[rktman]

Awesomeness. Saw one leave Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach once after a stop for some reason. Headed east and when he got out over the ocean and kicked it in to overdrive. WOW! Kinda aggravating clicking through the slide show but if you're craving some superior flying............

[nascarnation]

Designed with slide rule calculations and drawn with pencil on vellum.

I read that Kelly Johnson said no engineer could have his desk located > 50 yards from the airframe build bay.

[Old Forester]

One of my favorite airplanes. I got to work on it for awhile in ‘72.

[DoughtyOne]

[Carry_Okie]

Realize that the first incarnation of the SR-71 was the A-12, as conceived in the late 1950s. What an awesome imagination led to the construction and manufacture of that plane!

[gbunch]

Very funny Blackbird story here:
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/favorite-sr-71-story-1079127041

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I flew in the KC_135Q that refueled these black birds. Saw lots take off and landings at Beale AFB.

It would start the roll, hit the afterburners then go straight up till out of sight.

[rey]

THis story will make any SR 71 fan smile:

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/favorite-sr-71-story-1079127041

[SkyPilot]

So sad.

The United States could produce aircraft and weapon system like this when we didn't blow over 2/3rds of our budget on entitlements and welfare.

[Blue Collar Christian]

Arguably the most lovely aircraft ever made.

[doorgunner69]

I finally scored a used copy of “The Untouchables” off Amazon after waiting for many months for the price to come down below $75. Fascinating book.

[03A3]

Saw them at Kadena back in the early 80’s. Stars and Stripes did an interesting article on them back then. The two things I remember most was when working on an engine in a test cell they had to put a slave engine in front with the exhaust flowing directly in the SR’s engine to simulate temperature at altitude. The other was the crew heating up meal packets on the windows.

[Chode]

wonder if this is some king of exterrnal burning test module...

[faithhopecharity]

There’s a SR-71B on public display at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum. You can reach up and ( if you’re fairly tall, or with the aid of a milk crate) touch it as you walk underneath the plane (which is suspended over the floor of the indoor part of the museum). A real thrill

[Kozak]

Was at an Air show at Wright Pat in Dayton Oh. The SR. 71 was scheduled to fly by. Announcer got on the horn and said " the SR. 71 is taking off from Beall AFB ( Ca), and should be overhead in 45 Minutes

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty/Retiree ping.

[es123409]

I was stationed at Patrick and saw the SR71 take off as well. It would have been in 1985 or 1986. It sure was something to witness. What did you do at Patrick? I was assigned to the 2nd combat communications group.

[Typelouder]

http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/transporting_the_a-12.html

Here is a link to a fascinating article about how they transported the A-12 from Skunkworks to Area 51 for testing. Plenty of photos of the process involved. Don’t intend to hijack your thread, just add to it.

[deadmenvote]

bing for later read