Orion Astro 2 0 Serial Number

$34 million Developed from The Lockheed SR-71 ' Blackbird' is a, 3+ that was operated by the. It was developed as a from the reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by and its division. American aerospace engineer was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The SR-71 was designed with a reduced.

• Orion Astro 2 0 Serial Numbers

The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents but none were lost to enemy action.

The SR-71 has been given several nicknames, including and. It has held the world record for the since 1976; this record was previously held by the related. Main articles: and Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow, designed for the (CIA). In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor to build an undetectable spy plane. The project, named Archangel, was led by, head of Lockheed's unit in Burbank, California. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Out of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, 'A-10' was the front runner.

Despite this, however, its shape made it vulnerable to radar detection. After a meeting with the CIA in March 1959, the design was modified to have a 90% reduction in.

The CIA approved a US$96 million contract for Skunk Works to build a dozen spy planes, named ' on 11 February 1960. The of 's U-2 underscored its vulnerability and the need for faster reconnaissance aircraft such as the A-12. The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake , Nevada, on 25 April 1962.

Thirteen were built; two variants were also developed, including three of the interceptor prototype, and two of the drone carrier. The aircraft was meant to be powered by the engine, but development ran over schedule, and it was equipped instead with the less powerful initially. The J58s were retrofitted as they became available, and became the standard powerplant for all subsequent aircraft in the series (A-12, YF-12, M-21) as well as the SR-71. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966, due both to budget concerns and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12. SR-71 Blackbird assembly line at The SR-71 designation is a continuation of the; the last aircraft built using the series was the; however, a bomber variant of the Blackbird was briefly given the B-71 designator, which was retained when the type was changed to SR-71.

During the later period of its testing, the B-70 was proposed for a reconnaissance/strike role, with an RS-70 designation. When it was clear that the A-12 performance potential was much greater, the Air Force ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962. Originally named R-12 by Lockheed, the Air Force version was longer and heavier than the A-12, with a longer fuselage to hold more fuel, two seats in the cockpit, and reshaped. Reconnaissance equipment included sensors, a and a photo camera. The CIA's A-12 was a better photo reconnaissance platform than the Air Force'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 and more instruments. During the 1964 campaign, Republican presidential nominee repeatedly criticized President and his administration for falling behind the in developing new weapons.

Johnson decided to counter this criticism by revealing the existence of the A Air Force interceptor, which also served as cover for the still-secret A-12, and the Air Force reconnaissance model since July 1964. Air Force Chief of Staff General preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. Before the July speech, LeMay lobbied to modify Johnson's speech to read SR-71 instead of RS-71. 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.

In 1968, Secretary of Defense canceled the F-12 interceptor program; the specialized tooling used to manufacture both the YF-12 and the SR-71 was also ordered destroyed. Production of the SR-71 totaled 32 aircraft with 29 SR-71As, 2 SR-71Bs, and the single SR-71C. Design Overview. Forward cockpit The SR-71 was designed for flight at over Mach 3 with a flight crew of two in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) operating the surveillance systems and equipment from the rear cockpit, and directing navigation on the mission flight path. The SR-71 was designed to minimize its, an early attempt at stealth design.

Finished aircraft were painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as against the night sky. The dark color led to the aircraft's nickname 'Blackbird'.

While the SR-71 carried to evade interception efforts, its greatest protection was its combination of high altitude and very high speed, which made it almost invulnerable. Along with its low radar cross-section, these qualities gave a very short amount of time for an enemy (SAM) site to acquire and track the aircraft on radar. By the time the SAM site could track the SR-71, it was often too late to launch a SAM, and the SR-71 would be out of range before the SAM could catch up to it. If the SAM site could track the SR-71 and fire a SAM in time, the SAM would expend nearly all of the of its boost and sustainer phases just reaching the SR-71's altitude: at this point, out of thrust, it would go ballistic. Merely accelerating would typically be enough for an SR-71 to evade a SAM; 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.

