[67], The SR-71 also required in-flight refueling to replenish fuel during long-duration missions. The RSO operated the array of high-resolution cameras and electronic intelligence-gathering devices, as well as defensive systems, including a sophisticated electronic countermeasures system that could jam most tracking and targeting radar. [26] At sustained speeds of more than Mach 3.2, the plane was faster than the Soviet Union's fastest interceptor, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, which also could not reach the SR-71's altitude. Absolute Altitude: 80,257.86 ft (24,390 meters). The aircraft flew at more than 2200 mph (Mach 3+ or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes over 85,000 feet. The KC-135Q had a modified high-speed boom, which would allow refueling of the Blackbird at nearly the tanker's maximum airspeed with minimum flutter. Bleed tubes and bypass doors were designed into the inlet and engine nacelles to handle some of this pressure and to position the final shock to allow the inlet to remain "started". Very often an aircraft would return with rivets missing, delaminated panels or other broken parts such as inlets requiring repair or replacement. [90][40], The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, piloted by Bob Gilliland. May 01, 1965. [N 2] This USAF version was longer and heavier than the original A-12 because it had a longer fuselage to hold more fuel. The aircraft flew at an altitude of over 80,000 feet (24,000 m) and at speeds over 2,190 miles per hour (3,520 km/h). [42] Drawing on early studies in radar stealth technology, which indicated that a shape with flattened, tapering sides would reflect most energy away from a radar beam's place of origin, engineers added chines and canted the vertical control surfaces inward. [3] On May 1, 1960, a surface-to-air missile explosion knocked down the U-2 of Gary Powers over Soviet airspace. . Modifications were made to provide a data-link with "near real-time" transmission of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar's imagery to sites on the ground.[104]. Titanium was in short supply in the United States, so the Skunk Works team was forced to look elsewhere for the metal. This close-up, head-on view of NASA's SR-71A Blackbird in flight shows the aircraft with an experimental test fixture mounted on the back of the airplane. ', American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird&oldid=1142415593, 1960s United States military reconnaissance aircraft, High-altitude and long endurance aircraft, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2014, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from February 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2012, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lost, 10 October 1968. Merely accelerating would typically be enough for an SR-71 to evade a SAM;[3] changes by the pilots in the SR-71's speed, altitude, and heading were also often enough to spoil any radar lock on the plane by SAM sites or enemy fighters. [6] Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. Cockpit section survived and located at the, 13 June 1962: SR-71 mock-up reviewed by the USAF, 30 July 1962: J58 completes pre-flight testing, 28 December 1962: Lockheed signs contract to build six SR-71 aircraft, 25 July 1964: President Johnson makes public announcement of SR-71, 29 October 1964: SR-71 prototype (AF Ser. [17] The CIA's A-12 was a better photo-reconnaissance platform than the USAF's R-12, since the A-12 flew somewhat higher and faster, and with only one pilot, it had room to carry a superior camera[14] and more instruments. While the SR-71 carried radar countermeasures to evade interception efforts, its greatest protection was its combination of high altitude and very high speed, which made it almost invulnerable. The SR-71 was capable of flying at speeds over Mach 3.2 and at a height of 85,000 feet (25,900 Meter). An air conditioner used a heat exchanger to dump heat from the cockpit into the fuel prior to combustion. The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. [18] The A-12 flew covert missions while the SR-71 flew overt missions; the latter had USAF markings and pilots carried Geneva Conventions Identification Cards. Central Intelligence Agency", "The Advent, Evolution, and New Horizons of United States Stealth Aircraft. [81] Initially, the TEOCs could not match the resolution of the A-12's larger camera, but rapid improvements in both the camera and film improved this performance. 61-7974, is lost due to an engine explosion after taking off from Kadena AB, the last Blackbird to be lost, 22 November 1989: USAF SR-71 program officially terminated, 6 March 1990: Last SR-71 flight under Senior Crown program, setting four speed records en route to the Smithsonian Institution, 25 July 1991: SR-71B, AF Ser. "SR-71 Blackbird." [62] Maximum flight speed was limited by the temperature of the air entering the engine compressor, which was not certified for temperatures above 800F (430C). In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. The V8 start carts remained at diversion landing sites not equipped with the pneumatic system. "Lockheed's Blackbirds: A-12, YF-12 and SR-71". Why the SR-71 Blackbird Is Such a Badass Plane; The SR-71 was the result of a requirement for a high-speed, high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Unofficially, SR-71 pilot Brian Shul states in his book The Untouchables that he flew in excess of Mach 3.5 on 15 April 1986 over Libya to evade a missile. The Blackbirds were designed to cruise at "Mach 3+," just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet. SR-71 was designed to outperform every Soviet aircraft and missile with speed and altitude, following the 1960 incident, when the Soviets shot down CIA reconnaissance aircraft 1960 and captured its pilot Gary Powers. In the early years of operation, the analog computers would not always keep up with rapidly changing flight environmental inputs. Every fact and statistic is just mind-blowing! [95] The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966.