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The Boeing B-47 was the country's first swept-wing multi-engine bomber. It represented a milestone in aviation history and a revolution in aircraft design. Every large jet aircraft today is a descendant of the B-47. Boeing engineers had envisioned a jet-powered plane as early as 1943. However, wind-tunnel tests of straight-wing jet aircraft indicated that the straight wing did not use the full potential of jet-engine power. Near the end of World War II, Boeing aerodynamicist George Schairer was in Germany as part of a fact-finding mission. At a hidden German aeronautics laboratory, Schairer saw wind-tunnel data on swept-wing jet airplanes and sent the information home. Engineers then used the recently completed Boeing High-Speed Wind Tunnel to develop and design the XB-47, with its slender 35-degree swept-back wings. Because early jet engines could not provide enough thrust for takeoff, the XB-47, B-47A, and B-47B had 18 small rocket units in the fuselage for jet-assisted takeoff (JATO). Thrust reversers and anti-skid brakes had not yet been developed, so a ribbon-type drag parachute reduced the B-47 landing speed. Once airborne, the graceful jet broke speed and distance records; in 1949 it crossed the United States in under four hours at an average 608 mph. The B-47 needed defensive armament only in the rear because no fighter was fast enough to attack from any other angle. The B-47 medium bomber became the foundation of the Air Force's newly created Strategic Air Command and many were adapted for several specialized functions. One became a missile carrier, others were reconnaissance aircraft or trainers or carried remote controls for other aircraft. Between 1947 and 1956, a total of 2,032 B-47's in all variants were built. Boeing built 1,373, Douglas Aircraft Co. built 274 and Lockheed Aircraft Corp. built 385.
A great deal of planning and passion goes into each large format image...
The Concept...
First I sketch out what I want the nal image to look like and then create a shot list for the various parts of the image. Locations need to be identi ed for the background and aircraft shots and models need to be hired. Only then am I ready to shoot the various parts of the image.
The Plane...
By shooting the plane by itself on the ground in a controlled situation, I can get much better detail and dynamic range in the image than shooting in the air. The plane is set up at the right angle with the shadow in the right direction. The pilot is positioned and looking in the right direction and the plane is trimmed out with the control surfaces in the correct positions. Multiple shots are taken at various exposures and different angles can be easily achieved during the photo session.
The Background...
This is where you have to wait for nature to behave. The air to ground or cloud formation shots have to be taken at the right time of day with the shadows in the correct position. When you are just shooting the background from the air and not worrying about exposing a plane correctly, you are able to create more dynamic views and color saturation that meld together and make the aircraft pop out of the image.
The Creation...
There are no short cuts in creating the nal large format photo illustration. You start by editing fty or so shots down to the ten that will be used in the nal master image. This is where my background as a designer/artist comes in. The nal 2 GB master image can take forty hours or more of painstakingly detailed work to combine all the photos, re-illustrate parts of the scene and to color balance the nal image to achieve the original vision.