As space-based surveillance systems became more sophisticated and air defense systems became more effective, the Air Force chose to end the expensive program. [30] Metallurgical contamination was another problem; at one point, 80% of the delivered titanium for manufacture was rejected on these grounds.[31][32]. ", "NASA Dryden Technology Facts - YF-12 Flight Research Program", "A Technology Pathway for Airbreathing, Combined-Cycle, Horizontal Space Launch Through SR-71 Based Trajectory Modeling. [90][40], The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, piloted by Bob Gilliland. The dark color led to the aircraft's nickname "Blackbird". Reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam were code-named "Black Shield" and then renamed "Giant Scale" in late 1968. USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. [122] Senator Robert Byrd 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. The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. In the later years of its operational life, a datalink system could send ASARS-1 and ELINT data from about 2,000nmi (3,700km) of track coverage to a suitably equipped ground station. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Itek KA-102A 3648in (9101,220mm) camera. 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). [85], The cockpit could be pressurized to an altitude of 10,000 or 26,000ft (3,000 or 8,000m) during flight. Goodall, James and Jay Miller. View 20 Images 1 / 20. 3. Designed at Lockheeds Skunk Works by Clarence Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 performed reconnaissance for the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years and played a key role in Cold War intelligence gathering. When the A-12's performance potential was clearly found to be much greater, the USAF ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962,[17] which was originally named R-12 by Lockheed. Tweet in Share Print Number of views (3286) What would happen if an SR-71 tried to surpass that altitude? Quote from Reg Blackwell, SR-71 pilot, interviewed for "Battle Stations" episode "SR-71 Blackbird Stealth Plane", first aired on History Channel 15 December 2002. Only one aircraft even has the distinction of achieving radar lock on the legendary spy plane. Meanwhile, the Air Force wanted a long-range interceptor aircraft that could fly long distances at triplesonic cruise speed above 21,336 (70,000 feet) to intercept enemy bombers with Hughes Falcon air-to-air missiles. During one mission, SR-71 pilot Brian Shul flew faster than usual to avoid multiple interception attempts; afterward, it was discovered that this had reduced fuel consumption. [84] After landing, information from the SLAR, ELINT gathering systems, and the maintenance data recorder were subjected to postflight ground analysis. On Jul. Due to the excessive cost of operating both A-12 and SR-71 programs, the SR-71 was chosen to take over Operation Black Shield at Kadena in 1968. [33] Research was conducted on a liquid hydrogen powerplant, but the tanks for storing cryogenic hydrogen were not of a suitable size or shape. ", U-2 / A-12 / YF-12A / SR-71 Blackbird & RB-57D WB-57F locations. The Blackbirds Pratt & Whitney J58 engines were designed to operate continuously in afterburner to facilitate cruise at supersonic speeds. Thus, there are doubts that the US has abandoned the concept of spy planes to complement reconnaissance satellites. The SR-71 originally included optical/infrared imagery systems; side-looking airborne radar (SLAR);[74] electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering systems;[75] defensive systems for countering missile and airborne fighters;[76][77][78][79] and recorders for SLAR, ELINT, and maintenance data. The gone but not forgotten Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird takes flight at sunset on its way to making a Mach 3.2 thunder run. Years before the Powers incident, the CIA had commissioned a study to determine the characteristics for a reconnaissance aircraft that could not be shot down. Two SR-71s were lost during these missions, one in 1970 and the second aircraft in 1972, both due to mechanical malfunctions. It has set numerous speed and altitude records including the following in chronological order. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. [4][5] Eleven of these accidents happened between 1966 and 1972. On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with much of the rest polymer composite materials. 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. This proportion increased progressively with speed until the afterburner provided all the thrust at about Mach 3. Speculation existed regarding a replacement for the SR-71, including a rumored aircraft codenamed Aurora. One widely conventional view, and probably the best-known view, of the reasons for the SR-71's retirement in 1989a view that the Air Force itself offered to the Congresswas that besides being very expensive, the SR-71 had become redundant anyway, among other reconnaissance methods that were ever-evolving. On 29 November 2018, the four Swedish pilots involved were awarded medals from the USAF.