SR-71 Blackbird - request for help

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bigpetr

Designer/Master Modeler
Jan 27, 2016
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Czech Republic
Hello ladies and gentlemen,

I am working on SR-71 Blackbird paper model and I am looking for help.

Is there someone who lives (or knows someone who live) near the places, where SR-71 planes are exhibitet and would be so kind and willing to take pictures of the plane I can use for photogrametry (= process of obtaining 3d model from set of photos)?

Basicly it means to shoot row of photos with 60% overlap from nose to tail.

It will help me a lot of doing realy accurate paper model of the plane.
I will try to generate the 3d model from the photos and use it as a reference to corect basic shapes of my 3d model I have made so far. If it will be sucesfull I will produce very accurate model of the plane.
Final paper model will be free for download.

Thank you for your help.

This is my current WIP 3d model (top) compared to photo of the plane.
comparison1.jpg
 
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My most favourite plane ever! This is a legend and I think it still holds the speed record. That was some kind of nifty engineering. The hull was not entirely closed and consisted of plates which had to be loosely assembed because of the heat during flight; they would expand and close all the fissures. However, due to the fissures fuel was constantly leaking and created puddles under the plane when it was in a parking position. There is a great documentary on it:


I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on this project and I really hope someone is able to provide you with pictures. The basic shape looks very good so far. Big thumbs up! thumbsup
 
Thank You revell-fan, my favourite plane too. It still holds the record for top speed and highest altitude.

I wanted to make Ken West paper model. Great model, but being me, I need to have it as precise and detailed as I can make it:). So I started to make it from scratch.

Basic shape is pretty close, probably better than all plastic models comercialy available. l still have a list of things to finetune on it. Without use of photogrametry (or 3d scaning or good old measuring) it still will be just approximation.

I hope I will find a good soul kind enougth to help me.
 
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Thank you for taking this project on I too am a huge fan of this plane! If I were still living in Seattle, I would have been able to go to the Museum of Flight and get you all of the photos that you wish. I will contact a few friends that still live there and see what they can do.
I am really looking forward to seeing how this turns out. If you need a beta test builder, I am OFFICIALLY throwing my hat into the ring.
 
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I only have a few photos of myself next to the A-12 at the NMotUSAF in Dayton it's an Article 12 air frame though, not an SR
 

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Two thoughts,
First, my unsolicited two cents, why not make an add on for the Ken West SR-71, that is conversations for making it an A-12, a YF-12, and the M-21, with a D-21?

Second, I live near enough to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, it is in fact the M-21, but I can try to get down later this week.
 
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I abandoned Ken West model modification route, because it is not exact enought for me and making it from scratch seems easier for me, than modify existed model. The same goes for conversion to other variants. Also I do not know exactly all the differences in the shape of the variants, I did not study them yet, so I can not tell what it takes to modyify one variant to another.

If you could shoot it ASC Mclaren, it would be great. There are differences between M-21 ans SR-71, because M-21 is based on A-12. But engines and wings are basicly the same as far as I know So I can surely use it for this parts and also use it to see the difference betveen variants. I will send you some tips on how to shoot it idealy for photogrametry. Thank you.
 
bigpetr said:
I will send you some tips on how to shoot it idealy for photogrametry. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Once you start on it please give us some insights on how it is done (basic photography, which programmes you have to use etc.). That's going to be very interesting! :)
 
I figured you would. You do know that not all of those planes are the same size, and then there's the CIA version, whose fleet flew first (I believe) for 10 years total, so we're told. :)
 
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By the way, your CAD model looks excellent!! ;)
 
I know that the National Museum of the United States Air Force has both an A-12 and a YF-12, but I am not certain if they have an SR there or not. It's been years since I was up there. The Battleship Alabama memorial had a SR-71 on display, but that was nearly 20 years ago. There is a SR-71 on the deck of the Intrepid in New York harbor.
 
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Thank You Zathros, I am working on SR-71A type used by USAF. I am pretty close with my model but I would like to get closer :).

National Museum in Dayton, Ohio has SR-71A Dayton. This is where are they all + one in England
map.gif

Locations of Blackbirds
 
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Personally, I don't think all those planes are parked. They still are the fastest jets ever flown. If you wanted to land at Stewart Airforce Base, in Upstate New York, you would have to cut the throttles from full speed and glide over 160 miles across Connecticut to reach a speed slow enough for landing!! :)
 
interesting fact about the Blackbird family, a simple 180 degree U turn at speed had a 500 nm circumference. An aircraft lost engine power at altitude, over Texas, and flew dead stick back to Beale AFB California. SOP for the Blackbirds when they detected a missile launch against them, was to increase throttle.
 
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