At sustained speeds of more than 3.2, the plane was faster than the Soviet Union's fastest interceptor, the, which also could not reach the SR-71's altitude. During its service life, no SR-71 was shot down. Airframe, canopy, and landing gear On most aircraft, use of was limited by the costs involved; it was generally used only in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust fairings and the leading edges of wings.

On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with much of the rest. To control costs, Lockheed used a more easily worked which softened at a lower temperature. The challenges posed led Lockheed to develop new fabrication methods, which have since been used in the manufacture of other aircraft. Lockheed found that washing welded titanium requires, as the chlorine present in tap water is; -plated tools could not be used as they also caused corrosion. Metallurgical contamination was another problem; at one point 80% of the delivered titanium for manufacture was rejected on these grounds.

A with drone on top The high temperatures generated in flight required special design and operating techniques. Major portions of the skin of the inboard wings were corrugated, not smooth. Aerodynamicists initially opposed the concept, disparagingly referring to the aircraft as a Mach 3 variant of the 1920s-era, known for its corrugated aluminum skin. The heat would have caused a smooth skin to split or curl, whereas the corrugated skin could expand vertically and horizontally and increased longitudinal strength. Fuselage panels were manufactured to fit only loosely on the ground. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up and several inches.

Because of this, and the lack of a fuel sealing system that could handle the airframe's expansion at extreme temperatures, the aircraft leaked fuel on the ground prior to takeoff. The outer windscreen of the cockpit was made of and was fused to the titanium frame. The temperature of the exterior of the windscreen reached 600 °F (316 °C) during a mission. Cooling was carried out by cycling fuel behind the titanium surfaces in the chines. On landing, the canopy temperature was over 300 °C (572 °F). The red stripes featured on some SR-71s were to prevent maintenance workers from damaging the skin.

Near the center of the fuselage, the curved skin was thin and delicate, with no support from the structural ribs, which were spaced several feet apart. The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. They cost $2,300 and would generally require replacing within 20 missions. The Blackbird landed at over 170 knots and deployed a drag parachute to stop; the chute also acted to reduce stress on the tires. Acquisition of titanium Titanium was in short supply in the United States, so the Skunk Works team was forced to look elsewhere for the metal. Much of the needed material came from the Soviet Union.

Colonel Rich Graham, SR-71 pilot, described the acquisition process: 'The airplane is 92% titanium inside and out. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies – an ore called ore. It's a very sandy soil and it's only found in very few parts of the world. The major supplier of the ore was the USSR. Working through Third World countries and bogus operations, they were able to get the rutile ore shipped to the United States to build the SR-71.'

Shape and threat avoidance. Is condensed by the low-pressure vortices generated by the chines outboard of each engine inlet. The first operational aircraft designed around a shape and materials, the SR-71 had several features designed to reduce its signature. The SR-71 had a (RCS) of around 10 square meters.

Drawing on early studies in radar, 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. Special were incorporated into sections of the aircraft's skin.based fuel additives were used to somewhat reduce exhaust plumes visibility to radar, although exhaust streams remained quite apparent. Kelly Johnson later conceded that Soviet radar technology advanced faster than the stealth technology employed against it.

The SR-71 featured chines, a pair of sharp edges leading aft from either side of the nose along the fuselage. These were not a feature on the early A-3 design; Dr.

Frank Rodgers of the Scientific Engineering Institute, a CIA, discovered that a of a sphere had a greatly reduced radar reflection, and adapted a cylindrical-shaped fuselage by stretching out the sides of the fuselage. 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. Aerodynamicists discovered that the chines generated powerful and created additional, leading to unexpected aerodynamic performance improvements. The of the could be reduced for greater stability and less drag at high speeds, and more weight carried, such as fuel. Landing speeds were also reduced, as the chines' vortices created turbulent flow over the wings at high, making it harder to.