[116][117]. [citation needed], Flying at 80,000ft (24,000m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000ft (13,000m). In the early years of operation, the analog computers would not always keep up with rapidly changing flight environmental inputs. The SR-71's specially designed engines converted to low-speed ramjets by redirecting the airflow around the core and into the afterburner for speeds greater than Mach 2.5. Also, with the allocation requiring yearly reaffirmation by Congress, long-term planning for the SR-71 was difficult. [26] Dick Cheney told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the SR-71 cost $85,000 per hour to operate. This meant that much of the SR-71's imagery and radar data could not be used in real time, but had to wait until the aircraft returned to base. Instead, the SR-71's camera systems could be located either in the fuselage chines or the removable nose/chine section. Merely accelerating would typically be enough for an SR-71 to evade a SAM;[3] 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. The SR-71 was in duty from 1964 until 1989 and during a reactivation from 1993 until 1998. An advanced, long-range, Mach 3.2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Clarence Kelly Johnsonand Francis Gary Powers have a discussion with an early U-2 aircraft behind them. An air conditioner used a heat exchanger to dump heat from the cockpit into the fuel prior to combustion. 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. Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the famous "Skunk Works". In addition to reaching altitudes higher than 25,908 meters (85,000 feet) and cruise at speeds greater than Mach 3.2, it could survey up to 160,934 square kilometers (100,000 square miles) of territory in just one hour. Crickmore, Paul F. "Lockheed's Blackbirds A-12, YF-12 and SR-71A". [81] ELINT-gathering systems, called the Electro Magnetic Reconnaissance System, built by AIL could be carried in the chine bays to analyze electronic signal fields being passed through, and were programmed to identify items of interest. The SR-71 entered service in January 1966. [98] On 21 March 1968, Major (later General) Jerome F. O'Malley and Major Edward D. Payne flew the first operational SR-71 sortie in SR-71 serial number 61-7976 from Kadena AFB, Okinawa. As velocity decreased, so did frictional heat. [25][26] The SR-71 was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, an early attempt at stealth design. The SR-71 Blackbird is perhaps the most impressive plane ever built. Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air & Space, October/November 1990, p. 31. a list of stars used for celestial navigation, 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, National Museum of the United States Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aircraft in fiction Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, List of military aircraft of the United States, List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, "The SR-71 Blackbird: The Super Spy Plane That Outran Missiles", "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: SR-71 Blackbird", "U.S. Pushes Hard To Build SR-72 Hypersonic Fighter", "Records: Sub-class: C-1 (Landplanes) Group 3: turbo-jet. [35] Within 20 seconds the aircraft traveled 4,500 feet (1,400m), reached 240 miles per hour (390km/h), and lifted off. The aircraft was meant to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, but development ran over schedule, and it was equipped instead with the less powerful Pratt & Whitney J75 initially. ', American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird&oldid=1142415593, 1960s United States military reconnaissance aircraft, High-altitude and long endurance aircraft, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from August 2014, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from February 2012, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2012, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Lost, 10 October 1968. In later life, the radar was replaced by Loral's Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS-1). These were not a feature on the early A-3 design; Frank Rodgers, a doctor at the Scientific Engineering Institute, a CIA front organization, discovered that a cross-section of a sphere had a greatly reduced radar reflection, and adapted a cylindrical-shaped fuselage by stretching out the sides of the fuselage. The Air Force decided to order its own two-seat version of the A-12, a refined reconnaissance version for the Strategic Air Command. The SR-71 Blackbird is a supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. NASA released video footage of the SR-71 Blackbird, the high-altitude recon aircraft capable of reaching speeds over Mach 3. [131] This equates to an average speed of about Mach2.72, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. Two A-12s were