Posted on 08/22/2013 1:59:39 PM PDT by virgil283
"It is a race this jet will not let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest 80,000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn, and I feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quite enough of. Screaming past Tripoli , our phenomenal speed continues to rise, and the screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time, laying down a parting sonic boom. In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the Mediterranean . I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner. The TDI now shows us Mach numbers, not only new to our experience but flat out scary." ......
(Excerpt) Read more at americandigest.org ...
Best quote:
The Blackbird is a reminder of what we once were. We are now a mulatto in Mom Jeans on a nerd bicycle wearing a dork helmet.
My favorite fact about the SR is that it has to be refueled immediately after take-off since the seals leak gas like a sieve when it’s on the ground and the seals don’t close until they get heated up at altitude. At least that’s what I heard.
I’ve been around one the flightline back in the early 70’s, and the JP-7 just drips off the fuselage.
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