Saturday, June 6, 2009

T-38 Talon - 50 years of flying

This past April the Northrop (now Northrop Grumman) T-38 Talon celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first flight. The Talon was the world's first production supersonic trainer. Over 500 aircraft are still in service and the type is expected to serve in the U.S. Air Force for at least another 10 to 20 years or more. That is a remarkable achievement in any airplane but more so for a supersonic one. It is also a very sleek and beautiful looking machine.

The picture above was taken last October while waiting for the F-35 AA-1 to return from its test flight. The photo below was taken at the 2006 Edward AFB Open House. I enjoy seeing what tight shots and reflections produce in the way of interesting forms and abstractions. In some ways it makes you focus on the underlying beauty of the structure more than in overall shots. I like both, obviously, but I confess to having a lot of fun with the artsy side. I'll show what I mean on another day.

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