-to-air missile capability improved, the U-2 became vulnerable. What was needed was a long-range, very fast, very high altitude aircraft, capable of outrunning Soviet surface-to-air missiles. Mr. Kelly Johnson, Lockheeds project engineer who oversaw the famous skunkworks, presented a proposal to the U.S. government in 1959 regarding the development of a state-of-the-art ultra high speed and ultra high altitude aircraft. The plane, initially designated the A-12, first appeared as the YF-12 interceptor, but the government decided not to fund the YF-12. The design, however, became the SR-71, and the first production Blackbird took to the skies in 1964. The aircraft incorporated many design features never utilized on any aircraft up to that time. For example, at cruising speed the Blackbirds skin would reach nearly 1000 degrees, so the aircraft had to be constructed primarily from a titanium alloy. The SR-71 gets so hot, in fact, that the plane is one foot longer at cruising speed than it is on the ground. For twenty-six years this secretive aircraft held many of the worlds records for both speed and altitude. It is believed that about thirty two Blackbirds were produced, and about twenty of these were still in service with the Air Force in 1990. With the development of more capable satellites, and the high cost of maintaining the Blackbird fleet, the Air Force suspended Blackbird operations in 1990. On the final Air Force flight of a Blackbird, from California to Washington, D.C., this incredible aircraft once again set a speed record in making the trip in only sixty-eight minutes. Mr. Stokes has depicted in his painting a SR-71 Blackbird flying at 80,000 feet and at Mach 3.1 over the west coast of the United States. The plane as depicted is piloted by Col. Robert Powell, who is believed to have logged over 1.0 million miles in his 1,020 hours of flight time. Becoming a Blackbird pilot was about as difficult as becoming an astronaut, and Col. Powell personifies the talented and dedicated pioneers, who much like the Blackbird, were way ahead of their time. |
SR17A Blackbird - 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, RAF Mildenhall (PHOTO) by C F Allan. No text for this item |
First Flight of the Blackbird by Stan Stokes. Construction of the first SR-71 Blackbird (61-7950) was completed by Lockheed at its Burbank California Skunk Works in October of 1964. The aircraft was then broken down for shipment to Palmdale, California where it was reassembled. Kelly Johnson, the famous aircraft designer for Lockheed, had oversight responsibility for this project, and Kelly gave specific instructions to Robert Gilliland, the pilot chosen for the first flight of the Blackbird. The first flight was originally scheduled for December 21, 1964. Bad weather had caused a one-day postponement. During the first flight only Gilliland would be on board, and a trio of F-104 fighters would fly chase. Following take off Gilliland performed a number of stability and handling checks. He then took the Blackbird up to 30,000 feet and easily went supersonic (hitting Mach 1.2) before some caution lights came on. Determining that he faced no serious problems Gilliland accelerated to Mach 1.5 and climbed to 50,000 feet. Returning to Palmdale he made a subsonic flyby before lining up for his landing. Gillilands first flight is commemorated in Stan Stokes painting. The first six SR-71s produced were assigned to flight-testing at Edwards AFB. The first successful aerial refueling of a Blackbird occurred on April 25, 1965, and two pilot training aircraft (designated SR-71B) were delivered in 1965. A set back to the program occurred in January 1966 when an SR-71 was lost over New Mexico and a year later the original Blackbird (61-7950) was destroyed when the craft caught fire during braking tests at Edwards. Overall ten Blackbirds were lost during the first six years of the program. A total of thirty-two SR-71A aircraft were produced. In March of 1990 an SR-71 was flown from California to Washington before being retired to the Smithsonians Air and Space Museum. This flight was interesting because it set a coast-to-coast speed record of 68 minutes. The aircraft took off from Southern California and flew north to rendezvous with a tanker near San Francisco. The craft then flew south while refueling. It passed over its official starting point for the trip near Ventura. Accelerating to Mach 2.5 the Blackbird reached Kansas City in 39 minutes. Climbing to 85,000 feet the aircraft reached a top speed of Mach 3.2 as it passed the official finish line near Baltimore. After slowing to subsonic speeds the bird needed another shot of fuel prior to making its final approach into Dulles Airport. This truly amazing aircraft had once again demonstrated its capabilities more than two decades after its first flight. |
The Untouchable by Philip West. The SR-71 Blackbird is the world's fastest and highest flying jet aircraft. For over 23 years, the SR-71s gathered highly classified intelligence around the world for the President of the United States, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Pentagon and other governmental agencies, allowing them to make crucial political and military decisions during the Cold War. At Mach 3+ cruising speed, the SR-71's leading edges heat up to over 600 degrees F, where the outside air temperature is already at a -60 degree F. In September 1975 the SR-71 set a world speed record from New York City to London in one hour, 55 minutes. When the SR-71 was delivered to the National Air & Space Museum in 1990, it set a Coast-to-Coast record, flying from Los Angeles, California to Washington, D.C., in 64 minutes, 20 seconds. |
