[Leica] Arnold Center 55th Anniversary

[jhnichols at bellsouth.net (Jim Nichols)]

As World War II ended in Europe, General Hap Arnold and aeronautical genius 
Dr. Theodore von Karman pondered ways to assure that other nations never got 
ahead of the United States in aeronautical and engine research to the extent 
that Germany had done in the 30s and 40s.  In June 1951, President Harry 
Truman dedicated the Air Engineering Development Center near Tullahoma, TN 
as a research and test center to pursue cutting edge developments for the 
U.S.  I was fortunate to go to work at the center two years later, and spent 
most of my career there, first, as an engineer completing and calibrating 
wind tunnel facilities, and, later in management.  Now known as the Arnold 
Engineering Development Center, it celebrated its 55th anniversary this past 
weekend with a display of vintage and modern aircraft and an air show at the 
Tullahoma Regional Airport, itself built in the 1940s as a training base for 
B-24 crews.

I chose my Leica IIIf RD with a Jupiter 12 35mm f/2.8 lens as my primary 
camera for the static displays.  It was my first real effort with the J-12, 
and I was impressed with the results.  Having tried similar tasks with a 
50mm in the past, I found that, when I backed up to capture a complete 
aircraft image, too many visitors got between me and the subject.  The 35mm 
proved perfect for the assignment.

Selected photos are listed below, with some slight adjustments, cropping, 
and resizing in PS.  

Comments and criticisms are welcomed.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Diamond_Lil 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Red_Knight

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/North_American_F_86

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Wicked_Wabbit 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Sweetie_Face 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Tora_Tora_Tora 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/Japanese_Replica 

http://gallery.leica-users.org/Musings/American_Airlines_DC_3