The Lockheed SR-71 " Blackbird " is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. [N 1] The SR-71 has several nicknames, including "Blackbird" and "Habu". [1] Next DAYTON, Ohio (May 2020) -- The Lockheed SR-71A on display in the Cold War Gallery at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The SR-71, unofficially known as the "Blackbird," is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft (U.S. Air Force photo by Ken LaRock)
Lockheed SR71A Blackbird
The aircraft was painted black, and soon earned its name: "Blackbird." The original Blackbird was designated the A-12 and made its first flight on April 30, 1962. The single-seat A-12 soon evolved into the larger SR-71, which added a second seat for a Reconnaissance Systems Officer and carried more fuel than the A-12. In 1976, the SR-71 set the records it still holds: flying at a sustained altitude of 85,069 feet, and reaching a top speed of 2,193.2 miles per hour, or Mach 3.3. The program was halted in 1990. Specifications Aircraft Type: Lockheed SR-71A, S/N 61-7964, "Blackbird" Mission: High speed, high altitude strategic reconnaissance Number built: 32 Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney JT11D-20B continuous bleed, afterburning turbojets, 34,000 lbs. thrust Weight: Empty 60,000 pounds, Maximum takeoff weight 170,000 pounds 1964 United States of America CRAFT-Aircraft Lockheed Aircraft Corporation Twin-engine, two-seat, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft; airframe constructed largely of titanium and its alloys; vertical tail fins are constructed of a composite (laminated plastic-type material) to reduce radar cross-section; Pratt and Whitney J58 (JT11D-20.
What It Was Like To Fly the SR71 Blackbird
SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 55 ft. 7 in. Length: 107 ft. 5 in. Height: 18 ft. 6 in. Weight: 170,000 lbs. loaded Armament: None Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney J58s of 32,500 lbs. thrust ea. with afterburner Crew: Two Serial Number: 61-7958 PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: Over 2,200 mph. Range: 3,000 miles Service ceiling: Over 85,000 ft. The SR-71, the most advanced member of the Blackbird family that included the A-12 and YF-12, was designed by a team of Lockheed personnel led by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, then vice president of Lockheed's Advanced Development Company Projects, commonly known as the "Skunk Works" and now a part of Lockheed Martin Corp. A NASA SR-71A with the Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) mounted parks beside a NASA SR-71B trainer aircraft. The Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE) is mounted on a NASA SR-71 aircraft Aug. 26, at the NASA Dryden Flight. SR-71 Blackbird. Following the development of the A-12 came the SR-71, an improved platform for reconnaissance. The capabilities of the SR-71 versus the A-12 have been debated many times.. In addition, SR-71A #61-7972 set several speed records over recognized courses during its final flight and retirement to the National Air and Space Museum.
Blackbird SR71 Master Of StealthThe Fastest Airplane Ever Built War History Online
In 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird broke the world's record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight at 25,929 meters (85,069 feet). The same day another SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 3,529.6 kilometers per hour (2,193.2 miles per hour), approximately Mach 3.3. As the fastest jet aircraft in the world, the SR-71 has an impressive collection of records and history of service. The Blackbird's unique design evolved from the challenges of meeting the goal of operating beyond the range of interception in both speed and altitude. In 1976, more than ten years after its first flight the SR-71 set two world records for its class with a speed of 2,193.167 mph and an altitude of 85,068.997 feet.
Unofficially, the SR-71 carried many nicknames, including the "Habu," "SR," "Lady in Black," and "Sled;" but most of us know the SR-71 as the "Blackbird." The SR-71 was developed as a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft capable of flying at speeds over Mach 3.2 and at 85,000 feet. The SR-71 wasn't just a sprinter. Remarkably, the "Blackbird" could sustain Mach 3 flight continuously, for more than one hour at a time.
Lockheed SR71A Blackbird
FLASHBACK: Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird. Shortly after the first SR-71's began flying operational missions over North Vietnam, the Air Force was looking into ways of expanding the capabilities of the aircraft. With the interchangeable noses, mission planners had to make a choice of flying either optical cameras or side-looking radar, depending. Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird. The last of a small family of aircraft built by Lockheed's famous Skunk Works, the SR-71 is one of the most recognized aircraft ever built. Design of what would become the Blackbird began in 1958 with a request from the CIA for an aircraft to replace the Lockheed U-2. The aircraft the CIA got was a single seat, twin.
