|
Lockhead SR71 Aviation art prints of the Lockheed
SR71. The Lockheed SR71 can travel at three times the speed of sound.
Known as the Blackbird the Sr71 is shown in these superb aviation art
prints by Philip West , Keith Woodcock and Robert Tomlin available form aviation art
prints a division of Cranston Fine Arts
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 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. |
| The Untouchable by Philip West.
Signed limited edition of 350 prints. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £90.00
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Paper size 28 inches x 20 inches (71cm x 51cm). Price £115.00
ITEM CODE DHM2230 |
| 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. Signed limited edition of 200 prints. Paper size 24 inches x 14 inches (61cm x 36cm). Price £60.00
Limited edition of 25 artist proofs. Paper size 24 inches x 14 inches (61cm x 36cm). Price £85.00
ITEM CODE DHM2313 |
| 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. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 37 inches x 26 inches (94cm x 66cm). Price £245.00 Signed by a minimum of sixty SR-71 pilots and RSOs.
ITEM CODE DHM2632 |
| 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. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00  Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 25 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0151 |
| 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. Signed limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £80.00
ITEM CODE DHM2041 |
| 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. Limited edition of 500 prints. Paper size 14 inches x 24 inches (36cm x 61cm). Price £70.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Save £5 on selected prints - Was £75
ITEM CODE DHM2535 |
| 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. Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Supplied with signed and numbered certificate of authenticity.. Price £40.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Signed limited edition of 225 prints, signed by Test Pilot Robert Gilliland - the first pilot to fly the SR-71, and the artist. Size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm). Price £94.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee paper prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm). Price £109.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 45 inches x 30 inches (114cm x 76cm). Price £624.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 36 inches x 24 inches (91cm x 61cm). Price £484.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm). Price £294.00 Part of our Buy One, Get One Half Price Offer
ITEM CODE STK0154 |
| Lockheed SR-71A 64-17973 of 9th SRW, USAF by Keith Woodcock.
Open edition print. Image size 11 inches x 7 inches (28cm x 18cm). Price £10.00
ITEM CODE WC0005 |
| 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.
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.
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 aro und 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 crucil 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 -60 degrees 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.
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 Graham's 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.
|
|
