SR-71 Blackbird: A History Of The Fastest Plane Ever

19FortyFive ^ | 1/09/2020 | Peter Suicu

[Onthebrink]

The Lockheed SR-71 spy plane was – and still is – the fastest plane on the planet.

The Goal

Known unofficially as the “Blackbird” for its black paint job, which was developed to dissipate heat, the jet featured sleek lines that certainly were “futuristic” when it was flying top secret missions years before American astronauts headed to the moon.

It was developed in secret in the late 1950s to cruise to 80,000 feet above the earth, near the edge of space, and out fly any missile that was launched at it.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I always thought it was fascinating that the faster it flew, the less fuel it used.

[jagusafr]

They leaked on the ground because the design had to allow for the expansion that occurred at altitude.

[ReformedBeckite]

I read where (D) president Johnson gave away that secret plane; he let it be known we had it.

Kind of hard to keep the secret of the SR-71 a secret when it is a big plane, takes an hour or so to prepare it for flight on the flight line. Some one is going to see it, and the enemy is going to be able to figure out what it is and by how fast it goes on their radar, etc.
The enemy has spies outside of all most or all of every US military base it pretty hard for something like them to not notice, and report information back to their country.

[SkyDancer]

Well having it and the baddies find out about it is one thing; to go on TV and announce it is another. IMHO

[newfreep]

When I see a photo of the SR-71, I always think of Area51 and “Art Bell and the High Desert”.

[Darth Mall]

for later

[knighthawk]

The fuel tanks were designed that way. They nly leaked on the runway. During flight because of the high temps or would stop leasing.

[steve8714]

I didn’t say it was a better idea, only cheaper.

[Hot Tabasco]

A-12 ARCHANGEL CIA PROJECT OXCART

[goldbux]

* * *

[Shark24]

Yes it was expensive.

[whershey]

I was at Torii Station in 75 and saw them take off from Kadena a few times. It was an amazing sight. One thing they were used for was tracking radar and antiaircraft locations in China. They'd fly along the coast and it would drive the Chinese nuts. They tried shooting them down a couple of times but by the time they launched a missile the plane was long gone. Good times!

[knighthawk]

Here one of such toys:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_RQ-4_Global_Hawk