This Blackbird was an SR-71.
An interesting tale for those who like the odd things flyers might do.
SR-71 Blackbird.jpg
https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Air...-slowest-flyby
jtk
[OP]
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This Blackbird was an SR-71.
An interesting tale for those who like the odd things flyers might do.
SR-71 Blackbird.jpg
https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Air...-slowest-flyby
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 05-25-2024 at 2:23 AM. Reason: Added image
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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I used to watch you tubes on those. They are amazing and designed so far back, was it 60's.
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1960’s is what I understand. Primarily the brainchild of one man (Kelly Johnson). Never has been a more impressive looking aircraft.
Last edited by Michael Weber; 05-25-2024 at 8:38 AM.
My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities
The problem with humanity is: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and God-like technology. Edward O. Wilson
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The AirZoo in Kalamazoo, MI has an SR-71 on display. Very impressive when surrounded by other aircraft. AirZoo is a very impressive museum if you get travel anywhere near, it's worth the stop. Allow most of a day. Wish we were closer, i'd love to volunteer to help with restoration and such!!
An amazing beast. Got to lay my hands on one during a job at a desert air base. They rope it off during public events but we were on and off base for a few months during the job. You could walk right up to it. Like looking down from the high-dive board as opposed to looking up at it; the thing is really breathtaking when it is in your face. Lots of wonderful stories from the pilots available online. Truly a testament to what we used to do when challenged to meet a goal. I have never seen one in the air and can only imagine. It is one of those "wow" moments when you read the specs. Very cool.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
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We get to witness the comings and goings along one of the Eastern flight paths in and out of Whiteman AFB in Sedalia MO. It is spooky as heck. The planes that made the most noise back in the 80s & 90s could seldom be seen. The sound was unforgettable.
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In the 1960's I was in the Air Force and my job involved working with a computerized display of all the aircraft tracked on radar in a considerable chunk of the country. One morning briefing we were told we might see something unusually fast. If so, ignore it, don't draw anyone's attention to it, forget you ever saw it.
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Bad Dad was diverted from flying for a stint running a radar site outside of San Antonio. The airman watching the scope called him over to look at something. They had a high speed, high altitude target coming out of Mexico. A couple of grease pencil marks on the scope between 'paintings' (this WAS awhile back!) and a calculation on a circular slide rule came back with a speed of Mach 2.Originally Posted by Alan Rutherford
Call to the tower (Kelly? IIRC) had the local alert birds (F-86Ds) moving - - with absolutely no chance of getting to that altitude in time to intercept. Next call was to NORAD. They scrabbled every interceptor within 500miles. (I recall OKC was involved, but have forgotten the rest.)
By this time the target was passing over central Texas, dropped the nose and sped out of range of my Dad's site. Hmmmm...War with Mexico?!?
Turns out 2 civilian Convair factory pilots out of Carswell had taken a B-58 Hustler on a test hop down on the deck - - and suddenly 'realized' they were low on fuel - - and of course, in Mexico. So, they climbed to altitude to extend their range and headed for home.
No word on who buttered their heads, pinned their ears back, and ate them for breakfast.
(I regularly see the BONE operating out of Dyess AFB (Abilene TX). Not the Blackbird, but awesome nonetheless.)
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What a great story!
And an airplane that is fully stalled at speeds higher than most i've flown!
I had not read the story you posted (thank you!)
But had read the other now included on that site, about the "speed check" when first a lowly Cessna asks Center for a "groundspeed check" and then a gradually ascending order of higher performance AC check in to top him including a Navy jet pilot to trump the civilians. Culminating in the SR71 radio operator blowing him out of the water, so to speak with their request; as they cruised effortlessly above the mortals below.
It stuck with me because my first real airplane was a Cessna 175 as in that story. Hey, a Cessna 175 will cruise a lot faster than 90KTAS. Maybe the Cessna driver in the story had a 30 kt headwind affecting the ground speed.
But unimaginable the speeds of those other aircraft upward in the pecking order!
Last edited by stephen thomas; 05-25-2024 at 10:50 PM.
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im pretty sure when I saw those past you tubes they said they didnt know how fast it could go. They said this is the speed but there is still more. I cant tell you the numbers but it seemed like it was only run up to about 75 percent of what it could do. Should have looked it up first.
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Oops. I thought this post was going to be about Paul McCartney’s song, “Blackbird”.
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Oops. I thought this post was going to be about Paul McCartney’s song, “Blackbird”.
Much better than the Beatles' version.
Right?
[OP]
Contributor
That thought did cross my mind (and keyboard) when first reading the story.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
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