The Blackbirds of Palmdale

The SR-71 Blackbird, unofficially known as
The World's Most Beautiful Airplane.

I traveled to Edwards Air Force Base because I wanted to see examples of the X-series rocket planes that, had our national leaders decided otherwise, might have led to the development of America’s first space planes.  I also wanted to see some of the heavy lifting bodies, such as the HL-10, that NASA experimented with before they built the space shuttle.  Yet the plane that impressed me most was the SR-71 Blackbird.

The SR in the designation stands for Strategic Reconnaissance, and as the Blackbird was a Black project, a pall of secrecy still surrounds the plane.  I spotted one parked outside the base museum, and its sheer size and shape took my breath away.  I wanted to know more about it.  Unlike the other planes and helicopters, no signage accompanied the SR-71.  When I purchased the toy in the museum, the clerk said, “They’re amazing aircraft, aren’t they?”  With a hushed voice, she also told me that her father had worked on their development. 

After our lunch at the cafeteria adjacent to the NASA Dryden Visitor center, we walked around several more planes, including another of these long, sleek planes.  When the bus arrived, we lined up, and as we climbed aboard, I asked Don, our fact-filled tour guide, what the plane was.  “Oh, that’s a SR-71 Blackbird,” he said off-hand, and seemed inclined to say nothing more.  “It looks bigger than the one outside the museum,” I pursued.  “Oh, maybe it’s the A-model trainer,” he responded.  As others were boarding, I didn’t want to halt those behind me.  I just hoped he’d say something more about them.  He never did.

Try as I might, I couldn't capture the entire side of the plane
with my camera.

I’ve always thought of fighter jets as the most sleek and beautiful of aircraft.  Yet seeing the SR-71 was akin to a person who grows up thinking of the Chevy Camero or the Ford Mustang as the ultimate sports car, and suddenly encounters a Ferrari or Lamborghini.  

Given their sheer size, at first I thought the Blackbirds carried a whole team of people inside monitoring specialized equipment.  Yet the planes just carried a pilot, and even the cockit was cramped.  The speeds at which they shot through the air (in excess of Mach 3, or 2000 miles per hour), the engines that propelled them that fast, and the amount of fuel they needed to stay aloft dictated the size and shape of the plane.

One of the Bypass Turbo (or Turbo-ramjet) engines.
(Despite its size, the SR-71 didn't even carry a starter motor).

This J58 Starter Motor needed two
Chevy 454 cubic inch engines to power it!

After glimpsing these amazing planes at Edwards Air Force Base, we extended our stay in the area to visit the Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale.  I spoke with a former pilot, and a wiring specialist who worked on both the SR-71 and the space shuttle.  According to the wiring specialist, the cockpit and control panels were more compact than those in the space shuttle!

So much plane, so little cockpit.

I’d like to return to Blackbird Airpark after I’ve learned a little more about them, and can conduct an intelligent conversation with the volunteers.  But even if I never learn anything more about these magnificent planes, I’d just like to see them again. 

Did I mention that I thought they were beautiful?

Dragon Dave

Related Dragon Cache entries

Our Visit to Edwards Air Force Base: Part 1

Related Internet Links

Blackbird Airpark

Daleks Check Out The SR-71 Blackbird

Salt: Are they asleep?

Pepper: It sounds like it.

Salt: We need to be sure.

Pepper: All right, I’ll check. 

A Pause

Pepper: The humans’ eyes are closed, and their breathing is deep.

Salt: Okay, turn on the light.

Salt: Why do you think Master and Mistress were so mesmerized by the 

SR-71 Blackbird?

Pepper: Because, as they said, it was able to do surveillance over foreign countries at higher altitudes than other reconnaissance aircraft.  And if the inhabitants detected it, and decided to launch a missile, it was so fast it could outfly it.

Salt: Yes, but they saw all kinds of unique aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, including the Bell X-1, the experimental rocket plane with which Chuck Yeager first broke the sound barrier.  This was the only one they bought a toy of.  In fact, they never buy airplane toys.  What made the SR-71 so special they felt they had to buy this as a memento of their visit?

Pepper: Well, isn’t it obvious? 

Salt: No.

Pepper: It’s black and sleek, just like me.

Salt: Just for that, I get to ride it first.