The Black is Back by Robert Tomlin. At the end of its landing run and streaming the unmistakable scarlet brake parachute with its characteristic tuck at the bottom, an SR-71 prepares to turn off of the runway after another Hot Flight. Retired in favour of other technology including satellite surveillance a small number of these remarkable aircraft were due to start back in service at the end of 1996. There were jobs that just could not be done by any other system, even the most sophisticated modern technology failing to address all of the incredible capabilities of one of the most advanced aircraft of all time. |
Outrun the Thunder by John D Shaw. The amazing SR-71, number 972, at Kadena as it undergoes a last-minute engine run-up prior to a reconnaissance sortie over the Soviet naval base at Vladivostok. |
Habu 972 at Mach 3.0 by Philip West. Richard Graham and RSO Don Emmons cruising their SR-71 in after-burner, gathering intelligence over the Soviet nuclear facility at Kamchatka, December 15, 1976. At 80,000ft Rich Grahams SR-71 Blackbird is all but invisible to the three MiG fighters seen contrailing at 45,000 ft below. Under radar control, the MiGs make a futile attempt to intercept, but with the SR-71 travelling at three times the speed of sound along the edge of the stratosphere, there is nothing they can do. At this great height the crew of Habu 972 can clearly see the pronounced curvature of the earth and, in broad daylight above them, the brightest stars shining in the heavens. The SR-71 Habu 972, now resides in the National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC. |
Lockheed SR-71A 64-17973 of 9th SRW, USAF by Keith Woodcock. No text for this item |
| Blackbird Pilot and aircrew signature details |
  Robert Gilliland Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2019 | Robert Gilliland He trained in America's early jets before being assigned to a veteran front line fighter squadron in Germany. While stationed there as a Second Lieutenant, he won his Air Wing's 'Top Gun,' competition, which Second Lieutenants were not supposed to win. During the Korean War, he was reassigned to Taegu Air Base where he flew F-84's in nearly daily combat in the air war over North Korea. After returning to America, he received a 'plum assignment' to the USAF Research and Development group at Eglin Air Force base in Florida. Finding little excitement in the peacetime Air Force, he left the service to assist in his father's business. Upon his dad's death, he returned to his first love, aviation, as a part of Lockheed's F-104 Starfighter test flight group in Palmdale, California. In early 1962, while working as Lockheed's chief pilot for European production of the F-104 in Turin, Italy, he was recalled to Burbank by the chief of the Skunk Works, the legendary Kelly Johnson. Johnson asked him to lead the test flight program for the highly secret 'article' - the future Blackbird. Bob flight tested the 'article' known as the A-12 Blackbird at Area 51, a secret facility in the Nevada desert, for later delivery and use by the CIA. Bob later flight tested the interceptor version of the Blackbird, the YF-12A. Subsequently, he was hand-picked by Kelly Johnson to fly the final and newest version of the Blackbird - the SR-71. Under the call sign 'Dutch 51,' Bob successfully piloted the SR-71 Blackbird on its maiden flight on December 22nd, 1962. His work there continued intensively through multiple modifications until the envelope of the plane was fully developed and a critical supply could be delivered to the USAF. During these development years, he accumulated more Mach 3 plus experimental flight test time than any other pilot in the world. Even after President Johnson acknowledged that the Blackbird existed, little was released beyond what air controllers could see on their radar screens: that it was the fastest and highest flying aircraft ever created, rocketing at over three times the speed of sound on the edge of space at 80,000 feet. Long before Bob was allowed to comment on 'what he did at work,' his colleagues at the Society of Experimental Test Pilots recognized the magnitude of his achievements and honored him as the top test pilot/astronaut, the year after the Mercury 7 astronauts received the award. The SR-71 changed the calculus of the Cold War. Although over the course of the development program several aircraft were lost, no Blackbird was ever shot down despite the thousands of surface-to-air missiles fired at it by hostile countries. Since its declassification, Bob has been honored with virtually every significant aviation award in the western world, including the top award - enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. He died on 4th July 2019. A Clipped Signature is Available |
| Blackbird Squadron details |
|
Contact Details |
Sign Up To Our Newsletter!
This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
|
