Blackbird by BeyondVR
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
An SR-71, finished with its photographic run, banks to meet up with a KC-10 to refuel over friendlier territory. Besides photographic eqipment, it also employed side-scanning radar and other sensors.
Skinned with titanium to withstand the extreme temperatures encountered, the fuselage was mainly fuel storage. It leaked fuel on the ground, but sealed up when the body panels expanded from the heat of flight. The large engine nacelles had conventional turbojets at the core to get the plane off the ground and up to a speed where the ramjets could take over.
Kelly Johnson, designer of the SR-71 and many other Lockheed classics, had his only ride at supersonic speed in a trainer version. The trainer had the second cockpit elevated and could not reach Mach 2, but it still had to be pretty cool.
Model by VanishingPoint. Poser 6/Vue 8.
Comments (5)
It is one totally "cool" aircraft.
Excellent.
Great image. There was enough air conditioning power for the two cockpits to cool 25 average size homes, and the inside of the windshield was still over 250F. The B model speed record was set by NASA in 64-17956 on 14 Dec. 1995 at Mach 3.27 (2158mph). This, the last of two B's, is now on display at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum (The Air Zoo). You might find this site fascinating if you haven't seen it already: http://www.u2sr71patches.co.uk/sr71performance.htm
He'd best make that refueling. Cause that baby burns fuel like a house afire. Nice job!
Reminds me of a scene in the D.A.R.Y.L. movie, where Daryl calls his friend on the radio and to the question of where he is Daryl - flying an SR-71 - replies "You wouldn't believe me anyway" Excellent job.