Posted on 01/14/2021 8:53:20 AM PST by Onthebrink
No other U.S. Air Force aircraft could fly faster or higher than the Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird,” and on its final flight, it set a truly impressive record.
The reconnaissance aircraft flew from the west coast of the United States to the east coast – some 2,404 miles – in just 68:17 minutes. During that flight, it traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, and Cincinnati, Ohio, a distance of 311 miles in about eight and a half minutes.
(Excerpt) Read more at 19fortyfive.com ...
I’ve read that even with sat eyes, nothing beats letting Ivan know you’ve been in his airspace
Having worked with the SR71 mission we used to be able to watch the refueling for them on drags during rotations or other assorted a/c that were being dragged along. Best assignment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0 — always entertaining to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
And the tower buzz story of SAC is also worth a watch.
And pre drone era.
Haha—always get a kick out of that one.
My dad worked on it out there. Didn’t even know it till Billy boy declassified Area 51.
I mentioned to friend that I saw the SR71 exhibit at Wright Patterson and noted how complex the engine exhaust was. He responded that it had 2 afterburners one for below supersonic speed and one above. I asked how did he know that. He said he helped design the engines when he was at GE engine facility in Cincinnati.
We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
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Seldom do Ilaugh with pleasure at something I read on FR. This one did it for sure!!
I believe I read that it cost $5 million per mission. It needed a special fuel that was very expensive; the price included some very exotic additives.
Age had more to do with the Sled being retired than anything else.
I’m also certain that the US has replaced the SR-71 with a speedier and more efficient hypersonic aircraft.
And there was at least one civilian spook pilot who flew one during Desert Shield.
It wasn't that much faster, I think it was 0.1 mach faster, anyway the SR-71 design was a much more versatile and a 2 seater and they really needed two pilots to get the missions done that they wanted efficiently, even though one wasn't really doing a pilot stuff. Anyway the SR-71 could carry more camera's and spy equipment then the A-12.
The A-12 was designed as more as an interceptor aircraft, or at least that is way it was sold to congress for funding.
I reread it every time it shows up.
It only gets better.
True that! Or even like Iran.
Great story,
Saw one leaving Patrick AFB years ago after a stop for some issue. Pretty cool when it headed out over the ocean then kicked in full afterburners as it faded off to the east. Yikes. And, the husband of a lady that used to work for Mrs rktman used to fly them for the AF.
My dad was an SR-71 crew chief back in the 70’s. He went on a lot of TDY’s supporting that bird.
When flexibility is required, manned or RPV systems have it all over satellites.
They can be reconfigured in a short time to get the best sensors for the mission. They can be redirected without difficulty for pinpoint flyover. They can be over target any time they need to be.
Satellites have none of these features. They are slaved to orbital mechanics and their onboard system configuration set at launch.
When flexibility is required, manned or RPV systems have it all over satellites.
They can be reconfigured in a short time to get the best sensors for the mission. They can be redirected without difficulty for pinpoint flyover. They can be over target any time they need to be.
Satellites have none of these features. They are slaved to orbital mechanics and their onboard system configuration set at launch.
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