[96]. The specialized tooling used to manufacture both the YF-12 and the SR-71 was also ordered destroyed. [105] Five flights were attempted but on each occasion no photographs of the flight path were obtained due to low visibility.[106]. 61-7980/NASA 844). The 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers's U-2 underscored the aircraft's vulnerability and the need for faster reconnaissance aircraft such as the A-12. Kelly Johnson answered the call. "Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1994 and The Future Years.". NASA operated the two last airworthy Blackbirds until 1999. [33] The heat would have caused a smooth skin to split or curl, whereas the corrugated skin could expand vertically and horizontally and had increased longitudinal strength. [11] That same day SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2mph; 3,529.6km/h), approximately Mach3.3. The Blackbirds were designed to cruise at Mach 3.2, just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet. The A-12 is a single-seat, twin-engine, twin-tail design, manufactured of a titanium alloy. Hall also stated they were "looking at alternative means of doing [the job of the SR-71]. [120] Four months after the plane's retirement, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., was told that the expedited reconnaissance, which the SR-71 could have provided, was unavailable during Operation Desert Storm. No. more than 30 years ago, SR-71s are still the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft. [178], Avionics Its stealthy design reduced its radar signature, and if it were fired upon by a surface-to-air missile, its evasive action was to simply accelerate and outfly the assailant. The shock waves generated slowed the air to subsonic speeds relative to the engine. Still-active USAF pilots and Reconnaissance Systems Officers (RSOs) who had worked with the aircraft were asked to volunteer to fly the reactivated planes. The chines also acted like leading-edge extensions, which increase the agility of fighters such as the F-5, F-16, F/A-18, MiG-29, and Su-27. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. From the operator's perspective, what I need is something that will not give me just a spot in time but will give me a track of what is happening. [135] After the Los AngelesWashington flight, on 6 March 1990, Senator John Glenn addressed the United States Senate, chastising the Department of Defense for not using the SR-71 to its full potential: Mr. President, the termination of the SR-71 was a grave mistake and could place our nation at a serious disadvantage in the event of a future crisis. 61-7956/NASA No. Tweet Print Number of views (3119) Tags: Aircraft Records SR-71 Record List [64][65], Several exotic fuels were investigated for the Blackbird. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Eventually, a quieter, pneumatic start system was developed for use at main operating bases. Imagery gathered included supply depots, harbor installations, industrial complexes, and prisoner-of-war camps. No. [37] Cooling was carried out by cycling fuel behind the titanium surfaces in the chines. [97] During its career, this aircraft (976) accumulated 2,981 flying hours and flew 942 total sorties (more than any other SR-71), including 257 operational missions, from Beale AFB; Palmdale, California; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan; and RAF Mildenhall, UK. [138][139] However, the USAF is officially pursuing the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 UAV to assume the SR-71's strategic ISR role. As velocity decreased, so did frictional heat. Hinckley, UK: AeroFax-Midland Publishing, 2002. SAS, autopilot, and manual control inputs would fight the yawing, but often the extreme off-angle would reduce airflow in the opposite engine and stimulate "sympathetic stalls". American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The Blackbird was to retrace and photograph the flightpath of the hijacked 727 from Seattle to Reno and attempt to locate any of items that Cooper was known to have parachuted with from the aircraft. Now when talking about SR-71 probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question is-how high and how fast does it really fly? This position reflected the spike shock wave repeatedly between the spike center body and the inlet inner cowl sides, and minimized airflow spillage which is the cause of spillage drag. President Eisenhower had approved the use of bombers and balloons in the early 1950s for intelligence gathering, but these craft were vulnerable to antiaircraft artillery and fighter-interceptors. [102] Pilots did report that missiles launched without radar guidance and no launch detection, had passed as close as 150 yards (140m) from the aircraft. Some of this compressor flow (20% at cruise) was removed after the fourth compressor stage and went straight to the afterburner through six bypass tubes. [26], The SR-71, while much more capable than the Lockheed U-2 in terms of range, speed, and survivability, suffered the lack of a data link, which the U-2 had been upgraded to carry. NASA