This is one of the best illustrations I’ve seen of a fallout shelter from the 1950s. The dark lighting and grim, industrious nature of the family reflect the way a real family might have behaved during an attack. Michael Amrine, who edited the well-regarded Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, wrote the text and provides sane, sober,… Continue reading Home Nuclear Bomb Shelter “Foxhole” 1951
Month: March 2013
French Leduc 021 Experimental Ramjet Cutaway, 1956
Where’s the pilot? Well, maybe it’s not a plane. Maybe it’s a missile of some sort. But then, where’s the warhead? You’re looking at a G.H. Davis cutaway drawing, 1956, of a Leduc 021 ramjet aircraft. No pilot, no warhead. The Leduc 021 was carried up by a Languedoc airliner, Space Shuttle-style, and then released. … Continue reading French Leduc 021 Experimental Ramjet Cutaway, 1956
French Baroudeur SE 5000 Fighter Jet Cutaway, 1956
A nice G.H. Davis cutaway (note “France” added just above his signature) of a French Baroudeur SE-5000. See the landing gear on the Baroudeur? No? That’s because the Baroudeur (roughly translated to “adventurer”) is leaving its landing gear behind on the ground. That’s right, the SE-5000 carried no gear, instead relying on a wheeled trolley… Continue reading French Baroudeur SE 5000 Fighter Jet Cutaway, 1956
Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950
Even though development of the Lark began during World War II, it was not finished in time to assist U.S. troops. Development picked up again during 1946-1950, and it was used mainly for testing at sea. The real soul of the Lark was in its “brain”: a set of guidance controls (shown on the cutaway),… Continue reading Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950
White House Cutaway Drawing, 1950
The occasion for this cutaway of the White House was its $5.4 million, 2 year-long renovation project under President Harry Truman. By 1950, the White House was a wreck: saggy floors, weakened beams, crumbling masonry. The project gutted the entire inside of the house, replacing it with steel girders, but leaving the outside intact. Click… Continue reading White House Cutaway Drawing, 1950