Celebrate The 51st Anniversary Of The SR-71 Blackbird's First Flight With These Crazy Stats

Foxtrot Alpha ^ | 12/22/15 | Tyler Rogoway

[PIF]

On December 22nd, 1964, the SR-71 Blackbird took to the air for the very first time, rising above Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale with F-104 chase planes in pursuit. The occasion would mark the birth of one of the most amazing and renowned aircraft of all time.

Some numbers from the Blackbird family of planes:
35 miles per minute or 3,100 feet per second is how fast the SR-71 could fly
85,000 feet is the official Blackbird ceiling, although it supposedly could fly higher

Snip
Over 1,000 missiles were launched at the SR-71 without any losses

Snip
Zero was the number of computers used to design the Blackbird

[EternalVigilance]

Years ago, they put one of the retired SR’s at the old Offut museum.

I touched that bird myself.

[mad_as_he$$]

As far as the public knows.

[tanknetter]

Thats it. Awesome story - thanks!

[tanknetter]

One quick technicallity note: the SR-71 was the third and last Blackbird variant to fly. The CIA’s single-seat A-12 (which reached operational status) and the USAF’s YF-12 interceptor prototype took to the air before the SR did.

The A-12 being slightly faster than the SR.

[OregonRancher]

Kadena vet, 84-88. Saw the habu many times. Incredible.

So was my brother, support. Told me stories about how the
“lead sled” would cruise down the Kamchatka peninsula and bait
the soviet fighters to a chase. Was told that the soviets
would burn out their engines in minutes trying to climb
a ballistic arch to fire missiles. Trivia: At speed, the
plane climbed at 3k feet a minute at one degree of climb.

[minnesota_bound]

The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly.
http://sploid.gizmodo.com/5511236/the-thrill-of-flying-the-sr-71-blackbird

1.6 x 60 x 60 = 5,760mph

[PIF]

I have heard a number of people dispute/ridicule any thing above mach 3 for the SR-71 no matter what some article claims. 5760 mph (1.6sec/mile X 60seconds X 60minutes) is something like mach 7.5, which would have made the plane hypersonic.

7.5 is not simply above the 3.2 limit, but astronomically above it.

[minnesota_bound]

Maybe that pilot who wrote the article may have made up the number or accidentally revealed the real number.

[minnesota_bound]

In the article: I heard the click of Walter’s mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, ‘ Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.

1,982 knots = 2280.85 still a bit faster then official numbers.

[jim_trent]

If my memory is right, immediately after it first flew, LBJ spilled the beans to the public (and the Russians) as part of his Presidential campaign.

[PIF]

Aren’t politicians wonderful? The love to either offhandedly mention in public something secret or sell the secret for campaign cash ...

[Ozark Tom]

Prepper equipment for the engineers!

[Ozark Tom]

1 mile per 1.6 second equals .625 miles second.

1/1.6 x60x60 = 2,250 mph

[Ozark Tom]

Stall speed at altitude is pretty high. Un-starts aren’t pretty.

[minnesota_bound]

I need a slide rule : )

[Ozark Tom]

JP-58 turbo ramjet engine video with charts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ao5SCedIk

3:13 into video see diagram for various power settings and altitude curves, with mach figure on bottom scale. Maximum efficiency at a bit above M 3.2 as indicted by fuel burn factor on left margin.

[Despot of the Delta]

would have loved seeing the V8’s spooling up the J58’s