modified to carry and launch the Lockheed D-21 remotely piloted reconnaissance drone, which would be powered by a Marquardt ramjet engine. [81][83], Over its operational life, the Blackbird carried various electronic countermeasures (ECMs), 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 carried several of these frequency/purpose payloads to meet the expected threats. A MiG-25 had locked a missile on the damaged SR-71, but as the aircraft was under escort, no missiles were fired. These are only two of the numerous records set by the SR-71 and its cloud of Blackbirds. On one occasion, one complete wing with engine was replaced as the easiest way to get the plane airborne again. Reconnaissance aircraft. It reached 20,000 feet (6,100m) of altitude in less than two minutes, and the typical 80,000 feet (24,000m) cruising altitude in another 17 minutes, having used one third of its fuel. The aircraft was flown to the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio in March 1990. Every fact and statistic is just mind-blowing! Aircraft VOL.11, NO. Along with its low radar cross-section, these qualities gave a very short time for an enemy surface-to-air missile (SAM) site to acquire and track the aircraft on radar. 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 outrace or entirely avoid threats. "Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1994 and The Future Years.". [103], While deployed at Okinawa, the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu (as did the A-12s preceding them) after a pit viper indigenous to Japan, which the Okinawans thought the plane resembled. [111] The most common site for the lock-on was the thin stretch of international airspace between land and Gotland that the SR-71s used on their return flights. The SR-71 Blackbird set speed and altitude records that stand to this day. Maximum speed limit was Mach 3.2, but could be raised to Mach 3.3 if the engine compressor inlet temperature did not exceed 801F (427C). [33], Some SR-71s featured red stripes to prevent maintenance workers from damaging the thin, fragile skin located near the center of the fuselage. [44] 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. However, the USAF refused to spend the money. Johnson decided to counter this criticism by revealing the existence of the YF-12A USAF interceptor, which also served as cover for the still-secret A-12[20] and the USAF reconnaissance model since July 1964. Myagkiy and its Weapons System Officer (WSO) were able to achieve a SR-71 lock on at 52,000 feet and at a distance of 120 Km from the target. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies an ore called rutile ore. SR-71 was designed to outperform every Soviet aircraft and missile with speed and altitude, following the 1960 incident, when the Soviets shot down CIA reconnaissance aircraft 1960 and captured its pilot Gary Powers. Absolute Altitude: 80,257.86 ft (24,390 meters). Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President Bill Clinton attempted to use the line-item veto to cancel the $39million allocated for the SR-71. . The RSO operated the array of high-resolution cameras and electronic intelligence-gathering devices, as well as defensive systems, including a sophisticated electronic countermeasures system that could jam most tracking and targeting radar. This configuration never flew operational missions due to horrific accidents involving difficulty with drone separation that occurred during testing. [23] Production of the SR-71 totaled 32 aircraft with 29 SR-71As, two SR-71Bs, and the single SR-71C.[24]. Peak speeds during this flight were likely closer to the declassified top speed of over Mach3.2. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. "Lockheed's SR-71 'Blackbird' Family A-12, F-12, M-21, D-21, SR-71". The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. No. [97] 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; Palmdale, California; Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan; and RAF Mildenhall, UK. On 6 March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond E. Yeilding and Lt. Col. Joseph T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process: These four speed records were accepted by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States. YF-12A # 60-6934 Absolute Speed Over a Straight Course: 2,070.101 mph .YF-12A #60-6936 For thermal experiments, this produced heat soak temperatures of over 600 degrees (F). 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). [37] Cooling was carried out by cycling fuel behind the titanium surfaces in the chines. [38], The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. [N 5][47][48], The air inlets allowed the SR-71 to cruise at over Mach3.2, with the air slowing down to subsonic speed as it entered the engine. When the SR-71 was retired in 1990, one Blackbird was flown from its birthplace at USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to go on exhibit at what is now the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.