developed a computer to control the engine bypass doors which countered this issue and improved efficiency. On that same day, the aircraft set the Speed Over a Closed Course record of 2,193.167 mph. Crickmore, Paul F. "Lockheed's Blackbirds A-12, YF-12 and SR-71A". The SR-71 Blackbird set speed and altitude records that stand to this day. USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. It was located above and behind the student cockpit. [36] The temperature of the exterior of the windscreen reached 600F (316C) during a mission. We do not know whether they then went on to move across that bridge. [134] Additionally, Air & Space/Smithsonian reported that the USAF clocked the SR-71 at one point in its flight reaching 2,242.48 miles per hour (3,608.92km/h). [121], The SR-71 program's main operational capabilities came to a close at the end of fiscal year 1989 (October 1989). The U.S. Air Force had played a huge role in supporting the CIAs A-12 program in terms of money, aerial refueling support, use of its facilities at Kadena Air Force Base, and various transport. Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet. Due to unease over political situations in the Middle East and North Korea, the U.S. Congress re-examined the SR-71 beginning in 1993. [9][10][11], Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Aerodynamicists initially opposed the concept, disparagingly referring to the aircraft as a Mach 3 variant of the 1920s-era Ford Trimotor, which was known for its corrugated aluminum skin. [44] After the advisory panel provisionally selected Convair's FISH design over the A-3 on the basis of RCS, Lockheed adopted chines for its A-4 through A-6 designs. Locals nicknamed the SR-71 Habu, after a poisonous pit viper found on the neighboring Ryukyu Islands. ", "Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challenges and Lessons Learned", "Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" - Air Power Provided", "SR-71 Blackbird: The Cold War's ultimate spy plane", "OXCART vs Blackbird: Do You Know the Difference? The media transcript given to the press at the time still had the earlier RS-71 designation in places, creating the story that the president had misread the aircraft's designation. [100][101] Over the course of its reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese fired approximately 800 SAMs at SR-71s, none of which managed to score a hit. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. An SR-71 was used domestically in 1971 to assist the FBI in their manhunt for the skyjacker D.B. The SR-71 carried a Fairchild tracking camera and an infrared camera,[80] both of which ran during the entire mission. The SR-71 was in duty from 1964 until 1989 and during a reactivation from 1993 until 1998. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 07:27. Flights often lasted more than six hours and covered more than 11,265 kilometers (7,000 square miles). In the later years of its operational life, a datalink system could send ASARS-1 and ELINT data from about 2,000nmi (3,700km) of track coverage to a suitably equipped ground station. The fly-over orbit of spy satellites may also be predicted and can allow assets to be hidden when the satellite passes, a drawback not shared by aircraft. They cost $2,300 and would generally require replacing within 20 missions. Cesium-based fuel additives were used to somewhat reduce exhaust plumes' visibility to radar, although exhaust streams remained quite apparent. [81][82], SLAR, built by Goodyear Aerospace, could be carried in the removable nose. Marshall, Eliot, "The Blackbird's Wake", Air & Space, October/November 1990, p. 35. [60], At around Mach3, the temperature rise from the intake compression, added to the engine compressor temperature rise, reduced the allowable fuel flow because the turbine temperature limit did not change. [72] The ANS could supply altitude and position to flight controls and other systems, including the mission data recorder, automatic navigation to preset destination points, automatic pointing and control of cameras and sensors, and optical or SLR sighting of fixed points loaded into the ANS before takeoff. [88] The same air-conditioning system was also used to keep the front (nose) landing gear bay cool, thereby eliminating the need for the special aluminum-impregnated tires similar to those used on the main landing gear. [43], The SR-71 featured chines, a pair of sharp edges leading aft from either side of the nose along the fuselage. The rotating machinery produced less power, but still enough to run at 100% RPM, thus keeping the airflow through the intake constant. 3. This portion of the skin was only supported by widely spaced structural ribs. [19] It is a common misconception that the planes refueled shortly after takeoff because the jet fuel leaked. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up, with thermal expansion of several inches. Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. Later start carts used Chevrolet big-block V8 engines. Rob Vermeland, Lockheed Martin's manager of Advanced Development Program, said in an interview in 2015 that high-tempo operations were not realistic for the SR-71. The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. [137] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are also used for aerial reconnaissance in the 21st century, being able to overfly hostile territory without putting human pilots at risk, as well as being smaller and harder to detect than manned aircraft. