Herpa U.S. Air Force Lockheed SR-71B Blackbird - 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Base "Gumby" 1/200 573290

As the first SR-71 Blackbird ever, this SR-71B trainer version with the raised rear cockpit was handed over to the U.S. Air Force on January 7, 1966 at Beale Base in the state of California. Special markings were not welcome by the Luftwaffe leadership on the mostly secretly operating Mach 3-fast reconnaissance aircraft. Thus, most of the markings were made before returning to the main base in Beale on the U.S. mainland when stationed overseas. They were often drawn with chalk so that they would disappear after arrival. The drawing of Gumby, a modelling clay figure from a popular children's show of the 1960s and 70s, was one of the many ephemeral works of art made of chalk. In this case, the main character of the show of the same name was only used on the right tail of this Blackbird (German: Blackbird). After the Blackbirds were decommissioned in 1990, this SR-71B trainer and two other SR-71A operational aircraft were loaned to NASA for projects to research future supersonic and hypersonic technologies. As the last remaining SR-71B, the still impressive aircraft can be admired at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in the US state of Michigan.