"Son of Blackbird": Boeing Reveals Hypersonic Concept That Could Replace SR-71

www.popularmechanics.com ^ | Jan 12, 2018 | By Jay Bennett

[ColdOne]

Went to the Smithsonian once with my parents back in the day. I was real young. They got into a fight and mom took me home... I remember crying thinking to myself...why make me leave?

[Bodleian_Girl]

....is dead!

[MrEdd]

I saw them all the time at Kadena.

[mountn man]

Funny how certain planes evoke a certain ... emotion.

Calling the SR-71 or B-70 sexy,
Just seems to fit.

All the lines just “look” right.

[Red Badger]

No, That’s John and George................

[ColdOne]

You know where I would love to go is one of those bone yards for old planes they have row and row of planes.

[kosciusko51]

I’ve not seen that in my research. Do you have a link?

[ColdOne]

;)

[Red Badger]

http://www.airplaneboneyards.com/airplane-boneyards-list-and-map.htm

[ColdOne]

Nice...thank you!

[hattend]

Was stationed at Beale AFB, CA 81-84. Worked in the weather station.

SR-71 flights twice a week, at least. Magnificent to watch those 4 AM takeoffs. Wake-up call for the base housing area.

[TXnMA]

The RB-57F was a "whole 'nuther animal". The B-57 Canberra's wings were cut off at the nacelles, TF-33 turbofans were installed, and then "U2-like" extended wings were added outboard of the nacelles to increase the wingspan to 122 feet -- nearly 2X the length of the fuselage.

AFAIK, the true, classified "operational altitude" of the RB-57F (with the supplemental Pratt & Whitney J60-P-9 turbojets mounted) has never been declassified and published...

[saminfl]

In 1969 I was working for Hughes Aircraft Company and they had a YF-12 (is that the same as A-12?)bailed to them to test the AIM-47 missile. I got to sit in the back seat (not fly, just look). NASA had a couple at the time and crashed one so they took the one Hughes had.

[edzo4]

No problem figured one might be within a days drive and you could take that off the bucket list

[TXnMA]

In the late 70's I had a (I*R-100 Award-winning) contract with the Air Force Materials Lab at Wright Pat.

Always regretted not taking my son out of school, dropping him off at the Museum, and then letting him be my museum "guide" when I finished with my AFML meeting...

So -- when he PCS'd from the 101st Airborne at Ft. Campbell, we drove back to MA together in his off-road pickup. We had a ball stopping at archaeological and historical battleground sites -- and spending a whole day together at the USAF Museum. Best father-son outing -- ever!!

And -- yes -- I did reach out and touch the leading edge of the SR-71's wing... '-)

[GingisK]

You can pat them on the nose is selected museums. They are so wonderfully pretty.

[TXnMA]

Too bad they couldn’t get the entire B-36 inside the building... :-(

[TXnMA]

I saw the video of his crash...

[GingisK]

Just think... The B-70 had six of what the SR-71 had but two. The same engines. Staggers the imagination.

[yarddog]

I knew an old guy who flew bombers in WWII and finally retired in the 70s. One of the planes he flew was the B-36.

After he retired he worked as an instructor pilot at Ft. Rucker. He said when they interviewed him, he was asked if he was qualified for two engines. He replied that he was qualified for 10.