Tag Archives: SR-71 Blackbird

In the Cold War era, Swedish JA-37 Jas Viggen fighter pilots were scrambled on 400-500 live Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) missions per year to intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Swedish airspace. QRA targets came from both Warsaw and NATO nations During that QRA missions, JA-37 Jas Viggen fighter pilots were …

On Dec. 22, 1964, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird flew for the first time at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. The first aircraft to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at …

In this post, we will share with you a video of KC-135Q tanker refueling Mach 3 SR- 71 Blackbird spy plane. The cool video in this post shows a rendezvous between an SR-71 Mach 3 spy plane (flown by BC Thomas) and a KC-135Q tanker (with George Lester as boom …

In January 1984 a rare incident occurred when the SR-71 Blackbird drag chute doors opened inadvertently at high Mach, creating problems, as RSO Lt. Col. Curt Osterheld (Ret) explains in Col. Richard H. Graham’s book The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: Pilot Lt. Col. Joe Matthews and I were …

There are very many aircraft that have exceeded the speed of Mach 2.0. Some of them are research aircraft, some are military and some are simply flying for reconnaissance purposes. But there is always something special with supersonic aircraft. If we ask the question that names the Fastest jet in …

How fast was the SR-71? Let’s answer the question with someone who actually knows. Tim Yarrow an aviation Research and Analysis expert was an Electrical Engineer at Lockheed Martin’s secretive “Skunk Works” team from 1974-1994….here’s his answer: Faster than widely published. Blackbird’s cruise speed was officially Mach 3.2…but there’s MORE. Blackbird …

The Lockheed Skunk Works (now Lockheed Martin) built the original SR-71 aircraft. Each aircraft is 107.4 feet long, has a wingspan of 55.6 feet, and is 18.5 feet high (from the ground to the top of the rudders, when parked). Gross takeoff weight is about 140,000 pounds, including a possible …

Ed Cobleigh a fighter pilot with the US Air Force, US Navy, Royal Air Force, Imperial Iranian Air Force, and the French Air Force. He also served as an Air Intelligence Officer working with the CIA, FBI, and M16 on a variety of covert projects. He knows fighter planes, fighter …

In 1982 during maintenance procedures at Beale Air Force Base a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird that fell on its right-wing during maintenance due to a Stupid Mistake The SR-71 #964 was going through a routine maintenance procedure at Beale Air Force Base. Due to Technician Improper maintenance procedures and failure to …

The Pratt & Whitney J58 was a jet engine that powered the Lockheed A-12, and subsequently the YF-12 and the SR-71 aircraft. This fascinating video in the post explains how the engine technology of SR-71 makes the blackbird the fastest plane ever. It’s been called “black magic”: an engine that …