"NASA's WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft made a dramatic emergency landing without its landing gear this morning after a landing gear failure. The WB-57 is a critical platform used for high-altitude Earth science, atmospheric research, and spaceflight support missions.
Captured on video by KHOU11; the aircraft safely touched down after a rare gear-up landing, showcasing the skill of NASA's pilots and emergency response teams.
'Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA's WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field. Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time. As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause.'
While not technically a complete Soul Almanac entry, I had Bifties on the brain and wanted to draw them. Then along came some notes, and I figured I’d share, since making full entries for each one is going to take a while.
I had a lot of fun with these! Figuring out how to make each member of the line look distinctive from one another whilst also making sure they looked related was an interesting experiment. This is also my first time colouring metal textures too!
Some more detailed notes are under the cut.
Shared Traits
Heterochromia
Fire-based abilities
Mix of mechanical and organic parts
Require some guidance regarding emotions and independence
B-51s
SR Strength Units
Breathe a blue blowtorch flame.
Overuse of said flame leads to them tiring very quickly.
This lead to them adapting into Strength-Types, using close-range melee combat which allows them to use their flame without burning themselves out.
Quick tempers and defiant attitudes has earned them the nickname “Short Fuse Cocktails”
Their most visibly defining trait is their metallic lower jaws, often burned to a very dark colour due to their flames.
Mid-low mechanical-organic parts ratio.
B-52s
UR Magic Units
The first Souls of the line, and the strongest. Only six of them are known to exist in Tierra.
Their violet flames are devastating, making them capable of laying waste to entire cities with lasting effects.
B-52s possess the highest endurance of any known Magic Soul, and can withstand perhaps even the most devastating of blows.
Upon their first Summon, B-52s start off as robotic “blank slates”, and require careful coaching in order to start thinking for themselves.
Most of them develop quiet, mellow personalities.
High mechanical-organic ratio.
B-53s
SR Magic Units
Can bend their flames to their will.
Colour of flames ranges depending on the amount of power put into it, going (weakest to strongest) Orange, White, Blue, Purple.
Low mechanical-organic ratio.
The only indicators of their line are the eyes and mechanical-looking throat and hands, which contain sparkers with which they start their flames.
Close-mid-range attacks.
Loud, flashy personalities, fiercely loyal.
B-54s
SR Magic Units
Their unique glowing cores produce a “liquid fire” or molten metal that can be condensed into projectiles and fired from weapons, making for a wide range of potential combat strategies.
Torso looks like a network of piping.
Mid-high mechanical-organic ratio.
Long range attacks.
Very calm, level-headed characters who are well-suited for high-pressure leadership positions.
B-55s
SR Defense Units
Almost as rare as B-52s, likely because of their unusually high vulnerability to Falling.
Produce a violet flame, and are able to set themselves alight and create walls of fire.
Their wings can act as shields.
All of them wear masks to protect their eyes. They very rarely take them off.
Almost entirely mechanical save for the face.
All recorded B-55 Units have been noted as completely mute and robotic in personality. It is unknown if they are capable of developing independence.
B-57s
SR Magic Units
The “most common” members of an already exceedingly rare line of Food Souls.
Green flames aren’t massively powerful compared to the rest of the line, but they are painful and the damage lingers.
Often described as “scrappy clockwork fire imps”.
They make up for their small size with their speed, both in the air and on the ground.
Like B-55s, they are entirely mechanical save for their faces.
An impressive lineup of U.S. Air Force aircraft types were on static display at this airshow at Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, Texas, circa 1967. The fighter row (middle) includes three F-105 Thunderchiefs, three Lockheed F-104 Starfighters, an F-101 Voodoo, an F-4 Phantom II, two Convair F-106 Delta Darts, a Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, and a T-38 Talon trainer. At top, a B-52 Stratofortress bomber and a KC-135 Stratotanker refueler are next to a Lockheed C-141A StarLifter transport and the XB-70 Valkyrie triple-sonic research aircraft, whose center fuselage was made at the then-Lockheed-Georgia Company facility in Marietta, Georgia. The eclectic group at the bottom includes (clockwise from left) a Lockheed YF-12 interceptor, an RB-57 high altitude reconnaissance aircraft modified at the General Dynamics (formerly Convair) facility across the runway, a Convair B-58 Hustler bomber, a General Dynamics F-111A fighter-bomber, a B-26K Counter Invader, and a Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady high altitude reconnaissance aircraft. At the far right, either real or mockups, are an X-15 research aircraft and a Thor-Able booster rocket.
