Posted on 02/05/2005 3:15:15 PM PST by Indy Pendance
Edited on 02/05/2005 3:17:49 PM PST by Lead Moderator. [history]
The coolest spy plane ever built, SR-71. I was watching Modern Marvels on the History channel last night. This aircraft broke all kinds of international speed and altitude records which still have not been beaten today. It was nothing for them to fly at 80,000 feet and it was a piece of cake to fly at about mach 3, or about 2100 mph. For those of you old enough, remember the sonic boom days? About 750 miles would create a sonic boom, or a doppler effect.
Here's the question, this plane was so fast, it was faster than the earth's rotation. What would happen with time over a long sustainable period of flying time? If it goes faster than the earth's rotation long enough, will it be ahead of time when it lands, or likewise in the opposite direction, will it go back in time. Do you think Einstein has an answer? Saturday night ponderings.
During the B-70 wind tunnel testing they found instability at high speeds and discovered that the entire plane produces a shock cone starting at the nose tip. The wing tips of the plane were into the shock cone and were causing the instability. So they fixed the problem by tilting the wing tips so they would be inside the shock cone during high speed runs. You can see the hinge lines in your picture, though the wing tips are extended straight out in this pic. At high speed the wing tips canted down about 20-30 degrees.
Nah, everyone knows the SX-71 is an old Hallicrafters general coverage radio receiver. I had one and I'm still kicking myself for selling it for $75 back in the 1980's. I'd cost 300-400 to buy one nowadays. Heck of a nice receiver though.
You heard right, the bird leaked like a seive on the ground, went airborne and then refueled. Most of what we know about tooling titanium was learned during the YF-12 toolup. Wonderful material, but the devil to machine, it would rather curl up than accept work. Ahead of its time is an understatement.
Only one SR-71 crashed, at Edwards, don't know that they ever pieced together exact cause, but none has ever come close to falling to enemy fire. Replacement has been the U-2, with vulnerabilities Gary Powers (RIP) could tell you all about. Budget killed SR-71, a space happy Air Force decided sattelites were cheaper. Unfortunately any enemy with a basic grasp of orbital mechanics can advise when in a 90 minute cycle his people need to go to ground to avoid space based recon. We had commanders in Gulf War I complaining that good as they were, sattelite photos were like "looking at the battlefield through soda straws", a valid field of view complaint.
"my Daddy helped design and build this aircraft . "
In the days before computer aided design/drafting, and slide rules where used for calculations. And the design can still be considered "leading technology".
LOL!!:-)
I usually do this on a Saturday. I've had 3-4 vanities that have exploded into really great discussions, this is one, but, they aren't the usual, hey, I'm new here, kind of junk. I don't know why, slow news day perhaps? This has been a fun, thought provoking thread nonetheless. No, I don't do drugs. lol! I didn't take you for a basher either, I can roll with the punches.
I have an old Janes book, (not the large one) which gives the speed of the Mig 25 and is was really close to the SR-71. I also remember their saying it was not a very good fighter.
Who dat?
I got a VIP Tour of an A-12 with drone a few years ago(Daddy of the SR-71),Amazing stuff
I saw one speculation about the so-called "Area 51". A=1, B=2, so the 51 = EA as in Exhibition Airshow. Park some prototypes, mock-ups, have some scary guard dogs around. Now as for what's really out there well (mumblemumble.......)
Sounds like a great Art Bell topic !
Joking about that one post of yours, but he/she is "Stoned again" @ post 54.
No big deal. At the poles a man can walk faster than the earths rotation.
The Foxbat was a pig as far as being a true fighter, it was an anti-bomber interceptor. The design originated to shoot down the B-70 bomber. It also could not maintain Mach 3 like the Blackbird. One recon flight by and "Egyptian" Mig-25 recon bird (piloted by a Soviet) was spitting engine parts out the tail, and was out of service when it landed.
Fuel burp.
#54 wasn't my post.
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