The chines also acted like, which increase the agility of fighters such as the, and. The addition of chines also allowed the removal of the planned foreplanes. Air inlets.

Operation of the air inlets and air flow patterns through the J58 The air inlets allowed the SR-71 to cruise at over 3.2 while keeping airflow into the engines at the initial subsonic speeds. Mach 3.2 was the design point for the aircraft, its most efficient speed. At the front of each inlet, a pointed, movable cone called a 'spike' was locked in its full forward position on the ground and during subsonic flight. When the aircraft accelerated past Mach 1.6, an internal moved the spike up to 26 inches (66 cm) inwards, directed by an analog air inlet computer that took into account, pitch, roll, and angle of attack. Moving the spike tip drew the riding on it closer to the inlet until it touched just slightly inside the cowling lip.

This position reflected the spike shock-wave repeatedly between the spike centerbody and the inlet inner cowl sides, and minimized airflow which is the cause of spillage drag. The air slowed supersonically with a final plane shock wave at entry to the subsonic. Downstream of this the air is subsonic. It decelerates further in the divergent duct to give the required speed at entry to the compressor. Capture of the plane shock wave within the inlet is called 'Starting the Inlet'.

And bypass doors were designed into the inlet and engine to handle some of this pressure and to position the final shock to allow the inlet to remain 'started'. The SR-71 was sometimes more efficient at speeds higher than Mach 3.2 in terms of pounds of fuel burned per nautical mile traveled, depending on outside air temperature. During one mission, SR-71 pilot flew faster than usual to avoid multiple interception attempts; afterwards, it was discovered that this had reduced fuel consumption. Flow visualization at Unstart of axisymmetric inlet at Mach 2 In the early years of operation, the analog computers would not always keep up with rapidly changing flight environmental inputs. If internal pressures became too great and the spike was incorrectly positioned, the shock wave would suddenly blow out the front of the inlet, called an 'Inlet '. During unstarts afterburner extinctions were common. The remaining engine's asymmetrical thrust would cause the aircraft to yaw violently to one side., 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 '.

This generated a rapid counter-yawing, often coupled with loud 'banging' noises, and a rough ride during which crews' helmets would sometimes strike their cockpit canopies. One response to a single unstart was unstarting both inlets to prevent yawing, then restarting them both. Lockheed later installed an electronic control to detect unstart conditions and perform this reset action without pilot intervention. Beginning in 1980, the analog inlet control system was replaced by a digital system, which reduced unstart instances.

A preserved AG330 start cart The SR-71 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) engines. The J58 was a considerable innovation of the era, capable of producing a static thrust of 32,500 (145 kN). The engine was most efficient around Mach 3.2, the Blackbird's typical. At lower speeds, the turbojet provided most of the compression. At higher speeds, the engine largely ceased to provide thrust, the afterburner taking its place. Air was initially compressed (and heated) by the inlet spike and subsequent converging duct between the centerbody and inlet cowl. The shock waves generated slowed the air to subsonic speeds relative to the engine.

The air then entered the engine compressor. Some of this compressor flow (20% at cruise) was removed after the 4th compressor stage and went straight to the afterburner through six bypass tubes. Air passing through the turbojet was compressed further by the remaining 5 compressor stages and then fuel was added in the combustion chamber. After passing through the turbine the exhaust, together with the compressor, entered the afterburner. At around Mach 3, 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. The rotating machinery produced less power but still enough to run at 100% RPM, thus keeping the airflow through the intake constant.

The rotating machinery had become a drag item and the engine thrust at high speeds came from the afterburner temperature rise. Maximum flight speed was limited by the temperature of the air entering the engine compressor, which was not certified for temperatures above 800 °F (427 °C). Originally, the Blackbird's J58 engines were started with the assistance of two V8, externally mounted on a vehicle referred to as an AG330 'start cart'. The start cart was positioned underneath the J58 and the two Buick engines powered a single, vertical connecting to the J58 engine and spinning it to above 3,200 at which point the turbojet could self-sustain. Once the first J58 engine was started, the cart was repositioned to the other side of the aircraft to start the other J58 engine. Later start carts used V8 engines.

