I will admit, I waited a while before posting this tattoo… we wanted to display it at just the right time because we didn’t want such an amazing piece of tattoo artistry overlooked.  In fact, when I first saw this incredible tattoo of a General Electric GE90 turbofan engine as a cutaway image, I knew this was a feature to cherish.  So now, as the aviation world looks to the future this week at the Singapore Airshow in Asia… I felt it was the perfect time to post this tattoo of the ultimate evolution in commercial aircraft engines.

(click the image below for the full post and three larger photos of the tattoo in process)

And for good reason! This tattoo truly illustrates how far tattooing has evolved in the past few decades.  The amazing level of detail, shading, and technical precision that combined to create this technical triumph of turbine aircraft engine technology on a human canvas is staggering.

In fact, the subject of this tattoo and the tattoo itself are a lot alike.  The General Electric GE90 family of high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines are some of the most efficient, advanced, and powerful jet engines of the modern age of aviation.  The GE90 holds the world record for most thrust produced by a turbine engine and powered a Boeing 777-200ER that set the world record for the longest flight by a commercial airline aircraft.  On top of all this, it remains one of the largest engines ever built… and is the basis for the GEnx turbofan engine that has been developed to power the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Much like the engine, this tattoo illustrates a portion of what could be considered the peak of the art of tattooing… the line work, detail, and skill all combine to create an image that would look right at home in blueprints, 3-D CAD renderings, or detailed technical illustrations.  The fact that it was created on skin… a flexible living canvas with challenging curves and textures, proves that tattooing has not only evolved into an artform that mirrors that of other media, but perhaps even outranks in some cases because of the unique challenges that the medium presents to the artist.

Certainly the wearer, a dedicated aviation enthusiast and aspiring commercial pilot himself, made a very wise choice when he chose artist Brett J. Barr for this creation.  Brett is currently tattooing at Primal Tattoo Gallery in Orlando (Casselberry), Florida, so be sure to visit Brett’s portfolio for more amazing black and grey mechanical tattoo pieces as well as a diverse range of other amazing styles as well.  We are honored to have such a unique tattoo by such a talented artist featured here at Tattoos In Flight.

And thank you to our contributor for sending his masterpiece along as well as his patience… may the engine you have chosen to symbolize your career path, provide power and thrust on your journey into success within this fantastic industry of those who look to the sky and see more than just the clouds… they see the future!

Please click on the image above or the link below for three larger images of the tattoo in process and complete.

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One of the best uses of aviation is the supply and support of camps and settlements where traditional “over-road” travel isn’t possible due to distance, terrain, or weather conditions.  The hard conditions faced in flying such missions leads to a breed of pilots who are as battle hardened and devoted to their flying skill as any combat pilot.  These “bush pilots” dedicate their lives to flying in and around the hardest territory in the world, and this particular pilot dedicated his skin to one of the tools of his trade, the Piper PA-18 Super Cub.

(click the image for the full post & a larger photo)

The Piper Super Cub is one of the most popular light bush planes still being used.  Derived from the Piper J-3 Cub, the Super Cub was just basically a higher-powered version of the timeless Cub design. Because of it’s light weight and simple construction, combined with a fairly powerful 150hp Lycoming O-320 engine, the Super Cub has a respectable carrying capacity while still having an extremely short takeoff distance.  Equipped with the balloon-like tundra tires as seen in this tattoo, the Super Cub can just about land anywhere with about 200 feet of flat land… this means river sandbars, tops of mesas, and rocky tundra plains. 

Around 9000 PA-18 Super Cubs were produced from 1949-1983 and a modern production run from 1988-1994 by Piper Aircraft. Though Piper no longer produces the Super Cub, similar aircraft with the same principles are being produced by CubCrafters Inc. and Aviat Aircraft (Husky) today as new aircraft.

This black and gray tattoo was created by artist Sean Fairbanks of Bozeman’s Tattoo Alley in Bozeman, MT.  The tattoo was created from several photos of the clients own aircraft.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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Some people snip their shirt-tail off and pin it to the wall for their first solo, others (like at my flight school) were traditionally thrown by their fellow pilots into the nearby Duck Pond after doing their three stop-and-goes aloft by themselves… but some, like the subject of our tattoo feature today, choose to commemorate the first solo flight in a much more permanent and personal way.

(click the image for the full post & a larger photo)

Tattoo artist, pilot, and flying enthusiast Jack Lowe, owner of Skin Kitchen Tattoo in Des Moines, IA, had this tattoo done on January 26, 2009 – the day he made his first solo flight.  Michelle Lowe, a fellow artist at the studio, gladly stayed late to tattoo Jack after he demanded that the tattoo be completed on the same day!

