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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

Updated: Wikipedia source

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu". The SR-71 was developed in the 1960s as a black project by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the SR-71's innovative concepts. Its shape was based on the Lockheed A-12, a pioneer in stealth technology with its reduced radar cross section, but the SR-71 was longer and heavier to carry more fuel and a crew of two in tandem cockpits. The SR-71 was revealed to the public in July 1964 and entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966. During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 at 85,000 ft or 26,000 m), allowing it to evade or outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was to accelerate and outpace the missile. Equipment for the plane's aerial reconnaissance missions included signals-intelligence sensors, side-looking airborne radar, and a camera. On average, an SR-71 could fly just once per week because of the lengthy preparations needed. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents, none to enemy action. From 1968, reconnaissance missions were flown from Kadena AB, Okinawa, first over North Vietnam and Laos during the Vietnam War, and later over North Korea. From 1976, missions were flown from RAF Mildenhall, UK, along the Soviet Union's Baltic and Barents Sea coastlines. Missions were also flown over Cuba, Nicaragua, Libya, and to probe nuclear weapons installations in Israel and South Africa. Unlike previous aircraft that were under the Central Intelligence Agency, SR-71 missions were flown overtly, with USAF markings, and never overflew the Warsaw Pact or China. In 1974, the SR-71 set the record for the quickest flight between London and New York at 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56 seconds. In 1976, it became the fastest airbreathing manned aircraft, previously held by its predecessor, the closely related Lockheed YF-12. As of 2025, the Blackbird still holds all three world records. In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons, although several were briefly reactivated before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform, until it was retired again in 1999. Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As of 2018, Lockheed Martin was developing a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, with plans to fly it in 2025.

Infobox

Type
Strategic reconnaissance aircraft
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Lockheed Corporation
Designer
Lockheed Skunk Works Clarence "Kelly" Johnson (Designer)
Primary users
United States Air Force (historical) NASA (historical)
Number built
32
Introduction date
January 1966
First flight
22 December 1964
Retired
mw- USAF: 1989 (temp.), 1998 (final)NASA: 1999
Developed from
Lockheed A-12