Eventually, a quieter, pneumatic start system was developed for use at main operating bases; the V8 start carts remained at diversion landing sites not equipped with the pneumatic system. An SR-71 refueling from a KC-135Q Stratotanker during a flight in 1983 Several exotic fuels were investigated for the Blackbird. Development began on a power plant, but Johnson determined that the coal particles damaged important engine components. Research was conducted on a powerplant, but the tanks for storing were not of a suitable size or shape.

In practice, the Blackbird would burn somewhat conventional which was difficult to light. To start the engines, (TEB), which, was injected to produce temperatures high enough to ignite the JP-7. The TEB produced a characteristic green flame, which could often be seen during engine ignition. On a typical SR-71 mission the plane took off with only a partial fuel load to reduce stress on the brakes and tires during takeoff and also ensure the plane could still successfully take off should one engine fail. As a result, planes were typically refueled immediately after takeoff.

The SR-71 also required to replenish fuel during long duration missions. Supersonic flights generally lasted no more than 90 minutes before the pilot had to find a tanker. Specialized tankers were required to refuel the SR-71. 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. The tanker also had special fuel systems for moving (for the KC-135Q itself) and JP-7 (for the SR-71) between different tanks. As an aid to the pilot when refueling, the cockpit was fitted with a (PVHD). This unusual instrument displayed a barely-visible, which gave the pilot cues on aircraft attitude.

Astro-inertial navigation system The USAF sought a precision navigation system for maintaining route accuracy and target tracking at very high speeds. Nortronics, 's electronics development division, had developed an system (ANS), which could correct errors with, for the missile, and a separate system for the ill-fated missile, the latter of which was adapted for the SR-71. Before takeoff, a primary alignment brought the ANS's inertial components to a high degree of accuracy. In flight, the ANS, which sat behind the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO)'s position, tracked stars through a circular quartz glass window on the upper fuselage. Its 'blue light' source, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft's changing position brought them into view.

The system's digital computer contained data on. The ANS could supply altitude and position to flight controls and other systems, including the Mission Data Recorder, Auto-Nav steering to preset destination points, automatic pointing and control of cameras and sensors, and optical or SLR sighting of fix points loaded into the ANS before takeoff. According to Richard Graham, a former SR-71 pilot, the navigation system was good enough to limit drift to 1,000 feet off the direction of travel at Mach 3. Sensors and payloads.

The SR-71 Defensive System B The SR-71 originally included optical/ systems; (SLAR); (ELINT) gathering systems; defensive systems for countering missile and airborne fighters; and recorders for SLAR, ELINT and maintenance data. The SR-71 carried a tracking camera and an, both of which ran during the entire mission. As the SR-71 had a second cockpit behind the pilot for the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), it could not carry the A-12's principal sensor, a single large-focal-length optical camera that sat in the 'Q-Bay' behind the A-12's single cockpit. Instead, the SR-71's camera systems could be located either in the fuselage chines or the removable nose/chine section. Wide-area imaging was provided by two of 's (OOCs), which provided stereo imagery across the width of the flight track, or an (OBC), which gave continuous horizon-to horizon coverage.

A closer view of the target area was given by the (TEOC), that could be directed up to 45 degrees left or right of the centerline. 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. Side-looking radar, built by, could be carried in the removable nose. In later life, the radar was replaced by Loral's Advanced System (ASARS-1). Both the first SLR and ASARS-1 were ground-mapping imaging systems, collecting data either in fixed swaths left or right of centerline or from a spot location for higher resolution. ELINT-gathering systems, called the Electro Magnetic Reconnaissance System (EMR), built by AIL could be carried in the chine bays to analyse electronic signal fields being passed through, and were pre-programmed to identify items of interest.