Pepper: That’s not fair.  I’m the one who checked to make sure they were asleep. 

Salt: Fine.  You can ride second.

Pepper: Oh, okay.

Pepper: Hey, wait a second.  That’s not fair!

Salt: Shh!  We don’t want to wake Master and Mistress.

Pepper: Then let me have my turn. 

Salt finishes her maiden flight.

Salt: I tell you what.  There’s not much room on this desk.  Let’s move down, and I’ll give you the first ride across the floor.

Pepper: Yeah, okay.  You can be Alan Shephard, and I’ll be Gordon Cooper.

Salt: There’s no way I’m giving you that long a ride, Mister. 

Pepper: Then I’m John Glenn to your Alan Shephard. 

Salt: If we’re just comparing the length of their Mercury flights…fine.

Pepper: Whoo-hoo!  Hey, this is fun!

Salt: Shh!  You’ll wake Master and Mistress!

Pepper: Don’t be such a soggy Dalek!  Whoo-hoo!  Watch me fly!

Salt: Quiet!  I just heard a thud.  Oh no, that sounds like a groan.  Master must be hurt!

Pepper: Well, what can we do about it?

Salt: Think!  What do you think will happen next?

Pepper: Uh…you’re right.  We’d better get back up to the desk.

Salt: Yes, and quickly, before they turn on the lights. 

Pepper: It would have to happen during my flight!

Salt: Shh!  They’ll be more flights later.  Now get a move on, before they see us out of place!

Editor's note: This event takes place shortly before blog post "The Dangers of Modern Travel."  

Rare Conan Coins: Part 2

When my wife and I visit a military facility, such as Edwards Air Force Base, we sometimes pick up a souvenir coin.  We do so not because we believe it will increase in value, but as a reminder of a pleasant visit to an important and interesting place.  As these attractive coins are mass-produced, we feel no anxiety about displaying them prominently in our house.  On the other hand, if I had one of those Conan coins, I’d have to keep it in a safe, or at a bank in a safety deposit box.  I’d probably only look at it every once in awhile, and derive little pleasure from doing so.  

Front of Souvenir Coin

Back of Souvenir Coin
Warning: Coins in picture shown larger than they really appear!

Recently, I picked up an old, yellowed copy of “Conan The Barbarian” Vol. 1 Issue #39 at my local comic book store.  In “The Dragon From The Inland Sea,” Conan meets a king and his niece who have recently fled their city.  The dragon is a monstrous, prehistoric crocodile, summoned by a sorcerer periodically to attack the king’s city of Keshaan.  At first, the king acquiesces to the sorcerer’s demands, and sacrifices a pretty maiden each time to stave off the dragon.  But when the sorcerer demands that he sacrifice his niece, the king flees his precious city, leaving it under the rule of the villainous sorcerer.  

It’s a familiar plot, yet Roy Thomas’ writing (and John Buscema’s artwork) kept me turning the pages as Conan helps the king and his niece retake Keshaan, fight the sorcerer, and vanquish the dragon.  Thomas even ended the story with a real kicker, revealing on the final page the true nature of the relationship between the king, his niece, and the villainous sorcerer.  The story serves as a shining example why Hallmark Minting Service selected Conan--who had only featured in Marvel Comics for three years at this point--for their “Big Three” coins.

For those who collect such souvenirs, and are fortunate enough to own one of those rare Conan coins, I’m happy for them.  But personally (and monetary issues aside), I’m far happier to have “The Dragon From The Inland Sea” in my collection. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go read the story again.

Dragon Dave

Related Internet Links

Complete Synopsis of “The Dragon From The Inland Sea”

Discoveries in Lancaster

The city of Lancaster honors its Aerospace history with a Walk of Honor.  The walk starts beside a park, where numerous plaques celebrate the individuals whose contributions have proven important to nearby Edwards Air Force Base, as well as the industry.  It features a rebuilt F106, also known as the "Delta Dart," which set a world speed record in 1959.  The jet fighter rests on a stand reminiscent of those included in plastic model kits.  Somehow, this thin, slanted column supports a real plane.  

The walk extends through the downtown.  These emblems sit top stone plinths, and affixed to the stone are more plaques.  Signs also hang from lamp poles, and these offer pictures of those being honored.  It's nice to see a city get behind its unique history, and celebrate the contributions of its citizens.

