Special radar-absorbing materials were incorporated into sawtooth-shaped sections of the aircraft's skin. The system's digital computer ephemeris contained data on a list of stars used for celestial navigation: the list first included 56 stars and was later expanded to 61. Retired USAF Colonels Don Emmons and Barry MacKean were put under government contract to remake the plane's logistic and support structure. USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. Kelly Johnson realized that the A-12 airframe might work, and designed an interceptor version of the A-12. After passing through the turbine, the exhaust, together with the compressor bleed air, entered the afterburner. [45], Aerodynamicists discovered that the chines generated powerful vortices and created additional lift, leading to unexpected aerodynamic performance improvements. 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. Cooper. The aircraft can fly more than 2200 mph (Mach 3+ or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes of over 85,000 feet. The SR-71 Blackbird is perhaps the most impressive plane ever built. As research platforms, the aircraft could cruise at Mach 3 for more than one hour. Both the first SLAR and ASARS-1 were ground-mapping imaging systems, collecting data either in fixed swaths left or right of centerline or from a spot location for higher resolution. ", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham Veteran Tales", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-86", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-99", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-123", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-129", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-132", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-146", "First man to fly the world's fastest aircraft dies in Rancho Mirage", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham, Veteran Tales interview at Frontiers of Flight Museum (at 1:02:55)", "Memorandum for the Chairman, Sanitization and Decontrol Working Group Black Shield Photography", "Bye Bye U-2: CIA Legend Allen Predicts End Of Manned Reconnaissance", "SPIONFLY, DEN KALDE KRIGEN - Spionfly landet i Bod", "TV: Krnvapenskra bunkern styrde flygplanen", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:1/2", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:2/2", "SR-71 World Record Speed and Altitude Flights", "A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events", "Spy Plane Sets Speed Record, Then Retires. [140], National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)[150]. During unstarts, afterburner extinctions were common. The SR-71 holds a coast-to-coast speed record of 64 . The aircraft was meant to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, but development ran over schedule, and it was equipped instead with the less powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 initially. [25][26] The SR-71 was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, an early attempt at stealth design. Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air & Space, October/November 1990, p. 31. a list of stars used for celestial navigation, 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, National Museum of the United States Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aircraft in fiction Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, List of military aircraft of the United States, List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, "The SR-71 Blackbird: The Super Spy Plane That Outran Missiles", "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: SR-71 Blackbird", "U.S. Pushes Hard To Build SR-72 Hypersonic Fighter", "Records: Sub-class: C-1 (Landplanes) Group 3: turbo-jet. SR-71C 64-17981)[177], After completion of all USAF and NASA SR-71 operations at Edwards AFB, the SR-71 Flight Simulator was moved in July 2006 to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas. Peak speeds during this flight were likely closer to the declassified top speed of over Mach3.2. St. Louis, Missouri, to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds. For thermal experiments, this produced heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees (F). This lack of immediate real-time capability was used as one of the justifications to close down the program. During the Cold War, pilots of the Concorde were asking air traffic control to move the SR-71 out of its way so it could proceed to New York's JF as well as other destinations. [86] The cabin needed a heavy-duty cooling system, as cruising at Mach3.2 would heat the aircraft's external surface well beyond 500F (260C)[87] and the inside of the windshield to 250F (120C). As the U-2 was called Kellys Angel, or Angel, Lockheeds designs for its successor were designated with an A prefix for Archangel. The CIA gave the contract to Lockheeds A-11, which was modified and secretly re-designated the A-12. This operating environment makes the aircraft excellent platforms to carry out research and experiments in a A high altitude jet aircraft used by the CIA and the US Air Force during the cold war. The investigation determined that the new aircraft would need to be supersonic and have a small radar cross-section. Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side looking airborne radar, and a camera;[2] the SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. These SR-71 photos were photographed by civilians or members/veterans of the US. [38], The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. This configuration never flew operational missions due to horrific accidents involving difficulty with drone separation that occurred during testing. SR-71 Blackbird | NASA 98, 100101. Sepanjang perkhidmatannya selama 24 tahun dengan Tentera Udara Amerika Syarikat, pesawat SR-71 Blackbird yang boleh terbang selaju Mach 3++ kekal sebagai pesawat paling laju dan berkemampuan terbang paling tinggi pada 80,000 kaki altitude. [64][65], Several exotic fuels were investigated for the Blackbird. [105] Five flights were attempted but on each occasion no photographs of the flight path were obtained due to low visibility.[106]. Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a two-seat twin-engine long-range supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft produced by Lockheed Corporation. This unusual instrument projected a barely visible artificial horizon line across the top of the entire instrument panel, which gave the pilot subliminal cues on aircraft attitude. [16], During the later stages of its testing, the B-70 was proposed for a reconnaissance/strike role, with an "RS-70" designation. Also, the SR-71 program's "product", which was operational and strategic intelligence, was not seen by these generals as being very valuable to the USAF. Much of the needed material came from the Soviet Union. [3] On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. The tanker also had special fuel systems for moving JP-4 (for the KC-135Q itself) and JP-7 (for the SR-71) between different tanks. However, a bomber variant of the Blackbird was briefly given the B-71 designator, which was retained when the type was changed to SR-71. Book Synopsis. 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. [97] During its career, this aircraft (976) accumulated 2,981 flying hours and flew 942 total sorties (more than any other SR-71), including 257 operational missions, from Beale AFB; Palmdale, California; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan; and RAF Mildenhall, UK. Crickmore, Paul F. "Blackbirds in the Cold War". FLYING Classics: Lockheed Created the 'Impossible' SR-71 Blackbird to One was along the Norwegian west coast and up the Kola Peninsula, which contained several large naval bases belonging to the Soviet Navy's Northern Fleet. The Blackbirds owes its success to the continuum of aircraft that came before it. A MiG-25 had locked a missile on the damaged SR-71, but as the aircraft was under escort, no missiles were fired. NASA released video footage of the SR-71 Blackbird, the high-altitude recon aircraft capable of reaching speeds over Mach 3. SR-71 Blackbird: The Cold War spy plane that's still the world's - CNN SR-71 Blackbird - Absolute Altitude (Sustained Flight) - Manned Aircraft The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966,[13] due both to budget concerns[14] and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12. [N 5][47][48], The air inlets allowed the SR-71 to cruise at over Mach3.2, with the air slowing down to subsonic speed as it entered the engine. The U-2 was able to cruise at heights of more than 21,336 meters (70,000 feet), out of the reach of contemporary Soviet surface-to-air missiles and interceptors. Beginning in 1980, the analog inlet control system was replaced by a digital system, which reduced unstart instances. In the following years, Blackbird crews provided important intelligence about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its aftermath, and pre- and post-strike imagery of the 1986 raid conducted by American air forces on Libya. The addition of chines also allowed the removal of the planned canard foreplanes. Downstream of this normal shock, the air is subsonic. May 01, 1965. In 1976, the SR-71 Blackbird flew at a sustained altitude of 85,069 feet with top speeds of 2,193 MPH, setting records of top speed and altitude that haven't been beaten to this day. This position reflected the spike shock wave repeatedly between the spike center body and the inlet inner cowl sides, and minimized airflow spillage which is the cause of spillage drag. It has set numerous speed and altitude records including the following in chronological order. No. A closer view of the target area was given by the HYCON Technical Objective Camera (TEOC), which could be directed up to 45 left or right of the centerline. [49] Its "blue light" source star tracker, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft's changing position brought them into view. PBS documentary, Aired: 15 November 2006. Due to the excessive cost of operating both A-12 and SR-71 programs, the SR-71 was chosen to take over Operation Black Shield at Kadena in 1968. The fact is that the real performances are still classified even today. Kelly Johnson submitted his proposal for the U-2, essentially a glider with a jet engine and a panning camera in its belly. It carried one highly sophisticated, downward-looking film camera, but the plan was to eventually outfit the craft with an infrared camera, side-looking radar, and a gamma spectrometer. [30] Metallurgical contamination was another problem; at one point, 80% of the delivered titanium for manufacture was rejected on these grounds.