Orion Astro 2 0 Serial Numbers

Over its operational life, the Blackbird carried various, including warning and active electronic systems built by several ECM companies and called Systems A, A2, A2C, B, C, C2, E, G, H and M. On a given mission, an aircraft would carry several of these frequency/purpose payloads to meet the expected threats. Major Jerry Crew, a Reconnaissance Systems Officer, told that he used a to try to confuse 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. After landing, information from the SLAR, ELINT gathering systems, and the Maintenance Data Recorder (MDR) were subjected to post-flight ground analysis. In the later years of its operational life, a data-link system could send ASARS-1 and ELINT data from about 2,000 nmi (3,700 km) of track coverage to a suitably equipped ground station. Life support.

SR-71 pilot in full flight suit Flying at 80,000 ft (24,000 m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000 ft (13,000 m). Specialized protective were produced for crew members by the for the, and SR-71. Furthermore, an emergency ejection at Mach 3.2 would subject crews to temperatures of about 450 °F (230 °C); thus, during a high altitude ejection scenario, an onboard oxygen supply would keep the suit pressurized during the descent. The cockpit could be pressurized to an altitude of 10,000 or 26,000 ft (3,000 or 7,900 m) during flight.

The cabin needed a heavy-duty cooling system, for cruising at Mach 3.2 would heat the aircraft's external surface well beyond 500 °F (260 °C) and the inside of the windshield to 250 °F (120 °C). An air conditioner used a to dump heat from the cockpit into the fuel prior to combustion. 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. Blackbird pilots and RSOs were provided with food and drink for the long reconnaissance flights. Water bottles had long straws which crewmembers guided into an opening in the helmet by looking in a mirror. Food was contained in sealed containers similar to toothpaste tubes which delivered food to the crewmember's mouth through the helmet opening.

Operational history Main era The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force in. The SR-71 reached a top speed of Mach 3.4 during flight testing, with pilot Major reporting a speed of Mach 3.5 on an operational sortie while evading a missile over Libya. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the at, California, in January 1966. SR-71s first arrived at the 9th SRW's Operating Location (OL-8) at, Okinawa on 8 March 1968. These deployments were code named 'Glowing Heat', while the program as a whole was code named 'Senior Crown'. Reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam were code named 'Giant Scale'. On 21 March 1968, Major (later General) and Major Edward D.

Payne flew the first operational SR-71 in SR-71 serial number 61-7976 from Kadena AFB, Okinawa. 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;;, Japan; and, UK. The aircraft was flown to the near in March 1990.

The Air Force could fly each SR-71, on average, once per week, because of the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. Very often an aircraft would return with rivets missing, delaminated panels or other broken parts such as inlets requiring repair or replacement. There were cases of the aircraft not being ready to fly again for a month due to the repairs needed. Rob Vermeland, 's manager of Advanced Development Program, said in an interview in 2015 that high-tempo operations were not realistic for the SR-71.

'If we had one sitting in the hangar here and the crew chief was told there was a mission planned right now, then 19 hours later it would be safely ready to take off.' From the beginning of the Blackbird's reconnaissance missions over enemy territory (North Vietnam, Laos, etc.) in 1968, the SR-71s averaged approximately one a week for nearly two years. By 1970, the SR-71s were averaging two sorties per week, and by 1972, they were flying nearly one sortie every day. Two SR-71s were lost during these missions, one in 1970 and the second aircraft in 1972, both due to mechanical malfunctions. Over the course of its reconnaissance missions during the, the North Vietnamese fired approximately 800 SAMs at SR-71s, none of which managed to score a hit.

— Response from Admiral to the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Due to unease over political situations in the Middle East and, the U.S. Congress re-examined the SR-71 beginning in 1993. Rear Admiral addressed the question of why the SR-71 was retired, saying it was under 'the belief that, given the time delay associated with mounting a mission, conducting a reconnaissance, retrieving the data, processing it, and getting it out to a field commander, that you had a problem in timelines that was not going to meet the tactical requirements on the modern battlefield.

