Critique Welcomed More Joy Of Nukes

[Chris Dodkin]

It's not every day you come across an ICBM in a suburban area!

This rather impressive specimen is the gate guardian for an annex to the San Diego Air & Space Museum - basically their off-site workshops at Gillespie Field.

I believe it to be an Atlas 2E Ballistic Missile, and it would had been built locally during the 50s-60s - the missiles were on station ready to blow up large parts of the planet until 1965!

They also provided us with one of those amazing spin-off products, which everyone owns and uses - WD40.

When manufacturing the Atlas, they needed something to stop the metal from rusting on the rocket's skin. Painting the rocket added too much weight, so they started testing water displacement chemicals to coat the skin with.

After 39 failed attempts they found the one that worked - Water Displacement formula #40, or WD40.

Anyway, enough of the school lesson - more bits of old aircraft!

Star & Stripes (Velvia Conversion)

Danger

Jet (Velvia Conversion)

Canopy Breach

Old War Horse

Marine Harrier (I used to live near Wittering in the UK, home of the Harrier during the 80's-90s)

Fuselage

Stratocruiser Logo

Remove Before Flight

Marines

All shots X-T1 with either 23mm or 56mm Lenses - and 4 stop ND Filter on the wide open shots

 

[Brian Moore]

Very cool and very interesting set, Chris. Love the images,...Old War Horse especially.

And the WD40 history is new to me. Excellent over all!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Brilliant series, as ever, Chris. Good story too.

 

[Pete Askew]

Superb series again Chris and the WD40 history was new to me too. Love the Stratocruiser 'logo'.

 

[Kev Pugh]

Thanks Chris, just got to love old aircraft, I'd be like a kid in a sweetie shop if I was there in amongst that lot, plane and tanks, what else does a big kid need.....

 

[Tom Dunne]

An enjoyable and informative post Chris.. And a fine, representative selection of images taken at different angles. I particularly liked Fuselage and Old War Horse. Both images get you right in there and start the imagination working.
On my own website Chris, under Projects, there is an AV in tribute to old retired planes. You may be interested, in the context of this post.

 

[Nick Lukey]

Excellent series, gorgeous colour. Nice story.

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Interesting tip bit Chris. Yes love a place like this to get a few photo's, lots of interesting designs.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Very cool and very interesting set, Chris. Love the images,...Old War Horse especially.

And the WD40 history is new to me. Excellent over all!

Thanks Brian - I always thought WD40 was a British invention, until I moved to San Diego

Brilliant series, as ever, Chris. Good story too.

Thanks Rob

Superb series again Chris and the WD40 history was new to me too. Love the Stratocruiser 'logo'.

Thanks Pete - Only the Stratocruiser nose section survives, not sure what happened to the rest of the plane!

Thanks Chris, just got to love old aircraft, I'd be like a kid in a sweetie shop if I was there in amongst that lot, plane and tanks, what else does a big kid need.....

Thanks Kev - the great thing about this place (apart from it being completely FREE) is that you can just walk up to the planes, no ropes or barriers, no one telling you to not touch - brilliant!

An enjoyable and informative post Chris.. And a fine, representative selection of images taken at different angles. I particularly liked Fuselage and Old War Horse. Both images get you right in there and start the imagination working.
On my own website Chris, under Projects, there is an AV in tribute to old retired planes. You may be interested, in the context of this post.

Thanks Tom - heading off to you website for a look - I'm partial to vintage planes, trains and automobiles

Excellent series, gorgeous colour. Nice story.

Thanks Nick

Interesting tip bit Chris. Yes love a place like this to get a few photo's, lots of interesting designs.

Thanks Julian - the detail on the aircraft is an endless source of new photos, especially with the wear and tare

 

[Beth Carter]

some really, really great shots here.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

some really, really great shots here.

Thanks Beth!