Along with the first solo date, the tattoo includes a pair of pilot wings, an altimeter, and the FAA Registration or “N-Number” of the plane he flew… N2974N, a Piper Archer II operated by Des Moines Flying Club.

Following his first solo in January, Jack passed his Private Pilot checkride on May 7th, 2009 and is now a fully FAA-licensed pilot… congratulations Jack!

I remember the day I first soloed… and always look back on that logbook entry with a big smile on my face. AOPA Pilot Associate Editor Jill Tallman recounts a group of first solo experiences in Flight Training Magazine in May 2008… a good read! 

Again, the tattoo was created by tattoo artist Michelle Hall of Skin Kitchen Tattoo in Des Moines, IA.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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The invention of the helicopter, to me, is one of the best examples of the power of the human mind and our ingenuity. To envision, design, build and fly something that can maneuver so precisely all while battling the various challenges it faces through the laws of physics: torque and gyroscopic force, ground resonance, and all the complex aerodynamics of a rotary wing – it just boggles the mind!  Obviously, those who work intimately with rotorcraft have the utmost respect for the type as well… and we are proud to feature the tattoos of one such individual here today.

(click the image above for the full post and larger photos)

As you see, the tattoo is a collection of helicopter and vertical flight imagery done in black and gray.  Central in the backpiece is the “aerial screw” concept as envisioned by artist, inventor, visionary and dreamer of flight, Leonardo da Vinci, in the 1480’s.  Though the design never worked, his concept was one of the first explorations into the idea of flying vertically as opposed to horizontally like a bird as tried by early experimenters in aviation. 

Nearly 300 years later, starting around 1760, a succession of inventors experimented with vertical flight through models and sometimes full-sized (but many time unsuccessful) craft.  A full history of this era in helicopter experimentation can be found at Wikipedia by clicking here.

It wasn’t until the experiments of the French brothers Jacques and Louis Breguet in 1907 and those of fellow French inventor Paul Cornu in the same year, that actual flight (though limited to a hover of a few feet) with a person aboard was proven.  It drove other inventors forward in experimenting with improvements that led to the modern definition of the helicopter controls that we know today: the cyclic, the collective, the anti-torque pedals, and the throttle.

The first true “modern” successful helicopter, the Sikorsky VS-300, was created and flown in 1940 by Russian immigrant and noted aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky.  His design used the simplified single main rotor configuration combined with a single vertical tail rotor for anti-torque. The Sikorsky R-4, derived from the VS-300, became the first helicopter to be mass produced and 131 were manufactured by Sikorsky for military use.

In the years since, helicopter development paralleled that of fixed wing aircraft and advancements in speed, capacity, maneuverability and safety have taken it from it’s roots as an unstable experiment to, perhaps, the most valuable asset in aviation today.  It’s ability to operate into areas not accessible by land or by traditional aircraft make it a crucial vehicle for use in military, rescue, exploration and urban transport flight operations.

Certainly our subject today feels the same way about his connection to the helicopter as it’s become a valuable asset in his life as well.  With over 20 years of experience in helicopters, his experienced ranged from Army service overseas for seven years to more recent work with the H-65 in Miami, Puerto Rico and Mobile, AL.  He even took part in Hurricane Katrina recovery with helicopters; a highlight of his service in his opinion. As he said about his experiences…

There is nothing as liberating as the freedom of movement that a helicopter offers - in all three dimensions, literally at your fingertips. I’m not sure where my life would be right now without my rotary-wing background…I guarantee it would be much duller.

The left side of his back is devoted to the Army – a Boeing CH-47 Chinook with a slingloaded howitzer under it. The right side of his back honors the United States Coast Guard (USCG) with an HH-65 Dolphin hoisting it’s rescue basket with a survivor. “The yin/yang of helicopter flight in the military – taking lives/saving lives” as he put it… a testament to the versatility of the design.

At the top are his wings from both the Army and the Navy, blended to together to represent their respective side.

The compilation of the helicopter tattoo work was created by artist Dave Tedder of All or Nothing Tattoo in Smyrna, GA and was done over a 5.5 hour sitting in April of 2007.  Thanks for sending us the great tattoo and the great story!

Please click on the image above or the link below for two larger images.

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To balance the modern fighter scale here on Tattoos In Flight after our post of the F-16 Viper last week, we’re presenting a tattoo of a similar high performance modern fighter this week… the Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum” from Russia.  Still one of the most capable 4th generation fighters in the world, the MiG-29 certainly deserves it’s permanent placement as the upper chest tattoo we feature today.

