The Lockheed SR-71, unofficially known as the Blackbird and by its crews as the Habu, was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed YF-12A and A-12 aircraft by the Lockheed Skunk Works (also responsible for the U-2). It flew from 1964 to 1998.
Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was the man behind many of the designs advanced concepts. The SR-71 was one of the first aircraft to be shaped to reduce radar signature. However, the aircraft was not stealthy and still had a fairly large radar cross-section, and was visible on ATC radar for hundreds of miles, even when not using its transponder. This fact is further corroborated by the fact that missiles were fired at them quite often after they were detected on radar. The aircraft flew so fast and so high that if the pilot detected a surface-to-air missile launch, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate.
Twelve aircraft are known to have been lost, all through non-combat causes.
13 Comments
hotlava646Incredible machine. If I am right, they took a primetime news anchor up once and an alarm went off and they had to make an emergency landing. It was all on TV.
deathcowThese aircraft fit together so loosely that they leaked fueld on the ground, and had to be flown to warm up before airborne fueling.
davideosays...This thing captured my imagination when I was little. So...what...was it just going too fast to light 2 out of 3 times?
deathcowD.A.R.Y.L. flew one
pho3n1xwow... i remember D.A.R.Y.L. from when i was a kid... i was already obsessed with sr's and military aircraft in general, being an air force brat, but that movie clinched it for me i think.
data analyzing robot youth lifeform...
eric3579Engines have enough thrust to power the worlds larges tankers. Insane!
gorgonheapbeautiful aircraft.
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