Tables

List of SR-71 Blackbirds · Accidents and aircraft disposition
61-7950
61-7950
AF serial number
61-7950
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 10 January 1967, in fire caused by failed braking test. Aircraft departed runway and burned.
61-7951
61-7951
AF serial number
61-7951
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Pima Air & Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Tucson, Arizona. Loaned to NASA as "YF-12C #06937".
61-7952
61-7952
AF serial number
61-7952
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost in Mach 3 mid-air breakup near Tucumcari, New Mexico, 25 January 1966
61-7953
61-7953
AF serial number
61-7953
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 18 December 1969
61-7954
61-7954
AF serial number
61-7954
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 11 April 1969, in fire caused by failed brake test.
61-7955
61-7955
AF serial number
61-7955
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California
61-7956
61-7956
AF serial number
61-7956
Model
SR-71B
Location or fate
Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan (ex-NASA831)
61-7957
61-7957
AF serial number
61-7957
Model
SR-71B
Location or fate
Lost, 11 January 1968. Double generator failure followed by double flameout on approach; crew ejected safely.
61-7958
61-7958
AF serial number
61-7958
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia
61-7959
61-7959
AF serial number
61-7959
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
61-7960
61-7960
AF serial number
61-7960
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California
61-7961
61-7961
AF serial number
61-7961
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas
61-7962
61-7962
AF serial number
61-7962
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
American Air Museum in Britain, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
61-7963
61-7963
AF serial number
61-7963
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California
61-7964
61-7964
AF serial number
61-7964
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland, Nebraska
61-7965
61-7965
AF serial number
61-7965
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 25 October 1967. Crashed in Nevada desert following instrument failure. Crew ejected safely.
61-7966
61-7966
AF serial number
61-7966
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 13 April 1967 following high-speed subsonic stall near Las Vegas, New Mexico. Crew ejected safely.
61-7967
61-7967
AF serial number
61-7967
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana
61-7968
61-7968
AF serial number
61-7968
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
61-7969
61-7969
AF serial number
61-7969
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 10 May 1970 near Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. Flameout in turbulent thunderstorm, engine restart failed. Crew ejected successfully.
61-7970
61-7970
AF serial number
61-7970
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 17 June 1970 after colliding with the KC-135 refueling it. Crew ejected with injuries.
61-7971
61-7971
AF serial number
61-7971
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon
61-7972
61-7972
AF serial number
61-7972
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Smithsonian Institution Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia
61-7973
61-7973
AF serial number
61-7973
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Blackbird Airpark, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California
61-7974
61-7974
AF serial number
61-7974
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 21 April 1989 after compressor failure caused catastrophic left engine failure. Remains of aircraft recovered then on 24 December 1989 buried at sea in the Mariana Trench.
61-7975
61-7975
AF serial number
61-7975
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
March Field Air Museum, March Air Reserve Base (former March AFB), Riverside, California
61-7976
61-7976
AF serial number
61-7976
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio,
61-7977
61-7977
AF serial number
61-7977
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lost, 10 October 1968. Aborted takeoff after wheel assembly failure. Cockpit section survived and located at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
61-7978
61-7978
AF serial number
61-7978
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Nicknamed "Rapid Rabbit" and wearing a Playboy bunny image as tail art. (wearing a "black bunny" logo on its tail). Lost, 20 July 1972 after departure from runway.
61-7979
61-7979
AF serial number
61-7979
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
61-7980
61-7980
AF serial number
61-7980
Model
SR-71A
Location or fate
Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California
61-7981
61-7981
AF serial number
61-7981
Model
SR-71C
Location or fate
Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah (formerly YF-12A 60-6934)
AF serial number
Model
Location or fate
61-7950
SR-71A
Lost, 10 January 1967, in fire caused by failed braking test. Aircraft departed runway and burned.
61-7951
SR-71A
Pima Air & Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Tucson, Arizona. Loaned to NASA as "YF-12C ".
61-7952
SR-71A
Lost in Mach 3 mid-air breakup near Tucumcari, New Mexico, 25 January 1966
61-7953
SR-71A
Lost, 18 December 1969
61-7954
SR-71A
Lost, 11 April 1969, in fire caused by failed brake test.
61-7955
SR-71A
Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California
61-7956
SR-71B
Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan (ex-NASA831)
61-7957
SR-71B
Lost, 11 January 1968. Double generator failure followed by double flameout on approach; crew ejected safely.
61-7958
SR-71A
Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia
61-7959
SR-71A
Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
61-7960
SR-71A
Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California
61-7961
SR-71A
Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas
61-7962
SR-71A
American Air Museum in Britain, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, England
61-7963
SR-71A
Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California
61-7964
SR-71A
Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland, Nebraska
61-7965
SR-71A
Lost, 25 October 1967. Crashed in Nevada desert following instrument failure. Crew ejected safely.
61-7966
SR-71A
Lost, 13 April 1967 following high-speed subsonic stall near Las Vegas, New Mexico. Crew ejected safely.
61-7967
SR-71A
Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana
61-7968
SR-71A
Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia
61-7969
SR-71A
Lost, 10 May 1970 near Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. Flameout in turbulent thunderstorm, engine restart failed. Crew ejected successfully.
61-7970
SR-71A
Lost, 17 June 1970 after colliding with the KC-135 refueling it. Crew ejected with injuries.
61-7971
SR-71A
Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon
61-7972
SR-71A
Smithsonian Institution Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia
61-7973
SR-71A
Blackbird Airpark, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California
61-7974
SR-71A
Lost, 21 April 1989 after compressor failure caused catastrophic left engine failure. Remains of aircraft recovered then on 24 December 1989 buried at sea in the Mariana Trench.
61-7975
SR-71A
March Field Air Museum, March Air Reserve Base (former March AFB), Riverside, California
61-7976
SR-71A
National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio,
61-7977
SR-71A
Lost, 10 October 1968. Aborted takeoff after wheel assembly failure. Cockpit section survived and located at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
61-7978
SR-71A
Nicknamed "Rapid Rabbit" and wearing a Playboy bunny image as tail art. (wearing a "black bunny" logo on its tail). Lost, 20 July 1972 after departure from runway.
61-7979
SR-71A
Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas
61-7980
SR-71A
Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California
61-7981
SR-71C
Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah (formerly YF-12A 60-6934)

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  2. See the opening fly page in Crickmore (2000), which contains a copy of the original R-12 labeled plan view drawing of th
  3. Crickmore (2000), original R-12 labeled plan view drawing
  4. While titanium ores are cheap and abundant, converting those ores into metallic titanium is laborious and expensive. Sov
  5. The Foxbats could sustain speeds of Mach 2.83, but they also had an emergency option to reach Mach 3.2 – after which the
  6. See Blackbird with Canards image for visual.
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