Below is a sample of how the matted version appears (matte colors may vary)
Note: All Prints are Signed by the artist but do not have the text graphics that are shown on the sample images.
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The F-104 was the quinessential high speed interceptor. Conceived in the early 1950s when the dark shadow of the immense Soviet Nuclear Bomber fleet hung over the consciousness of the free world, the Starfighter was designed to get airborne quickly, to zip to the intercept point immediately if not sooner (with a maximum speed of 1,450 MPH), then to dispatch with great prejudice any bomber attempting to penetrate the skies over the North American continent. It did its job well, as those bombers thankfully never did cross its path in anger.
Dubbed "The missile with a man in it," the Lockheed F-104 had a long sleek fuselage and short razor thin wings. It was designed for speed and not manuevreablity. It was also a tricky platform to fly, with a large attrition rate from accidents due to its edge-of-the-envelope flight characteristics. Yet it was affordable, and efficient, as witnessed by the fact that dozens of countries bought export versions of the fighter as their main aerial defender - countries such as Canada, Turkey, Pakistan, Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Italy... some continued to operate the Starfighter into the new millenium.
This picture depicts a brace of F-104C's of the 476th TFS, 479th TFW, based at George AFB, Victorville CA circa 1960. This squadron was deployed to Germany during the Berlin Crisis of 1960 and rotated with the other squadrons in the Wing on operational deployment in Spain and Germany during the next few years.
This print is hand processed by the artist using the highest quality photo paper to create the sharpest, best color images possible. Printed on a Canon I9900 printer, the quality of the print is truly exceptional - much brighter and sharper than standard litho printing or photo process printing. The Canon Bci inks are expected to have a 40-70 year life span before any fading under normal conditions, which is the equivalent of an average litho print.
The print size was determined to be ideal for matting to the standard frame dimension of 16" x 20."
Custom matting is available for any print order, with the final dimension of the matted piece being 16" x 20" - the framing for which is easily accessible at any art or craft store for anywhere from $15. If you wish to upgrade to a fully matted version of this image, click the picture or link below.
Larger size prints or custom canvas versions of many of my images can be obtained via
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