[31][32]. The CIA requested designs from aerospace manufacturers for a new aircraft that would not be as susceptible to attack. One plane was almost hit by a missile on 26 August 1981 over the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea but managed to evade and out-fly it. more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. Initially, a bomber variant of the A-12 was requested by Curtis LeMay, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. To start the engines, triethylborane (TEB), which ignites on contact with air, was injected to produce temperatures high enough to ignite the JP-7. Its stealthy design reduced its radar signature, and if it were fired upon by a surface-to-air missile, its evasive action was to simply accelerate and outfly the assailant. [68], Specialized KC-135Q tankers were required to refuel the SR-71. In other words, it was a spy plane. It's a very sandy soil and it's only found in very few parts of the world. Thirteen were built; two variants were also developed, including three of the YF-12 interceptor prototype, and two of the M-21 drone carrier. According to Aerotime.aero, in the same altitude bracket flew the US Air Force (USAF) SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. [35] Within 20 seconds the aircraft traveled 4,500 feet (1,400m), reached 240 miles per hour (390km/h), and lifted off. They refueled from a KC-135, accelerated. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies an ore called rutile ore. Two SR-71s were lost during these missions, one in 1970 and the second aircraft in 1972, both due to mechanical malfunctions. 61-7950) delivered to, 22 December 1964: First flight of the SR-71, with Lockheed test pilot Robert J "Bob" Gilliland at Palmdale, 21 July 1967: Jim Watkins and Dave Dempster fly first international sortie in SR-71A, AF Ser. And the determination was that if one could take advantage of technology and develop a system that could get that data back real time that would be able to meet the unique requirements of the tactical commander." Graham, a former 1st-SRS and 9th-SRW commander, presented in 1996 what he viewed as a factual summary, not an opinion, of how the SR-71 provided some intelligence capabilities that none of its alternatives (such as satellites, U-2s, and UAVs) were providing in the 1990s (when the SR-71 was retired and then re-retired from Air Force reconnaissance duty. Before the July speech, LeMay lobbied to modify Johnson's speech to read "SR-71" instead of "RS-71". [85], The cockpit could be pressurized to an altitude of 10,000 or 26,000ft (3,000 or 8,000m) during flight. At take-off, the afterburner provided 26% of the thrust. An advanced, long-range, Mach 3.2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. There were also trainer versions of the A-12 and SR-71. Johnson managed Lockheed'sSkunk Works during its heyday, as well as contributed some of the most original aircraft designs of the 20th century. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. When the SR-71 was retired in 1990, one Blackbird was flown from its birthplace at USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to go on exhibit at what is now the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The TEB produced a characteristic green flame, which could often be seen during engine ignition. [62] Maximum flight speed was limited by the temperature of the air entering the engine compressor, which was not certified for temperatures above 800F (430C). Famous Vehicles Of The Air Force And Their Most Ridiculous Features The amazing story of Bill Weaver: the Blackbird pilot who survived his Blackbird Aircraft Records Attempts to add a datalink to the SR-71 were stymied early on by the same factions in the Pentagon and Congress who were already set on the program's demise, even in the early 1980s. Thus, Swedish airspace was violated, whereupon two unarmed[115] Saab JA 37 Viggens on an exercise at the height of Vstervik were ordered there. [8], Operational highlights for the entire Blackbird family (YF-12, A-12, and SR-71) as of about 1990 included:[104]. The Legendary YF-12: The Fighter That Should Have Changed Everything This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 07:27. Setting Records with the SR-71 Blackbird - National Air and Space Museum One of the most impressive vehicles to come out of the Lockheed Skunk Works experimental and clandestine development team is the SR-71 Blackbird. Absolute Altitude: 80,257.86 ft (24,390 meters). [97] These deployments were code-named "Glowing Heat", while the program as a whole was code-named "Senior Crown". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "[104] It was agreed to add $100million to the budget to return three SR-71s to service, but it was emphasized that this "would not prejudice support for long-endurance UAVs" [such as the Global Hawk]. American leaders needed to know about the Soviet Unions nuclear capability, ICBM program, and military installations. The USAF could fly each SR-71, on average, once per week, because of the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Hall also stated they were "looking at alternative means of doing [the job of the SR-71]. Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. SR-71 Blackbird Speed and Altitude Records - wvi.com The SR-71's record setting speed and high-altitude flights helped it keep enemies at bay. [42] Drawing on early studies in radar stealth technology, which indicated that a shape with flattened, tapering sides would reflect most energy away from a radar beam's place of origin, engineers added chines and canted the vertical control surfaces inward. Later start carts used Chevrolet big-block V8 engines. Supersonic flights generally lasted no more than 90 minutes before the pilot had to find a tanker. [63], Originally, the Blackbird's J58 engines were started with the assistance of two Buick Wildcat V8 internal combustion engines, externally mounted on a vehicle referred to as an AG330 "start cart". Some of this compressor flow (20% at cruise) was removed after the fourth compressor stage and went straight to the afterburner through six bypass tubes. The design was designated YF-12A in 1962 and it took its first successful Groom Lake flight in the following year. One widely conventional view, and probably the best-known view, of the reasons for the SR-71's retirement in 1989a view that the Air Force itself offered to the Congresswas that besides being very expensive, the SR-71 had become redundant anyway, among other reconnaissance methods that were ever-evolving. Development began on a coal slurry power plant, but Johnson determined that the coal particles damaged important engine components. It decelerates further in the divergent duct to give the required speed at entry to the compressor. These were called the TA-12, SR-71B, and SR-71C. Colonel Rich Graham, SR-71 pilot, described the acquisition process: The airplane is 92% titanium inside and out. Show more Show more 7:16 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. [131] This equates to an average speed of about Mach2.72, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. [124] All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few D-21 drones retained by the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (later renamed the Armstrong Flight Research Center). We do not know whether they then went on to move across that bridge. Blackbird aircraft have been setting records since day one. Lockheed found that washing welded titanium requires distilled water, as the chlorine present in tap water is corrosive; cadmium-plated tools could not be used, as they also caused corrosion. The Blackbirds were designed to cruise at Mach 3.2, just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet. 61-7974, is lost due to an engine explosion after taking off from Kadena AB, the last Blackbird to be lost, 22 November 1989: USAF SR-71 program officially terminated, 6 March 1990: Last SR-71 flight under Senior Crown program, setting four speed records en route to the Smithsonian Institution, 25 July 1991: SR-71B, AF Ser. For other uses, see, See the opening fly page in Paul Crickmore's book. [19] It is a common misconception that the planes refueled shortly after takeoff because the jet fuel leaked. Such generals had an interest in believing, and persuading the services and the Congress, that the SR-71 had become either entirely or almost entirely redundant to satellites, U-2s, incipient UAV programs, and an alleged top-secret successor already under development. Modifications were made to provide a data-link with "near real-time" transmission of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar's imagery to sites on the ground.[104]. The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest manned aircraft ever flown Only one crew member, Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight-test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, was killed in a flight accident. These same factions also forced expensive sensor upgrades to the SR-71, which did little to increase its mission capabilities, but could be used as justification for complaining about the cost of the program. Years before the Powers incident, the CIA had commissioned a study to determine the characteristics for a reconnaissance aircraft that could not be shot down. Free shipping for many products! They had a second cockpit for an instructor pilot. The SR-71's capability of flying at high speeds and at high altitudes made it possible for it to fly faster than any surface to air missiles that were fired at it. On landing, the canopy temperature was over 572F (300C). [111] The most common site for the lock-on was the thin stretch of international airspace between land and Gotland that the SR-71s used on their return flights. The start cart was positioned underneath the J58 and the two Buick engines powered a single, vertical drive shaft connecting to the J58 engine and spinning it to above 3,200 RPM, at which point the turbojet could self-sustain. The gone but not forgotten Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird takes flight at sunset on its way to making a Mach 3.2 thunder run. YF-12A # 60-6934 Absolute Speed Over a Straight Course: 2,070.101 mph .YF-12A #60-6936 The SR-71 originally included optical/infrared imagery systems; side-looking airborne radar (SLAR);[74] electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering systems;[75] defensive systems for countering missile and airborne fighters;[76][77][78][79] and recorders for SLAR, ELINT, and maintenance data. In actuality, the YF-12 was the twin-seat version of the top-secret single-seat Lockheed A-12, and its design became the forerunner of the highly sophisticated SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up, with thermal expansion of several inches. Reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam were code-named "Black Shield" and then renamed "Giant Scale" in late 1968. [118] Opponents estimated the aircraft's support cost at $400 to $700million per year, though the cost was actually closer to $300million. Goodall, James and Jay Miller. Air traffic controller tells the story of when he asked for vertical On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with much of the rest polymer composite materials. [17] The CIA's A-12 was a better photo-reconnaissance platform than the USAF's R-12, since the A-12 flew somewhat higher and faster, and with only one pilot, it had room to carry a superior camera[14] and more instruments. How Swedish Viggen Fighter