AIRCRAFT >> FIGHTERS >> F-16
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Catalog Number:
1986.076
Location:
Bldg. 120
Description:
I've been curious about what a pilot looks like when strapped into a fighter and pulling G's. Thus the subject matter of the painting, almost as many hours were spent in research as doing the actual brushwork. The time is mid-morning somewhere in the middle east as suggested by the arrid terrain below. The F-16 used in the painting is on 45 degree left bank and chasing a MIG-29 Fulcrum, whose reflection can be seen in the pilots visor. Much care was taken in the detail of the pilot and all his gear, harnesses, g-suit, mask, hoses, etc., and especially in the positioning of the ands on the throttle and stick. His head is turned slightly to his right exposing the tenseness in his neck. "Guns in Five" seemed appropriate for the title and demonstrates or suggests that in 5 seconds those guns will be seen behind the pilots head. There is a mystic about fighter pilots, flying such advanced machines and capable of handling the stresses and strains of g-forces.