Why The Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird Was Never Shot Down

19FortyFive ^ | 9/13/2022 | Brent M. Eastwood

[whyilovetexas111]

Speed can do many things for an aircraft. It can allow an airplane to get to its target quickly and complete its bombing run. Speed can help outmaneuver enemy fighters and shoot them down. It enables survivability to outfox air defense systems. Spy planes such as the SR-71 Blackbird could really boogey. The Blackbird had MACH 3 speed that allowed the bird to outrun surface-to-air missiles. That’s 36.55 miles per minute or 3,216.4 feet per second.

In fact, when the SR-71 streaked by, SAMs could barely lock on to target, and if they did the Blackbird was already out of range. This allowed it to outrun and evade over 4,000 enemy missiles that were fired at it over the years.

[whyilovetexas111]

I loved this plane and have seen it many times. I think it could be modernized and still flown. Mach 3 is pretty crazy. I think it hit Mach 3.56

[volunbeer]

A feat of engineering for the history books. The fact that they were able to design and build it without modern computers makes it even more inspiring.

[TexasGator]

“I loved this plane and have seen it many times.”

I think it is the Eglin AFB museum that has one outside you can get close-up to.

[ought-six]

This was an amazing aircraft. It was designed so that it could “breathe,” or expand and contract and flex in flight, given certain outside pressures and conditions. It was simply a marvel of engineering and technology.

[sasquatch]

If I recall, much of the titanium came from the Soviet Union.

[rktman]

The husband of a gal that worked with Mrs rktman was an AF SR-71 jockey. He told me he once had a task to video/film the space shuttle external tank re-entry but got pulled off for another mission. He said he’d have to, do something to me if he told me what it was. LOL! He loved flying them. One landed at Patrick AFB south of Cocoa Beach once for some issue and we were near by when they departed. Friggin’ awesome.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

As is said amongst fighter pilots...”Speed is life”.

[Seaplaner]

As a young USAF Airman fresh from a year's tech school, my first assignment was a year and a half as an electronics technician on the SR-71 (it was not known as the "blackbird" at the time).

What a character building experience. More responsibility than I've ever had before or since.

[central_va]

3 most useless things to a pilot?

[Rummyfan]

Why did they retire the SR-71 yet they are still flying the U-2?

[Yardstick]

They’ve also got one at the Air & Space museum in Huntsville, AL. They’ve got it sitting in front of the main building by the parking lot. Quite a machine to walk around and look at. It’s roped off but you can get in pretty close.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Fuel on the Ground
Runway behind you
Sky above you

[HartleyMBaldwin]

There’s one in the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, AZ. It’s kept indoors, but you can walk around it.

[Kolb]

The Seattle Museum of Flight has a rare Blackbird variant (M-21) on display that you can get close to. There is also an SR-71 cockpit you can sit in. Did that when I visited Seattle, pretty cool: https://www.museumofflight.org/Exhibits/cockpits

[DIRTYSECRET]

The temperature in flight-was it 600 degrees?

[lump in the melting pot]

The answer is right there in the headline - Mach 3

[gundog]

Satellites?

[AFreeBird]

Most of it did. Acquired through CIA front companies scattered around the globe.

[gundog]

The military usually puts out a low figure, the actual speed being classified. Mach 3 plus would be how it was described by most.

[TexasGator]

“It’s roped off “

I ran my hands over the one at Eglin. Not as “sleek” as I expected with the riveted joints.