Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson Arizona

Pictures taken at PASM on August 2005. In many cases, I tried to take closer pictures to provide greater detail on the aircraft.
The museum was mostly empty, as I went mid-day while temperatures were well in the 90's F.

(s = 35mm, m=6x7 Medium Format, l=4x5 Large Format)

SR-71 Blackbird. Excluding the X-15 Program, I believe this is the fastest airplane ever made, despite its 1960's era design. (d)

 



SR-71. I noticed the ripples on its body and am not sure if it was that way originally or if its due to aging. (d)

 

 

SR-71 with a view to its engine. (d)

 

 

SR-71 engine inlet. (d)

 

SR-71 side view. (d)


 

Afterburner section of engine exhaust. (d)

 

 

This is a direct shot into an SR-71 engine exhaust. (d)

 

 

A relic of the cold war. (d)

 

 

Aircraft parked at PASM. (d)



...These are interior shots of a B-52 bomber from the front wheel well.
I wanted to capture the incredible amounts of wiring and cables that somehow stayed together
to keep these aircraft in the sky. (d)

 

Looking in the B-52 wheelwell, yet another vast array of tangled pulleys, cables, and wires that somehow functioned in unison. (d)

 

 



Another interior picture of a B-52, looking up into its belly. A mass of cables can be seen towards the image top. (d)

 

 

Standing under the wing, four engines can be seen for a total of eight engines on this aircraft. (d)

 

 


A forward looking shot inside a B-52 wheelwell. A maze of cables leads to
an entrance that goes towards the front of the aircraft. (d)

 

This particular B-52 was part of the X-15 program.
The X-15 airplane - really a manned rocket - was connected to the B-52's wing and once airborne,
launched during the 1960's to achieve over 4,000 MPH at altitudes in excess of 300,000 feet.
A highly dangerous affair with a volatile LOX engine, three X-15's were built and two crashed over about 200 flights.
The X-15 pilots were ultimately awarded astronaut wings as their altitude placed them 'in space'.
Once their rocket engines stopped, the X-15 glided back to Earth. Energy management was key during descent,
as a pilot could 'accidentally' glide 2 or 3 states away from the targeted landing area.
For more, read a great book: At The Edge of Space by Milton O. Thompson. (d)

 

Not so high, but still mighty. (d)

 

 


NASA aircraft used to simulate weightlessness. (d)

 

 

Cockpit of former Air Force I. (d)

 

 

B-52. (d)

 

 

Interior of a restored B-17 bomber. (d)

 

A gunner's bubble on the belly of a B17. Guns on either side can be seen.
I recall reading an episode where a gunner was trapped in this bubble as the main landing gear
remained stuck due to aircraft damage leading to a very dangerous landing. (d)

 

 


Guns aimed at the front of this bomber. (d)

 

 


Bomber side view. (d)

 

 


A model that pictorialized a B-17 bombing raid over Europe during WWII.
I spoke with a veteran who flew on these missions and he described his scariest day when
a german jet fighter - a first at the time - arrived, zooming around and shooting the lumbering B-17s. (d)

 


A B-24J bomber. (d)


 

Donated early model 23 Learjet.. (d)

 

 

History behind this early donated corporate jet. The original picture is on the right. I took it at an angle
to prevent glare. I used my novice Photoshop perspective correcting tools to 'straighten' the image.
Not a perfect result, but it shows the power of digital image manipulation. (d)

 

Thanks to SSgt. Jared Terman for making terminology suggestions that improved this page.

© 2007 John Miranda