[realpatriot71]

The source aside, why do you think this is so unbelieveable? How long was it before the public knew of the existance of the SR-71 Blackbird?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Beat me to it.

[johnny7]

I mentioned the source as unreliable. Do we have this new technology? Beats the hell out of me.

A lot of Americans believe we have secret weapons... I tend to doubt this.

Just think back to 911 and how many fighters we could scramble that day... a handfull.

[xkaydet65]

The interceptor version of the SR71, the YF12A was rolled out at Edwards in early 1964. Its speed and altitude capabilities were similar to the later recon bird, except as to endurance. Both birds were featured in Martin Caidin's novel, Marooned. So the public was aware, if it read the right sources of the SR71 fairly early.

You might be referring to the F117 Stealth. This aicraft was rumored for a long time, but did not make an appearance until the Panama Invasion. An interesting side note about the 117. In the mid 80's the Monogram Model Company released a purported model of the Stealth fighter. It had flowing rounded lines and was called the F19. At the same time Tom Clancy inhis only Jack Ryanless novel, Red Storm, introduced the F19 under the nickname The Frisbees Of DreamLand. Basing the name on the purported shape. Some have claimed that the Pentagon has used companies like Revell, Monogram and Aurora Testors as platforms for military disinformation back in the good old days of the Cold War. It would be interesting if Revell/ Monogram, one company today, has put out a model of the Aurora.