The MiG-29 was conceived in the early 70’s, along with the Sukhoi Su-27, as a Soviet response to the development of what would become the F-15 Eagle in the United States.  As the new American fighter would easily eclipse Soviet fighters of the time, a study was initiated to develop a fighter capable of countering this new threat.  Similar to the solution chosen by the United States, the Soviet Union decided on two designs to suit the evolving air warfare environment… one as a powerful, all-weather, multi-role air superiority fighter and one as a fast, light, agile dogfighter.  The Sukhoi Su-27 countered the American F-15 as the air superiority fighter and the MiG-29 was the Soviet answer to the F-16.

The first flight of the MiG-29A was on October 6, 1977, however it’s entry to service was delayed by engine-related problems and resulting accidents.  Finally in August of 1983, the MiG-29B entered service and acceptance trials were complete by 1984. It was subsequently deployed as a front-line fighter for intercept duties, while the Su-27 remained dedicated to the role of the intimidator in deep, air-to-air sweeps of NATO assets.

Similar to many previous Soviet designs, the MiG-29 was extremely well-built and could be operated from damaged or unprepared airfields that would be common in an advancing ground war.  Rugged landing gear and protective grates on the turbine intakes made it perfect for the role of a front-line fighter.

While in production with the Soviet Union, and later Russia after the collapse of the Soviet government, the MiG-29 was exported to nations other than it’s Soviet/Russian homeland.  The Air Forces of India, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Germany, Poland and many other states that formerly comprised the Soviet Union.  The MiG-29 also served with air forces in Middle Eastern and North African nations such as Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, and Algeria (as well as others). 

Cuba even operated the type and were brought to the forefront after an incident in 1996 when a MiG-29UB shot down two U.S. based Cessna 337s after they crossed into Cuban airspace. The Cessnas were operated by the Miami-based organization Brothers to the Rescue who are described as a humanitarian group with a mission to aid and assist refugees from Cuba and “support the efforts of the Cuban people to free themselves from dictatorship through the use of active nonviolence.” Cuba believed otherwise and deemed the group as terrorists.  The downing led to International condemnation of Cuba for it’s actions.

This upper chest tattoo done in black and gray linework was created by tattoo artist Marin Urbanc of Gandalf Tattoo in Zagreb, Croatia.  You can also see the studio and their portfolio on their MySpace page here.

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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When looking at the most successful aircraft designs of the modern age, it’s hard not to consider the General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon… or Viper as it’s better known to crews.  Obviously someone else felt the same way and had an everlasting tribute tattoo created, which is the subject of today’s post.

The F-16 is a lightweight, multirole jet fighter aircraft that celebrates it’s 35th year in flight this year.  Originally developed as a relatively low production cost, high speed and highly maneuverable fighter for Visual Flight Rules combat or "dogfighting", the F-16 has evolved into the flexible, multirole capacity which it enjoys today.

The F-16 can reach speeds of over Mach 2 and can sustain 9-g maneuvers, making it one of the most nimble fighters in the skies.  As the first aircraft to use the Relaxed Static Stability/Fly-By-Wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system, the F-16 is able to be so maneuverable for the fact that the aerodynamics make it inherently unstable.  If it weren’t for the calculations and corrections made in the Fly-By-Wire system, the F-16 would be extremely difficult to handle using manual controls.

As an export fighter, the F-16 is one of the most used aircraft in the current inventory of nations other than the U.S. — the air forces of 25 countries use the F-16.  Though currently not under production for United States contracts and the design is scheduled for phase-out by the USAF in 2025, the F-16 is still under production in advanced versions for export. Over 4,400 have been built since its first flight on February 2, 1974.

One of the more recognizable uses of the F-16 is as the primary aircraft used by the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration team. Used by the team since 1983, the F-16 carries the distinctive white with blue and red trim paint scheme that has represented the USAF and America at home and abroad since 1953.  The six-ship team is featured at no more than 88 events per year and has never cancelled a show due to a maintenance problem.

This awesome F-16 tattoo was created by artist Craig Beasley who may be found through his website at TheArtofCraigBeasley.com as he’s currently on the road but he can be also found on occasion at Ink & Dagger Tattoo in Atlanta, GA.  I had the opportunity to meet Craig at the Hell City Tattoo Festival in Phoenix, AZ this past month and he’s not only a fantastic artist, but a hell of a nice guy on top of that – look him up and get a masterpiece of your own!

Please click on the image above or the link below for a larger image.

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