Jet Caught SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane No. )[26]:205217 The chief question for opinion, beyond that point, was only how crucial, or disposable, those unique advantages properly were. [120] Four months after the plane's retirement, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., was told that the expedited reconnaissance, which the SR-71 could have provided, was unavailable during Operation Desert Storm. [N 2] This USAF version was longer and heavier than the original A-12 because it had a longer fuselage to hold more fuel. While the SR-71 carried radar countermeasures to evade interception efforts, its greatest protection was its combination of high altitude and very high speed, which made it almost invulnerable. The one record that it still holds is a cross-country flight, zipping from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in just 64 minutes 20 seconds. The fly-over orbit of spy satellites may also be predicted and can allow assets to be hidden when the satellite passes, a drawback not shared by aircraft. No. The mission was to do an incident preparedness check and identify an aircraft of high interest. The aircraft, however, was detected on radar as soon as overflights began and it was only a matter of time before one would be intercepted. Due to budget concerns, this model never went into production. On 28 July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7962, piloted by then Captain Robert Helt, broke the world record: an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m). Lockheed Sr-71 Blackbird Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions SR-71 Blackbird Photos | | See Wild Images of The SR-71 - Military Machine Answer (1 of 7): In fact, common data say that SR-71 could fly at 85,000ft (26km) altitude and up to Mach 3.35 with a cruise speed of Mach 3.1. [citation needed], Flying at 80,000ft (24,000m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000ft (13,000m). 61-7956, flies its 1,000th sortie, 21 April 1989: SR-71, AF Ser. Major Jerry Crew, an RSO, told Air & Space/Smithsonian that he used a jammer to try to confuse surface-to-air missile sites as their crews tracked his airplane, but once his threat-warning receiver told him a missile had been launched, he switched off the jammer to prevent the missile from homing in on its signal. Donald, David, ed. [104] In 1996, the USAF claimed that specific funding had not been authorized, and moved to ground the program. [56], The SR-71 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) axial-flow turbojet engines. The media transcript given to the press at the time still had the earlier RS-71 designation in places, creating the story that the president had misread the aircraft's designation. The aircraft, which was at 20km altitude, quickly lost altitude and turned 180 to the left and turned over Gotland to search for the Swedish coast. The aircraft flew at an altitude of over 80,000 feet (24,000 m) and at speeds over 2,190 miles per hour (3,520 km/h). [70], Nortronics, Northrop Corporation's electronics development division, had developed an astro-inertial guidance system (ANS), which could correct inertial navigation system errors with celestial observations, for the SM-62 Snark missile, and a separate system for the ill-fated AGM-48 Skybolt missile, the latter of which was adapted for the SR-71. The specialized tooling used to manufacture both the YF-12 and the SR-71 was also ordered destroyed. This proportion increased progressively with speed until the afterburner provided all the thrust at about Mach 3. During one mission, SR-71 pilot Brian Shul flew faster than usual to avoid multiple interception attempts; afterward, it was discovered that this had reduced fuel consumption. [81][83], Over its operational life, the Blackbird carried various electronic countermeasures (ECMs), including warning and active electronic systems built by several ECM companies and called Systems A, A2, A2C, B, C, C2, E, G, H, and M. On a given mission, an aircraft carried several of these frequency/purpose payloads to meet the expected threats. The dark color led to the aircraft's nickname "Blackbird". 3,500lb (1,588kg) of mission equipment, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. The counterargument was that the longer the SR-71 was not upgraded as aggressively as it ought to have been, the more people could say that it was obsolescent, which was in their interest as champions of other programs (a self-fulfilling bias). Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/27/2021 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site. These are only two of the numerous records set by the SR-71 and its cloud of Blackbirds. Why the SR-71 Blackbird Is Such a Badass Plane; The SR-71 was the result of a requirement for a high-speed, high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft. SR-71 Blackbird. The Blackbird landed at over 170 knots (200mph; 310km/h) and deployed a drag parachute to stop; the chute also acted to reduce stress on the tires.[39]. 10 Crazy Facts We Just Learned About The SR-71 Blackbird - HotCars [33], Some SR-71s featured red stripes to prevent maintenance workers from damaging the thin, fragile skin located near the center of the fuselage. Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air and Space, October/November 1990, p. 35. Eventually, a quieter, pneumatic start system was developed for use at main operating bases. Lockheed Blackbird SR-71: The Fastest, High-Altitude Reconnaissance

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