Fascinating photos reveal how they built the SR-71 Blackbird

SPLOID Gizmodo.com ^ | 7 Feb 2015 | Jesus Diaz

[rey]

Built and designed in the 1960s after the A-12 Oxcart, the SR-71 Blackbird is still the fastest, most vanguardist air-breathing airplane in the history of aviation. These once classified photos reveal how Lockheed built both birds in secret, in California. They look taken at the Rebel base in Hoth.

"Everything had to be invented"

The A-12 and the SR-71 were a completely different design from anything else before it—and everything after, as time has demonstrated. At the time, many of the technologies needed to make these airplanes were considered "impossible." And yet, thanks to Kelly Johnson and the amazing team at engineers and scientists at Lockheed's Skunk Works, they were invented from scratch—in twenty months.

[The Duke]

Many years ago I was driving down the highway in the Florida Panhandle and caught just a momentary glimpse of what I thought looked like an SR-71 sitting beside the road.

I thought I was crazy, but I turned around and, sure enough, there it was (alongside a B52 bomber) in the front of an aerospace museum. I still have the framed photos of us all standing underneath the belly of the aircraft.

We bought tickets to the museum and just had the best time that day exploring the nation's aerospace history. That nation no longer exists.

[Hot Tabasco]

Area 51 in is Nevada. Roswell is in New Mexico.

I musta been thinkin about the A-13.....they shipped that one to New Mexico. It was so secret only I knew about it.......

[Calvin Locke]

One’s on loan to a British air museum. Wright-Patterson, of course. Smithsonian’s Dulles Annex. Probably a couple each at Langley and Edwards.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Where are they now?

At air museums all over the country: March AFB in Riverside, plus several others already mentioned in this thread. You can walk right up to, and underneath, them, although I doubt any museums allow you to climb into the cockpit--March doesn't.

[MHGinTN]

That is just soooo cool!

[beelzepug]

Those are some great photographs. Thanks for sharing them. Sure brings back memories of the days before freeways. I remember very well going from N.W. Wash. down to So. Calif. in the summer and how hot it was, wondering if the drive would ever end.

[PLMerite]

No blackbirds were lost between the crash of 61-7978 (7/20/72) and 61-7974 (4/21/89). All 20 losses were due to accidents or malfunctions. No SR-71s have ever been lost to enemy action.

[ImaGraftedBranch]

Kadena, 84-88. Habu, indeed.

[PubliusMM]

Ping for later

[jttpwalsh]

If you never heard the SR-71 story about Walter, you may enjoy this:

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

[tang-soo]

I worked for General Dynamics - Fort Worth (Home of the F-16) which is now part of Lockheed-Martin. I was there from 82-85 and worked in the Stealth Research Group as a young engineer. Our office was in a classified project area adjacent to the airstrip we shared with Carswell Air Force Base

One day, probably around 1985 another young engineer named Todd H. announced to the 25-30 staff members in our office, "Hey guys, don't tell anyone else, but last night a Blackbird made an emergency landing here. They got it repaired, and it's going to take off this afternoon at 3:00. Now don't tell anyone else".

Well, a bit before 3:00, I walked outside our office to the flightline, and we glanced down the rest of the plant. We saw what appeared to be 100% of the rest of the 10,000 staff members who worked for General Dynamics.

I was fortunate to be standing next to my friend, Steve H., who had been an SR-71 and U-2 ground crew member while he had been in the Air Force (stationed in South Korea and Thailand). He told me everything that was happening. 3 Fuel Tankers took off first for triple redundancy in order to refuel the Blackbird immediately after taking off. This was because it would need refueling due to the leaky tanks on board - leaky because they were built that way to allow for the expansion needed because of the heat of the aircraft.

The plane came screaming down the runway - right toward us. It was amazing and I thought the show was over. Steve shook his head and said, "Nope. There's a tradition all pilots do. Sure enough a few minutes later, the plane came back to the base, screamed over the runway, then stood on its end and climbed straight up - rotating its wings back and forth to say "So long". Steve then said, "That is the end of the show".

A day I'll never forget.

[yarddog]

There is one at the Air Armaments Museum at Eglin. I have a picture somewhere of my Daughter standing in front of it.

Around 1966 there was one parked outside the King Hangar at Eglin. It stayed there for some time. No effort made to hide it as it was there for anyone to see.

[Covenantor]

Much thanks for posting this. It was about time for a Blackbird fix, I been jonesing.

20 months is all Kelly Johnson and the Skunkworks magicians needed. All without the massive computer power available today.

The F-35 development contract was signed in 1996 and has involved how many major mfrs?

We’ve become a nation of lazy PC sex crazed pygmies.

[P-Marlowe]

[willibeaux]

Veggie.... If you are interested in more about the Skunk Works, A-12, Blackbird, U-2, etc you might enjoy this link.

http://area51specialprojects.com/oxcart_legacy/oxcart_legacy.swf

It was put together by TD Barnes who was part of the project team.

The fascinating part of the projects was that they were designed using the lowly slide rule.

While I was in Korea, I served in a Tac Recon Sqdn. We flew the Douglas RB-26 Blackbird. So I feel “attached” to the SR-71. Sentimental reasons I suppose. :-)

[Covenantor]

Have read the short version but it’s much better from the actual source.

Thanks for the link!

[Always A Marine]

Great post! Bumped to read and reread later...

[willibeaux]

I cannot.... Didn’t you remember that ValJar was the principle designer?

HEH HEH HEH HEH!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Bump for reference.

[SueRae]

*sigh*. And when they kept things secret, like this, until it was ready. I’ve long marveled at this aircraft...still the coolest aircraft ever built, imo. Seeing how many aircraft were developed and produced during the past in such a short time. What is the rate now...1 new design to production (maybe) every 10-20 years?