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies an ore called rutile ore. The Air Force decided to order its own two-seat version of the A-12, a refined reconnaissance version for the Strategic Air Command. [131] This equates to an average speed of about Mach2.72, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. [26], In 1988, Congress was convinced to allocate $160,000 to keep six SR-71s and a trainer model in flyable storage that could become flightworthy within 60 days. However, another view held by various officers and legislators is that the SR-71 program was terminated owing to Pentagon politics, and not because the aircraft had become obsolete, irrelevant, too hard to maintain, or unsustainably expensive. Food was contained in sealed containers similar to toothpaste tubes which delivered food to the crewmember's mouth through the helmet opening. In later life, the radar was replaced by Loral's Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS-1). Also, the SR-71 program's "product", which was operational and strategic intelligence, was not seen by these generals as being very valuable to the USAF. The aircraft, however, was detected on radar as soon as overflights began and it was only a matter of time before one would be intercepted. One plane was almost hit by a missile on 26 August 1981 over the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea but managed to evade and out-fly it. A general misunderstanding of the nature of aerial reconnaissance and a lack of knowledge about the SR-71 in particular (due to its secretive development and operations) was used by detractors to discredit the aircraft, with the assurance given that a replacement was under development. [107][108] The other route, from Mildenhall over the Baltic Sea, was known as the Baltic Express. The leaking of fuel was an intentional design feature because the high heat generated by the aircraft made it impossible to fully seal the fuselage tanks against leaks. [53] After wind tunnel testing and computer modeling by NASA Dryden test center,[54] Lockheed installed an electronic control to detect unstart conditions and perform this reset action without pilot intervention. The aircraft was under the command and control of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base and flew out of a renovated hangar at Edwards Air Force Base. [3] On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. Landing speeds were also reduced, as the chines' vortices created turbulent flow over the wings at high angles of attack, making it harder to stall. The reactivation met much resistance: the USAF had not budgeted for the aircraft, and UAV developers worried that their programs would suffer if money was shifted to support the SR-71s. This configuration never flew operational missions due to horrific accidents involving difficulty with drone separation that occurred during testing. Major Jerry Crew, an RSO, told Air & Space/Smithsonian that he used a jammer to try to confuse surface-to-air missile sites as their crews tracked his airplane, but once his threat-warning receiver told him a missile had been launched, he switched off the jammer to prevent the missile from homing in on its signal. On landing, the canopy temperature was over 572F (300C). [49], On a typical mission, the SR-71 took off with only a partial fuel load to reduce stress on the brakes and tires during takeoff and also ensure it could successfully take off should one engine fail. The SR-71 originally included optical/infrared imagery systems; side-looking airborne radar (SLAR);[74] electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering systems;[75] defensive systems for countering missile and airborne fighters;[76][77][78][79] and recorders for SLAR, ELINT, and maintenance data. Clarence Kelly Johnsonand Francis Gary Powers have a discussion with an early U-2 aircraft behind them. The highest altitude recorded on an SR-71 Blackbird is 25,929 meters. On 29 November 2018, the four Swedish pilots involved were awarded medals from the USAF.[116][117]. On 28 July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7962, piloted by then Captain Robert Helt, broke the world record: an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m). One widely conventional view, and probably the best-known view, of the reasons for the SR-71's retirement in 1989a view that the Air Force itself offered to the Congresswas that besides being very expensive, the SR-71 had become redundant anyway, among other reconnaissance methods that were ever-evolving. Despite a brief revival of SR-71 flights in the mid-1990s, the program came to a final close in 1998. We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. Soviet overflights ceased and the U-2 continued flying missions over places with less sophisticated air defense systems. The SR-71 originated in a post-World War II environment where reconnaissance was in high demand. Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the famous "Skunk Works". What would happen if an SR-71 tried to surpass that altitude? The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a two-seat twin-engine long-range supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft produced by Lockheed Corporation. SR-71 Blackbird - Absolute Altitude (Sustained Flight) - Manned SR-71 Blackbird: One Flight - Four Speed Records. [26] Dick Cheney told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the SR-71 cost $85,000 per hour to operate. Here's a list the top speed, highest and quickest distance between two points. The SR-71's capability of flying at high speeds and at high altitudes made it possible for it to fly faster than any surface to air missiles that were fired at it. The Foxhound climbed at 65,676 feet where the crew. Yesterday's historic transcontinental flight was a sad memorial to our short-sighted policy in strategic aerial reconnaissance.