SR-71 #17972 'Blackbird' by junge1
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Description
The SR-71 'Blackbird' was developed by the Lockheed 'Skunk Works' under Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson. It was developed from the earlier YF-12 and was an early stealth aircraft, both in design and materials used. Titanium was used for 85% of the structure. To acquire this rare metal from the former Soviet Union dummy corporations were set up to hide the real purpose of use. A total of 32 SR-71s were built. The first flight of the SR-71 was on 22 December 1964 and it was operated by the United States Air Force from 1964 until 1998., 12 were lost in accidents, none to enemy action.
All remaining aircraft are on static display at various places around the United States and the UK.
The SR-71 has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft since 1976.
(2092-mph set over a closed 1,000 km course on 27 July 1976. Altitude for horizontal flight is 85-096-ft).
There are rumors that it can operate at altitudes of 115,000-ft, but those are unsubstantiated rumors. As to the absolute speed only Lockheed and the US Air Force know, as these details are still classified.
The aircraft used a separated tanker fleet using JP-7 fuel. This fuel has a cesium-based fuel additive to reduce exhaust plumes visibility to radar.
The SR-71 was a Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft and the equipment it carried included signals intelligence sensors, side-looking radar and optical photo cameras. The details of the equipment is also still classified.
Specifications:
Crew: 2 (Pilot and reconnaissance officer)
Payload: 3,500-lb (1,600 kg) of sensors
Length: 107-ft 5-in (32.74 m)
Wingspan: 55-ft 7-in (16.94 m)
Height: 18-ft 6-in (5.64 m)
Wing Area: 1,800 sq ft (170 sq m)
Empty weight: 67.500 lb (30,600 kg)
Loaded weight: 152,000 lb (69, 000 kg)
Max. take off weight: 172,000 lb (78,000 kg)
Power plant: 2 x Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets, 34,000 lbf (151kN) each
Maximum speed: Mach 3.3 (2,200+ mph, 3,540+km/h, 1,910+ knots) at 80,000-ft (24,000 m)
Range: 2,900 nmi (5,400 km)
Ferry range: 3,200 nmi (5,925 km)
Service ceiling: 85,000-ft (25,900 m)
(Source: Wikipedia and others).
More details on the SR-71 are posted on my 11 August 2008 upload.
This picture was taken on 3 June 2015,
Sig...
Comments (20)
danapommet
An amazing piece of equipment Sig and I would drive down there just to walk around it once and then leave without looking at anything else. I was so impressed when this was first built. Thanks!!!!!
junge1
@danapommet: Dana, I was always fascinated by this aircraft. For years I kept an eye out for it whenever I went to bases where I knew they operated from, i.e. Kadena AB in Okinawa and Mildenhall AB, UK, to name two. But I never saw one. Seeing them on static display is one thing, but seeing an operational one is entirely different. We were fortunate enough when my buddy and went to Nellis AFB, NV in April 1997 for one of the many celebrations held that year for the Air Force becoming a separate branch of the services. There was one SR-71 on the flight line (my post of 11 August 2008). While the festivities were going on, showing off everything in the US Air Force inventory, past and present, it was announced that a SR-71 had taken off from Beale AFB, CA for the Dryden Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA and it would make a couple of passes over Nellis. Just about everything stopped. Aircraft in the air where in an orbiting pattern and everybody waited for the SR-71 to arrive. The public announce system kept everybody informed of the approaching aircraft. Sure enough, it made a couple of low level passes (I imagine about 1,000-ft above ground), and on the second pass it went into full afterburner. What a sound, music to the ears) and even though it was in the middle of the afternoon and the sun was shining brightly, one could see the concentric rings of the afterburner. I made our day!
starship64 Online Now!
Fantastic shot of a very historic aircraft.
jocko500
that a big plane . cool
giulband
Good photographic documentation !!
auntietk
Let's see ... I've seen the one in Seattle, and there's one at Edwards, and I've got pictures of both of those. I looked it up, and there's one at McMinnville and one at Lackland, but I don't recall ever seeing either of those.
bmac62
Fine photo. What a bird! Have read several operational accounts that are downright thrilling...accounts of outrunning, then out maneuvering sam missiles that were faster then we think the SR-71 was. One story had the SR-71 turning around over Crete and not able to slow down to cruise speed until reaching Gibraltar. Wow.
junge1
@auntietk: Tara, I have also seen them at Castle AFB,CA (outside), Pima Air Museum, Tucson,AZ (inside), Mobile, AL (outside), and the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson, OH and Duxford, UK (inside).
junge1
@bmac62: Bill, you are right. Imagine how thrilled we were seeing the fly-by at Nellis in 1997. I think I may have heard one take-off at Kadena in March 1984. It was very loud, much louder than a F-4 in the pattern, similar in noise to the Concords, which I was fortunate enough to see arrive and depart (both- BOAC and Air France) at Kennedy in May of 1978. Unfortunately at Kadena AB it was rainy with poor visibility, so no visual.
jayfar
What a fab bird this is Sig. Great info and a super plane.
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend. God bless.
ontar1
Love the POV and thank you for the info!
Richardphotos
really a great piece of aviation history
Faemike55
the cool thing about this aircraft was that anything that could possibly fly fast enough couldn't fly high enough and anything that could possibly fly high enough, couldn't fly fast enough. I built a model of this bird way back when Revell made it. (about 1966) (along with a model of the X-15)
Juliette.Gribnau
wonderful lighting and pov
SunriseGirl
Thanks for the photo and all the exciting stories about this magnificent aircraft.
flavia49
splendid!!
debbielove
An amazing piece of hardware, and a much better shot of one than the American Museum at Duxford (at the moment, its being enlarged).. And I have to add big plus points for that great Corsair back there! Outstanding.. Well taken. Rob
Cyve
I love this Jet ... Great POV also!!!
junge1
@ Cyve: Me too. It is my favorite aircraft.