Blackbird Plane Speed - An SR-71B trainer over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California in 1994. The elevated second cockpit is for the instructor.
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a Mach 3+ long-range, high-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.
Blackbird Plane Speed
The SR-71 was developed as a black project for Lockheed's A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American astronaut Clairs "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft with a reduced radar cross-section. Curtis LeMay originally wanted a bomber version of the A-12, before the program, which focused only on On Patrol. Equipment for patrol duties included reconnaissance signals, airborne side-view radar and camera;
The Sr 71 Spy Plane Was So Fast, It Outran Every Missile Fired At It
The SR-71 was longer and heavier than the A-12, which allowed it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cabin. The SR-71 entered service in January 1966.
During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters), allowing it to climb or avoid threats.
When a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the usual evasion was to simply accelerate and evade the missile.
On average, each SR-71 could fly once a week because of the extended time required after mission recovery. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 people lost in accidents, none due to enemy action.
What It Was Like To Fly The Sr 71 Blackbird
In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71 mainly for political reasons; Some were briefly reactivated in the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the last Blackbird operator to use it as a research platform, retiring it in 1999.
Since retirement, the role of the SR-71 has been filled by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); the proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is being developed by Lockheed Martin and is expected to fly. in 2025.
The SR-71 holds the world record set in 1976 for the fastest manned air-breathing aircraft, previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12.
Lockheed's previous spy plane was the relatively slow U-2 for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In late 1957, the CIA approached defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. Called Archangel, the project was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. Work on Project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with the goal of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Out of 11 consecutive designs over 10 months, the "A-10" was at the forefront. However, its shape made it vulnerable to radar detection. After a meeting with the CIA in March 1959, the design was modified to reduce the radar cross section by 90%. The CIA approved a $96 million contract to Skunk Works to build a dozen A-12 reconnaissance aircraft on February 11, 1960. The shooting down of Francis Gary Powers' U-2 in 1960 underscored the aircraft's vulnerability and need. for intelligence Faster. Aircraft like the A-12.
This Week In Beale History: Sr 71 Sets Speed Record With New York To London Flight > Beale Air Force Base > Article Display
The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada on 25 April 1962. Three were built; Two variants were also developed, including three prototype YF-12 interceptors and two M-21 drone carriers. The aircraft was powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58, but development fell behind schedule and was instead equipped with the Initially less powerful Pratt & Whitney J75, J58s were adapted as they became available, becoming the standard engine for all subs in the series (A-12, YF-12, M -21) and also for SR-71. . The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before being retired in 1968. The cancellation of the program was announced on December 28, 1966,
The SR-71 designation is a continuation of the pre-1962 series of bombers; The last aircraft built using the series was the XB-70 Valkyrie. However, the bomber version of the Blackbird briefly became the B-71, which was retained when the type was changed to the SR-71.
In the later stages of testing, the B-70 was offered in the reconnaissance/strike role with the designation "RS-70". With the performance potential of the A-12 much more apparent, the USAF ordered the A-12 variant in December 1962,
This USAF version was longer and heavier than the original A-12 as it had a longer fuselage to accommodate more fuel. The R-12 also featured a larger two-seat cockpit and redesigned fuselage heads. Intelligence equipment included reconnaissance signals, an air radar with a side mirror and a photo camera.
Lockheed Sr 71 Blackbird
The CIA A-12 was a better photoreconnaissance platform than the USAF R-12 because the A-12 flew slightly higher and faster,
During the 1964 election campaign, Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater repeatedly criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson decided to counter this criticism by revealing the existence of the USAF YF-12A interceptor, which was also a cover for the still-secret A-12.
And the USAF reconnaissance model from July 1964. US Chief of Staff Gerald Curtis LeMay preferred the designation SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) and wanted the RS-71 to be called the SR-71. Before the July speech, LeMay had been pushing for Johnson to change. read "SR-71" for "RS-71". However, in his press release at the time, the RS-71 had earlier markings on it, which gave rise to the story that the president had misread the plane's markings.
To cover up the existence of the A-12, Johnson only referred to the A-11, revealing the existence of a fast, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
The Sr71 Blackbird Story
In 1968, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara canceled the F-12 interceptor program. The special tools used to produce both the YF-12 and the SR-71 were ordered destroyed.
The SR-71 was designed to fly above Mach 3 with a two-man flight crew in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the patrol systems officer controlling surveillance systems and equipment from the rear cockpit and controlling navigation in the cockpit. rear cockpit. mission flight path.
The finished planes were painted dark blue, almost black, to increase internal heat emission and act as camouflage against the night sky. The dark color led to the nickname of the aircraft "Blackbird".
Although the SR-71 used anti-radar measures to evade interception efforts, its greatest defense was a combination of high altitude and very high speed that made it nearly invulnerable. Together with the low cross-section of the radar, these characteristics left it very short. Amy's Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) site for aircraft acquisition and radar tracking. By the time the SAM site was able to track the SR-71, it was often too late to launch the SAM and the SR-71 was out. range before the SAM could turn it on. If the SAM site could track the SR-71 and release the SAM in time, the SAM would extend almost all of its boost and defense phase delta-v only up to SR altitude. 71;At this point, all it can do on impulse is follow its ballistic arc. Acceleration alone is usually enough for an SR-71 to evade a SAM;
Get A Look Inside The Cold War Era Sr 71 'blackbird' At Air Force Museum
Pilot changes to the SR-71's speed, altitude, and course were also often meant to disrupt the aircraft's radar lock by SAM targets or emy fighters.
With a sustained speed of over Mach 3.2, the aircraft was faster than the Soviet Union's fastest interceptor, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, which also could not match the SR-71.
In most aircraft, the use of titanium has been limited by the associated costs; It was usually only used in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust pipes and wingtips. In the SR-71, 85% of the construction was made of titanium, with the remainder made up of polymer composites.
The challenges presented led Lockheed to develop new manufacturing methods that have since been used to produce other aircraft. Lockheed has found that distilled water is needed to wash welded titanium because chlorine dioxide in tap water is corrosive; Cadmium coated tools could not be used as they also caused corrosion.
Video: Behold The Iconic Sr 71 Blackbird, The Fastest Jet To Ever Fly
Another problem was metal contamination; At one point, 80% of titanium supplied to production was rejected based on this claim.
High temperatures during flight required special design and operation techniques. The main parts of the skin on the inner wings were wavy, not smooth. Aerodynamicists initially resisted the idea, dismissing the plane as a Mach 3 version of the 1920s Ford Trimotor, known for its corrugated aluminum skin.
Heat would have caused smooth skin to split or curl, while wavy skin could expand vertically and horizontally, increasing longitudinal strength.
The fuselage panels were made to fit the aircraft on the ground only loosely. Correct alignment was achieved when the airframe warmed up and expanded a few inches.
Breakup Of The Sr 71 Blackbird At Mach 3+
Because of this, and the lack of a fuel sealing system that could handle the expansion of the aircraft in extreme temperatures, the aircraft leaked JP-7 fuel onto the ground.
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