Aircraft

[Alan Curtis]

This isn't exactly aircraft, it was faster than most aircraft. It's a rocket sled in New Mexico. My father was a photographer on this project. The photos were shot with a high speed 4x5 camera, the film was on a very large roll. They were made in the late 1950's. There was a version of this sled that was ridden by Col. John Stapp. In the second photo there is a long black object in the white flame, it is a howitzer projectile fired at the sled, I have no idea why. The sled was faster than the projectile. The sled went from 0 to just about the speed of sound and back to 0 in about two miles. It was stopped with a water brake method.

[mpirie]

I'd love to shoot aircraft with my LF kit. There's something about the shapes and craftsmanship that goes into aircraft that intrigues me.

Do you guys know if it's possible to get access to the airplane graveyards you have out in Arizona/New Mexico/Nevada?

We're heading to California and Nevada soon, so would love to burn some film on aircraft.

Mike

[goamules]

This isn't exactly aircraft, it was faster than most aircraft. It's a rocket sled in New Mexico. My father was a photographer on this project. The photos were shot with a high speed 4x5 camera, the film was on a very large roll. They were made in the late 1950's. There was a version of this sled that was ridden by Col. John Stapp. In the second photo there is a long black object in the white flame, it is a howitzer projectile fired at the sled, I have no idea why. The sled was faster than the projectile. The sled went from 0 to just about the speed of sound and back to 0 in about two miles. It was stopped with a water brake method.

Nice shots Alan. I worked at Holloman AFB and saw where this sled was, as well as the monkey farm where Ham, the first US astronaut chimp, was trained. White Sands and that part of NM were truly the cradle of space exploration. If you walk in the desert near there, you find some amazing things. I've actually found parts of rockets sticking out of the sand, in isolated areas.

[alanbutler57]

I"m still a neophyte in LF, tend to underexpose, but this one, underexposed and forgetting to blow the dust off the enlarger actually helped IMO. It is a pretty tight crop shot with a Speed Graphic at the airshow last fall in Ft. Worth. The second shot is a P-38 from the same show.

[Jerry Bodine]

Correction: In my post #46 I just discovered in re-reading it that the interview with Time mag should have been Life mag.

[Tim Stahl]

Trying to resurrect this thread.

The first is a Piper Cub (PA18) used by the Alaska State Troopers. Big tundra tires and all. Shot at Lake Hood Strip.

The center photo is a close up of a B29 that was converted for aerial fire fighting.

The B29 crash on a glacier in Alaska, here's what I know:
November 15, 1957 the plane (44-70039) left Elmendorf AFB at 9:56 a.m. It crashed at 6:22 p.m., after a training radar calibration flight. The crew were part of the 5040th Radar Evaluation team. Six were killed and four survived, kept alive by the least injured survivor. The cause of the accident, it was 27 miles East of it's assumed course.

[smithdoor]

Here is one at SF CA AMR Combs 1997

[Bob Salomon]

I'm old enough to have flown on Connies as a passenger. As I recall, they were very noisy and shook like the dickens.

Me too. Last one I flew was a Delta from Idelwild to Atlanta in 1961.

[jharr]

I took the Speed Graphic and some sheets of Ilford Delta 100 over to the aviation museum nearby my house on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. It is a very good collection of planes and helicopters along with a small museum of Marine artifacts. There are always some great old Marines there telling stories and generally having a good time. If you like aviation, it is well worth a visit. Admission is free.


Leatherneck 7 by James Harr's Photos, on Flickr


Leatherneck-8 by James Harr's Photos, on Flickr


Leatherneck-2 by James Harr's Photos, on Flickr


Leatherneck-5 by James Harr's Photos, on Flickr

[Nodda Duma]

Great pictures and a great display of USMC aircraft. My in-laws live in Scripps Ranch. Took the kids to see that display (and the USS Midway) before we moved from CA to NH four years ago.