And the determination was that if one could take advantage of technology and develop a system that could get that data back real time. That would be able to meet the unique requirements of the tactical commander.' Hall stated they were 'looking at alternative means of doing the job of the SR-71.'

Macke told the committee that they were 'flying, and other strategic and tactical assets' to collect information in some areas. Senator and other Senators complained that the 'better than' successor to the SR-71 had yet to be developed at the cost of the 'good enough' serviceable aircraft. They maintained that, in a time of constrained military budgets, designing, building, and testing an aircraft with the same capabilities as the SR-71 would be impossible. Congress' disappointment with the lack of a suitable replacement for the Blackbird was cited concerning whether to continue funding imaging sensors on the U-2.

Congressional conferees stated the 'experience with the SR-71 serves as a reminder of the pitfalls of failing to keep existing systems up-to-date and capable in the hope of acquiring other capabilities.' It was agreed to add $100 million to the budget to return three SR-71s to service, but it was emphasized that this 'would not prejudice support for long-endurance such as the.' The funding was later cut to $72.5 million. The Skunk Works was able to return the aircraft to service under budget at $72 million.

Retired USAF Colonel Jay Murphy was made the Program Manager for Lockheed's reactivation plans. Retired Air Force Colonels Don Emmons and Barry MacKean were put under government contract to remake the plane's logistic and support structure. Still-active Air Force pilots and Reconnaissance Systems Officers (RSOs) who had worked with the aircraft were asked to volunteer to fly the reactivated planes. The aircraft was under the command and control of the at and flew out of a renovated hangar.

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. Final retirement The reactivation met much resistance: the Air Force had not budgeted for the aircraft, and UAV developers worried that their programs would suffer if money was shifted to support the SR-71s. Also, with the allocation requiring yearly reaffirmation by Congress, long-term planning for the SR-71 was difficult. In 1996, the Air Force claimed that specific funding had not been authorized, and moved to ground the program.

Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President attempted to use the to cancel the $39 million allocated for the SR-71. In June 1998, the ruled that the. All this left the SR-71's status uncertain until September 1998, when the Air Force called for the funds to be redistributed; the Air Force permanently retired it in 1998. Operated the two last airworthy Blackbirds until 1999. All other Blackbirds have been moved to museums except for the two SR-71s and a few drones retained by the NASA (later renamed the ). Timeline 1950s–1960s. 24 December 1957: First J58 engine run.

1 May 1960: is shot down in a over the Soviet Union. 13 June 1962: SR-71 mock-up reviewed by the Air Force. 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. 61-7950) delivered to at Palmdale, California.

7 December 1964:, CA, announced as base for SR-71. 22 December 1964: First flight of the SR-71 with Lockheed test pilot Robert J 'Bob' Gilliland at Palmdale. 21 July 1967: and Dave Dempster fly first international sortie in SR-71A, AF Ser. 61-7972, when the Astro-Inertial Navigation System (ANS) fails on a training mission and they accidentally fly into Mexican airspace.

3 November 1967: A-12 and SR-71 conduct a reconnaissance fly-off. 5 February 1968: Lockheed ordered to destroy A-12, YF-12, and SR-71 tooling. 8 March 1968: First SR-71A (AF Ser.

61-7978) arrives at, Okinawa to replace A-12s. 21 March 1968: First SR-71 (AF Ser. 61-7976) operational mission flown from Kadena AB over Vietnam. 29 May 1968: CMSgt Bill Gornik begins the tie-cutting tradition of Habu crews' neckties. 1970s–1980s. 3 December 1975: First flight of SR-71A (AF Ser. 61-7959) in 'Big Tail' configuration.