[136]. No. No. Free shipping for many products! On September 1, 1974, Major James Sullivan and his backseater, Major Noel F. Widdifield, set a speed record in SR-71A serial no. It was found that the plane was in obvious distress and a decision was made that the Swedish Air Force would escort the plane out of the Baltic Sea. [97] These deployments were code-named "Glowing Heat", while the program as a whole was code-named "Senior Crown". Much like the SR-71, the A-12 was about 30-meters (100-feet) long, had a wingspan of 17 meters (55 feet), and weighed 54,431 kilograms (120,000 pounds). [46] The angle of incidence of the delta wings could be reduced for greater stability and less drag at high speeds, and more weight carried, such as fuel. Much of the needed material came from the Soviet Union. Twelve SR-71s were lost and one pilot died in accidents during the aircraft's service career. During unstarts, afterburner extinctions were common. [111] The most common site for the lock-on was the thin stretch of international airspace between land and Gotland that the SR-71s used on their return flights. The design was designated YF-12A in 1962 and it took its first successful Groom Lake flight in the following year. [104], Congress's disappointment with the lack of a suitable replacement for the Blackbird was cited concerning whether to continue funding imaging sensors on the U-2. The SR-71 Blackbird is a supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. The system's digital computer ephemeris contained data on a list of stars used for celestial navigation: the list first included 56 stars and was later expanded to 61. [103], While deployed at Okinawa, the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu (as did the A-12s preceding them) after a pit viper indigenous to Japan, which the Okinawans thought the plane resembled. [33], Some SR-71s featured red stripes to prevent maintenance workers from damaging the thin, fragile skin located near the center of the fuselage. Another project stemming from the development of the A-12 was the M-21 aircraft and the D-21 drone. When the A-12's performance potential was clearly found to be much greater, the USAF ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962,[17] which was originally named R-12 by Lockheed. Graham, a former 1st-SRS and 9th-SRW commander, presented in 1996 what he viewed as a factual summary, not an opinion, of how the SR-71 provided some intelligence capabilities that none of its alternatives (such as satellites, U-2s, and UAVs) were providing in the 1990s (when the SR-71 was retired and then re-retired from Air Force reconnaissance duty. From 80,000 feet, an SR-71 could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth's . These were not a feature on the early A-3 design; Frank Rodgers, a doctor at the Scientific Engineering Institute, a CIA front organization, discovered that a cross-section of a sphere had a greatly reduced radar reflection, and adapted a cylindrical-shaped fuselage by stretching out the sides of the fuselage. [26]:204 While the SR-71 survived attempts to retire it in 1988, partly due to the unmatched ability to provide high-quality coverage of the Kola Peninsula for the US Navy,[119][26]:194195 the decision to retire the SR-71 from active duty came in 1989, with the last missions flown in October that year. Book Synopsis. Such generals had an interest in believing, and persuading the services and the Congress, that the SR-71 had become either entirely or almost entirely redundant to satellites, U-2s, incipient UAV programs, and an alleged top-secret successor already under development. The investigation determined that the new aircraft would need to be supersonic and have a small radar cross-section. Finally, scramjets with supersonic combustion cover the range of high supersonic to hypersonic speeds. ", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 1, Page 1-20", "SR-71A-1 Flight Manual, Section IV, p. These were called the TA-12, SR-71B, and SR-71C. [104] The Skunk Works was able to return the aircraft to service under budget at $72million. Only one crew member, Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight-test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, was killed in a flight accident. [25][26] The SR-71 was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, an early attempt at stealth design. Itek KA-102A 3648in (9101,220mm) camera. Reconnaissance aircraft. The CIA requested designs from aerospace manufacturers for a new aircraft that would not be as susceptible to attack. In actuality, the YF-12 was the twin-seat version of the top-secret single-seat Lockheed A-12, and its design became the forerunner of the highly sophisticated SR-71 Blackbird strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. On one occasion, one complete wing with engine was replaced as the easiest way to get the plane airborne again. Once the first J58 engine was started, the cart was repositioned to start the aircraft's other J58 engine. These SR-71 photos were photographed by civilians or members/veterans of the US. The Blackbirds Pratt & Whitney J58 engines were designed to operate continuously in afterburner to facilitate cruise at supersonic speeds. American leaders needed to know about the Soviet Unions nuclear capability, ICBM program, and military installations. are daniel craig and kevin costner brothers,
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