The streets grew both more upscale and folksy as we walked.  Twice, we passed pianos that had been set up outside, and a young man played the one that had been painted rather colorfully.  We passed the Museum of Modern Art, as well as small stores and restaurants, the latter of which often provided fenced-off outdoor seating for their patrons.  We ducked into a comic book shop, where we sought out Marvel Comics "Battlestar Galactica" #21, the last issue I needed to complete my collection of Volume 1.  (Sadly, the only volume covering the original TV show).  We didn't find the comic, but we chatted with a man in the back room who was painting a Warhammer 40,000 figurine.  He was watching a movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger that I didn't remember.  He told us that it was "Commando," and the particular scenes we were watching had been filmed in a mall that has since been torn down.  I watched the movie a long time ago, but the scenes bore no resemblance to my memories, and made me want to watch it again.

Along the way back, we noticed signs outside the library advertising a weekend book sale.  I'm always interested in perusing used bookstores in other cities, as I sometimes find a book I can never find at home.  Such was the case in the library sale.  We met Glen Cook at a convention, where he was a featured Guest of Honor.  Since then, my wife started reading his "Garrett P.I." series, about a human private detective in a High Fantasy world involving such creatures as unicorns and elves.  Many of these paperbacks went out of print, and the publisher then reprinted them with attractive, lighter covers.  But Red Iron Nights is one of two that the publisher decided not to reprint as a standalone book, instead including it in a larger, more expensive Trade Paperback omnibus containing three Garrett novels, but sadly, no cover artwork.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to find this old copy for my wife.  

You never know what you'll discover when you visit a new city.

Dragon Dave

The Dangers of Modern Travel

Some people worry about the dangers they may face when they travel, and so they seldom go on vacation, preferring to spend all their free time at home.  Some people are afraid of flying, which limits them to land-based travel, and the destinations they can reach in their available free time.  I’ve never particularly feared leaving home, or flying.  My philosophy is that we all face dangers every minute of our lives, and it’s usually the dangers that seem the most innocuous that end up causing us the most pain.

On our weekend trip to Lancaster, we stayed in a plush hotel, and had a comfortable room.  A dividing wall separated a living room area from the bedroom.  The placement of the wall left a narrow walkway on each side of the bed.  At the foot of the bed sat a dresser, atop which rested a TV.  As our bedroom at home is small, I’m using to getting up at night, navigating narrow walkways, and making several turns, until I reach the bathroom.  But this was a bedroom I was unfamiliar with.

I did fine our first night in the hotel.  But after our tour of Edwards Air Force Base, the first time I got up that night, I walked forward a few feet, and BAM!  I crashed into the dresser.  I had injured the middle toe on my right foot a few weeks back, and it had taken awhile to heal.  Well, I had just slammed my right foot into the dresser!  So, after sitting on the edge of the bed for a few minutes (and having awakened my wife from the impact), I turned on the light, walked to the fridge, and got a cold soda can to hold against my foot.  We were planning on hiking the next day, and all I needed was for my toe to start hurting and swelling up again!  My wife felt more attention was necessary, so she got dressed and left the room.  When she returned with the ice bucket, she made a cold compress using a few ice cubes in a plastic bag.  I held it against my foot for a while, and my wife gave me the small flashlight she had brought with her, in case I needed to get up again.  Then we turned off the light and went to sleep.

The second time I got up that night, my first thought was: avoid the dresser.  So I rolled out of bed, placed my feet on the carpet...and slammed into the divider wall.  Not only that, but the light switch dug into my scalp as I rose.  While my head ached, the overhead light didn’t come on, so I couldn’t have hit the switch with much force.  Nevertheless, my wife heard the impact, turned on the light, and asked me what had happened.  “Nothing,” I told her.  Then I lowered the hand clutching my head, and saw blood on my fingers. 

At least the ice in the bucket hadn’t all melted yet!

The following night, I slept more soundly, and only had to get up once.  Nevertheless, that time I remembered to use the flashlight before I even lifted the covers, and thus sustained no further injury.  Forget about car- and plane-crashes: the real dangers of modern travel include such terrors as dressers and light switches!

Dragon Dave