20 April 1976: TDY operations started at, United Kingdom with SR-71A, AF Ser. 27–28 July 1976: SR-71A sets speed and altitude records (Altitude in Horizontal Flight: 85,068.997 ft (25,929.030 m) and Speed Over a Straight Course: 2,193.167 miles per hour (3,529.560 km/h)). August 1980: starts conversion of AFICS to DAFICS. 15 January 1982: SR-71B, AF Ser. 61-7956, flies its 1,000th sortie. 21 April 1989: SR-71, AF Ser. 61-7974, is lost due to an engine explosion after taking off from Kadena AB, the last Blackbird to be lost.

22 November 1989: Air Force SR-71 program officially terminated. 1990s. 6 March 1990: Last SR-71 flight under SENIOR CROWN program, setting four speed records en route to Smithsonian Institution. 25 July 1991: SR-71B, AF Ser.

61-7956/NASA #831 officially delivered to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at, California. October 1991: NASA engineer becomes the first female SR-71 crew member. 28 September 1994: Congress votes to allocate $100 million for reactivation of three SR-71s. 28 June 1995: First reactivated SR-71 returns to Air Force as Detachment 2. 9 October 1999: The last flight of the SR-71 (AF Ser. 61-7980/NASA 844).

View from the cockpit at 83,000 feet (25,000 m) over the Atlantic Ocean. The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. 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). Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in, but not in sustained flight.

That same day SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h), approximately Mach 3.3. SR-71 pilot states in his book The Untouchables that he flew in excess of Mach 3.5 on to evade a missile.

The SR-71 also holds the 'Speed Over a Recognized Course' record for flying from New York to London—distance 3,461.53 miles (5,570.79 km), 1,806.964 miles per hour (2,908.027 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds—set on 1 September 1974 while flown by U.S. Air Force pilot James V. Sullivan and Noel F. Widdifield, reconnaissance systems officer (RSO). This equates to an average velocity of about Mach 2.72, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. Peak speeds during this flight were likely closer to the declassified top speed of Mach 3.2+. For comparison, the best commercial flight time was 2 hours 52 minutes and the averages 6 hours 15 minutes.

On 26 April 1971, 61-7968, flown by Majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick, flew over 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in 10 hours and 30 minutes. This flight was awarded the 1971 for the 'most meritorious flight of the year' and the 1972 for 'most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics'. Ed Yeilding and RSO Lt. Joe Vida on 6 March 1990, the last SR-71 Senior Crown flight When the SR-71 was retired in 1990, one Blackbird was flown from its birthplace at United States Air Force in, to go on exhibit at what is now the 's in.

On 6 March 1990, Lt. Yeilding and Lt.

Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process:. Los Angeles, to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles (3,701.0 km), average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds. to, distance 2,404 miles (3,869 km), average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour (3,419.1 km/h), and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds., to Washington, D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516 km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502 km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds., to, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1 km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3 km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds. These four speed records were accepted by the (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States. Additionally, Air & Space/Smithsonian reported that the Air Force clocked the SR-71 at one point in its flight reaching 2,242.48 miles per hour (3,608.92 km/h).

After the Los Angeles–Washington flight, on 6 March 1990, Senator addressed the, chastening the 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.

Yesterday's historic transcontinental flight was a sad memorial to our short-sighted policy in strategic aerial reconnaissance. Successor. Main article: Speculation existed regarding a replacement for the SR-71, including a rumored aircraft codenamed. The limitations of, which take up to 24 hours to arrive in the proper orbit to photograph a particular target, makes them slower to respond to demand than reconnaissance planes.

The fly-over orbit of spy satellites may also be predicted and can allow assets to be hidden when the satellite is above, a drawback not shared by aircraft. Thus, there are doubts that the US has abandoned the concept of spy planes to complement reconnaissance satellites. (UAVs) are also used for much 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 man-carrying aircraft. On 1 November 2013, media outlets reported that Skunk Works has been working on an unmanned reconnaissance airplane it has named, which would fly twice as fast at Mach 6. However, the Air Force is officially pursuing the UAV to take up the SR-71's strategic ISR role. Variants.

