On Aviation and Photography:
"You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky." -- Amelia Earhart
“You don't take a photograph, you make it.” - - Ansel Adams
UPDATED: September 19, 2010
Hi, My name is Bill and I am updating my homepage to reflect a wonderful event in my life...marriage, September 18, 2010, to my best friend Tara...known to many of you as auntietk here on Renderosity.
We "met" shortly after I joined Renderosity in August 2008. We share a love for photography and indeed all types of art.
We live north of Seattle and enjoy getting to share photographic excursions and information with other Renderositians ( is "Renderositians" even a word? ). LOL
As for me, it seems like I've been taking pictures all my life but I didn't get serious enough to purchase my first Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera until May 2008. In May 2009 I upgraded from an Olympus E-510 to an Olympus E-30 with a wide variety of lenses.
My subject areas of interest include absolutely everything but with a frequent return to airplanes, cars, tanks, etc., ...or as Tara says, machines that make lots of noise;-)
If you are curious, I am pictured above in a Grumman Corsair on a taxiway of the Kansas City Downtown Airport. I used to fly and train others to fly airplanes. That will explain my frequent forays into the world of aviation. Last but by no means least, thanks to Pannyhb for introducing me to Renderosity. The moment I saw it I was hooked.
Fine print: Yes, the photo above is a photo manipulation:-)
Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.
This site uses cookies to deliver the best experience. Our own cookies make user accounts and other features possible. Third-party cookies are used to display relevant ads and to analyze how Renderosity is used. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Terms of Service, including our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy.
Comments (32)
Adobe_One_Kenobi
She's a beauty that much is certain, we will never know what it is like unless going in the cockpit and witnessing it. I have learned in my time to say "Figures schmigures." When push comes to shove, the pilot is the final arbiter :} Great shot and PP Bill.
jayfar
This is some aircraft Bill. A great shot and wonderful info.
Jay-el-Jay
With that needle-like shape and all,it does look like it sure can move.A fine shot of this aircraft.
T.Rex
Oh my. I was about to guess Mach 3, but 3.8 is another story! The cockpit looks VERY small and cramped. Only the pilot as crew, or one more? It's beautiful, sleek. I wonder how well the crew fared at Mach 3.8? Already at Mach 1 the body starts having problems (you would know more about that from experience than I). It it were to be pushed further, I suspect it would need ceramic blocks on its surface (like the space shuttle) to withstand the heat generated, and THAT would cut the speed significantly (more weight, and drag). It would be fun to take a ride at Mach 2, but I think I'll pass on anything higher. Do you have more photos of this fantastic plane? It would be fun to see them. Keep up the good work! :-)
durleybeachbum
Love the look of this with that filter!
alanwilliams
superb piece of engineering
Faemike55
other than the X-15, this is the only other craft that held my attention when I was a teen! Great capture and information Bill
flavia49
marvelous
neiwil
I really like this aircraft, but for some strange reason I've always liked looking at it from the back, those huge engines and offset forked tail....looks more like a spaceship.Then again it is more spaceship than aircraft, the speed is impressive but the 'ceiling' 'aint too shoddy either :-) Like the post work on this too.....cheers Bill..
auntietk
Nicely done! I'm with Andrea ... I really like your postwork!
Tamarrion
Great "portrait" of one of my all-time favs! Rex, the SR-71 had a crew of two. If you think the cockpit looks cramped... bear in mind they had to wear fully-sealed pressure suits! I may be mis-remembering, but Blackbird crew qualified for astronaut wings due to her extreme altitudes.
tigertim
Ah yes, one of the most awesome machines ever to take to the air... and has a similar degree of mystery around performance as one of my other fav's, the EE Lightning. Fascinating to read the attached story, and a great photo...
bobrgallegos
Great capture of this amazing plane Bill! Very interesting info!
RodS
Really, really, really fast..... Zip! What was that? An SR-71.... Great shot of this beauty, Bill! One of the most beautiful and incredible aircraft ever created, IMHO!
EJD64
Seen one of these in Lincoln once right before they put it in the hanger.Very cool.
jocko500
wonderful
junge1
Neat capture Bill and some info I hadn't heard before. I was fortunate enough to see an operational SR-71 on the ground at Nellis AFB in April 1997 and another one doing a fly-by in celebration of the Air Force's 50th anniversary that year. In 1997 they were already retired by the Air Force, but a few were still used by NASA for research purposes, so they said. They flew out of Edwards. I also read that only the Air Force- and the Lockheed 'Skunk Works' really know to top speed. Amongst the people that worked on them, they were known to leak fuel while on the ground and cold, and, when flying they expanded by one foot in length. That Clarence Kelly was one hell of a guy, he designed the plane, and then they had to develop material to build it!
whaleman
Very interesting information Bill! I also like the phrase "and causes the engine to unstart."
Rainastorm
Bill this thing just LOOKS fast lol I know Nada about these but impressive for sure! Great shot!
jendellas
Beautifully streamline!!
kgb224
Superb capture Bill. God Bless.
Maxidyne
Not very when it's stuck on those traffic cones Bill. Seriously though, this is one of those aircraft that looks like it's doing Mach 3 even when it's standing still. Gotta agree with Neil, it's the engines on this that stand out for me.
helanker
WOW! It looks like it could CUT itself through the air :-D Pity we cant se its wings.... if it has any :D Beautiful capture.
debbielove
A really great aircraft, there is one at Duxford and it did fly in! I'd loved to have seen that lol Of course like many 'top spec' aircraft, it leaked like a sieve Drip trays a must, the Lightning was the same, leaked hugely.. That of course being the only aircraft to catch both the U2 and the SR in intercept.. Would it do it every time....doubtful!!!! lol Impressive! Very very impressive and it should still be in service! Rob
aksirp
wusssshhhhh! pretty fast and cool pic!
MrsRatbag
I can't even begin to imagine that kind of speed. I do much better on the ground :} Wonderful capture of this speed demon, and I agree the postwork is fantastic!
tennesseecowgirl
Love the postwork!
lyron
Cool image!!!
Chipka
I saw this and immediately imagined that this is the inspiration for the plane in the cinematic version of The X-Men, and I gotta say that Halle Berry (in a snow white wig does make a rather sexy pilot, if you ask me.) Hmmm...Halle Berry fling this puppy is a photo op I'd PAY to enjoy. Anyway...enough of that. What a shot! I have yet to photograph anything that flies, unless it's an insect, and that's something I'll have to rectify soon. I love the POV in this shot and the wonderful contrast of the USAir passenger carrier in the background, almost like a displaced shuttlecraft that's docked in the wrong bay by accident. This is a gorgeous shot and I'm glad I saw it. As you can see, I have a lot of catching up to do, but when I get my laptop back (and move, again) that'll happen at full speed.
Richardphotos
very interesting information Bill and what a blast it must have been to see it in person.I envy your trip there