Not SR-71 Blackbird

Go ahead and yell at me if this has already been brought up, but I haven't seen it. I'm not quite as smart as a lot of people here and some might say I have no purpose making a topic, but I was looking through pictures of the Blackbird on the internet and found this picture:

Not SR-71

I realize that this could be faked, but aside from the extra tail fin in the center, I noticed that the engines are positioned slightly below the wings while they are just above on the SR-71. I don't think most people would take the time to change that if it is a fake.

[edit on 2/3/05 by Aurora is real]

That is an interesting picture, it has an extra tail fin then the SR-71 and the landing gear is also different along with other minor body changes. But these features could and probably were faked. The picture of the supposed aircraft is all dark, making it every easy to edit. The reason why I think it is fake is if you look at the middle tail fin is more blurred then the others, the rest of it looks alright. However overall its an ok fake, but when you look at the details to can see that it is just that, a fake. People edit pictures for many reasons, some are just for fun, so editing a pic of an SR-71 would not be a problem of time for the person editing it. Interesting find though. Although I would like to hear what other members think, I could be wrong... If indeed this is a different aircraft then the SR-71 or maybe another version of it, this picture would get much attention.

[edit on 2-3-2005 by beyondSciFi]

It is most likely a fake. the outbaord engines are obviosuly from an SR-71. But if you compare the lighting on the center fin to the starboard fin, you can see it is faked. the center fin lighting is too uniform, and also too bright.

landing gear looks fishy too, but i don't know off hand what the SR-71 landing gear looks like.

Photoshopped:
Its a merge of a F-117, F-16, and a SR-71.




seekerof

You can clearly see the image has been run through some type of image editing software. This doesn't give us conclusive proof that the image is a fake as it may have been touched up for artistic reasons or to hide detail.

My gut feeling says it's fake though. Considering the fact that this aircraft would be highly classified with restricted access I would doubt a perfectly framed and beautiful image with the sunset behind the craft would be possible to take without anyone knowing. That's just me though...


Contrast, saturation, hue and brightness adjusted image below.

Here is the image that your link points to.
Look closely at the wheels. Look closely at the landing gear.

Here is the real blackbird.

Nope it's not a blackbird.

[edit on 3-3-2005 by makeitso]

Aurora is real, lol odd name for someone who posts a "Black" image.

hmmmmmmmm...thanks for posting this...Its a pic I havn't seen before.

most think its fake, but i'm not sure. It it was fake you would think that the "creator" wouldn't touch the landing gear, and just out off curiousity...I figured I it was me who was making this "fake image" I to might change a few other things about the Blackbird to make it more different, and since the landing gear is clearly visable that would make sense, but I would use landing gear off of another plane that way its easier and would look more legit, but I checked what the landing gear looks like on a couple dozen other aircraft and they dont match. Also (if real) it only has 3 wheels while the SR-71 has 8, Although this doesn't mean much because since it is more modern then the SR-71 it would be made out of composites making it lighter, and judging by the picture it looks smaller then the Blackbird as well.

Jehosephat
It is most likely a fake. the outbaord engines are obviosuly from an SR-71. But if you compare the lighting on the center fin to the starboard fin, you can see it is faked. the center fin lighting is too uniform, and also too bright.

The center would be more uniform...its verticle, while the other 2 are not. and with the sun being north-east of it I think the light appears correct. and unfortunatly this pic cant be cracked by shadows...like most.


The more I look at the picture my eyes keep focusing on one part...behind the cockpit. Which looks nothing like the Blackbird, I also have being looking at 2 seater Blackbirds but they dont look like this. and judging by the pics makeitso provided the second pic the camera man was a little to far right, making the bird not perfectly centered, while the "odd jet" is obviously not even close to centered, but yet the (left) engine looks shorter??? Which would be strange since its a turboramjet, and since that basically means 2 engines in one, that makes it longer. and my attention went back to the fuselage, several aircraft have air intakes on there back, like the X-47A. So I think the jet engine has being moved to the back of the aircraft behind the pilot, and if thats the case then you wouldn't need them on the side, making the side ones ramjet only, hence making them smaller. Also the left & right tail fins seem to not be as tall as the Blackbirds.

Hard to judge its size by this picture...But deffiniatly smaller then the SR-71 Blackbird.

I say 70% chance of being legit.

However...like kinglizard, Why sections are blacked out is an intriguing mystery.

Scroll down near the bottom Anyone familiar with this site? I found it with google image.

Things
Photo (21k jpg)
Something spotted flying out of Groom? Aurora maybe?? Alas, no. It's a model of a stealth-a-cized version of a SR-71, used for a motorcycle advertising campaign in Europe. Quite nice however.

Aurora may be real, but I dont think this is it.


[edit on 3-3-2005 by makeitso]

I wont believe its a model based on that site, not that I dont believe them, I just figure if its a model then I would trust a model site that sells it or something.

That site doesn't prove or disprove anything, I think they just make up stuff.....After all, 2 pics below the "odd Blackbird" is this.



[edit on 3-3-2005 by Murcielago]

Maybe its a mini-blackbird? Meant for fighting and light bombing?

To those skeptical about the blacked-out areas, I would venture to guess that it is a byproduct of poor JPEG encoding that becomes amplified when you tweak the images brightness/hue/sat. settings.

The airplane itself almost appears to be an MD-21 (would explain the strange shape behind the cockpit), however the landing gear does not appear to be from an SR-71 or A-12. Perhaps there were prototypes built to test the D-21 that had modified gear configurations?

I would give the image about 70% probability of being legit, however I doubt it was shot at A51 due to the prefect composition of the sunset behind the airplane.

[edit on 3/3/05 by para]

Photo (21k jpg) Something spotted flying out of Groom? Aurora maybe?? Alas, no. It's a model of a stealth-a-cized version of a SR-71, used for a motorcycle advertising campaign in Europe. Quite nice however.

That's from the website above and here is a link to what I think is what it was talking about.

Advertisement

Its the new Chevy Tahoe. Full time 4wd with active suspension

Edited because the link didnt work!

Sorry!!!

[edit on 3/3/2005 by MickeyDee]

It's the X-mens Blackbird

I remember a long time ago, a rumor about how the Stealth Fighter was leaked out to the public when a toy company created a very simliar airplane. I cannot find any information on this now; does anybody here know or remember what I am talking about?

I realize this is a long shot

It appears that you found it all right. It's a HONDA super blackbird

I did some more follow up also. Here is the ad you pointed to:


And another



[edit on 3-3-2005 by makeitso]

going along with the bike ads....
Im a bike nuts to say the least (average between 300-400 miles a week)
My last road bike was from Felt...
called the SR-71



they also have a model called the B2....

Originally posted by rktspc
I remember a long time ago, a rumor about how the Stealth Fighter was leaked out to the public when a toy company created a very simliar airplane. I cannot find any information on this now; does anybody here know or remember what I am talking about?

I realize this is a long shot

Lol, long story there, check this thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Basically the F-19 was the product of heavily touched up F-117 photos and overactive journalist imaginations Pity though, was a damn cool looking plane, I still have the airfix model...