SR-71A was the main production variant. SR-71B was a trainer variant. SR-71C was a hybrid aircraft composed of the rear fuselage of the first YF-12A (S/N 60-6934) and the forward fuselage from an SR-71 static test unit. The YF-12 had been wrecked in a 1966 landing accident. This Blackbird was seemingly not quite straight and had a yaw at supersonic speeds.

It was nicknamed 'The Bastard'. Operators United States.

–, 4786th Test Squadron 1965–70 SR-71 Flight Test Group 1970–90. –, 19–71 Detachment 1, 1968–90 Detachment 4,. 1976–90.

Detachment 2, – Edwards AFB, California 1995–97 (Forward Operating Locations at Eielson AFB, Alaska; Griffis AFB, New York; Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Diego Garcia and Bodo, Norway 1973–90) (NASA). – Edwards AFB, California 1991–99 Accidents and aircraft disposition.

Detail of SR-71A at the, Twelve SR-71s were lost and one pilot died in accidents during the aircraft's service career. Eleven of these accidents happened between 1966 and 1972.

List of SR-71 Blackbirds AF Serial Number Model Location or fate 61-7950 SR-71A Lost, 10 January 19 SR-71A (adjacent to ),. Loaned to NASA as 'YF-12A 60-6934'. See the opening fly page in Paul Crickmore's book SR-71, Secret Missions Exposed, which contains a copy of the original R-12 labeled plan view drawing of the vehicle.

Crickmore SR-71, Secret Missions Exposed, original R-12 labeled plan view drawing. Lockheed obtained the metal from the during the, under many guises to prevent the Soviet government from discovering what it was to be used for. See image for visual. Maximum speed limit was Mach 3.2, but could be raised to Mach 3.3 if the engine compressor inlet temperature did not exceed 801 °F (427 °C). Citations.

'A Bittersweet and Fancy Flight.' Philadelphia Inquirer, 7 March 1990, p. 1. Crickmore, Paul F. 'Blackbirds in the Cold War'., January 2009, pp. 30–38.

Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. Crickmore, Paul F. 'Lockheed's Blackbirds – A-12, YF-12 and SR-71A'. Wings of Fame, Volume 8, 1997, pp. 30–93. London: Aerospace Publishing. Donald, David, ed. 'Lockheed's Blackbirds: A-12, YF-12 and SR-71'.

AIRtime, 2003. Goodall, James.

Lockheed's SR-71 'Blackbird' Family. Hinckley, UK: Aerofax/Midland Publishing, 2003. Graham, Richard H. North Branch, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint, 2002. Graham, Richard H. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 1996.

Jenkins, Dennis R. Lockheed Secret Projects: Inside the Skunk Works. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001.

Johnson, C.L. Kelly: More Than My Share of it All. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 1985.

Landis, Tony R. And Dennis R. Lockheed Blackbirds. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Specialty Press, revised edition, 2005. McIninch, Thomas.

Center for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 July 1996. Retrieved: 10 April 2009. Merlin, Peter W. From Archangel to Senior Crown: Design and Development of the Blackbird., Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2008. Merlin, Peter W. 'The Truth is Out There. SR-71 Serials and Designations'., No.

118, July/August 2005. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing, pp. 2–6. ISSN 0143-5450. Pace, Steve.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Swindon, UK: Crowood Press, 2004. Remak, Jeannette and Joe Ventolo, Jr. A-12 Blackbird Declassified.

Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Company, 2001. Rich, Ben R. And Leo Janos. Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1994. Shul, Brian and Sheila Kathleen O'Grady.

Sled Driver: Flying the World's Fastest Jet. Marysville, California: Gallery One, 1994. Shul, Brian and Walter Watson, Jr. The Untouchables.

Chico, California: Mach 1, Inc. Suhler, Paul A.

From RAINBOW to GUSTO: Stealth and the Design of the Lockheed Blackbird (Library of Flight Series). Reston, Virginia: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2009. Additional sources.