American Mach 3 missile advances

Flight International ^ | 04/07/06 | Graham Warwick in Washington DC

[Brit1]

That SR71 is a beautiful airplane

[Mike Darancette]

Mach 3 missile demonstrator resembles an SR-71 engine

In the 60's the Navy had the TALOS a Mach 3 ram jet monster that had a 75 NM surface/surface range carrying 100+ KT nuke and 100 NM surface to air. They fired one with a solid warhead clear through a WWI cruiser at the waterline.

[oxcart]

[glorgau]

That thing looks like a tea kettle I accidently left on the electric stove after the water had boiled off 30 minutes before. Just plain glowing.

[oxcart]

Yes, there is a lot of JP-7 running through that engine.

The development of the A-12 spyplane in the late 1950s created another problem for aircraft and engine designers. The high speeds reached by the A-12 would cause the skin of the aircraft to get hot. Temperatures on the A-12 ranged from 462 to 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit (239 to 566 degrees C). The wings, where the fuel was stored, had external temperatures of more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees C). Even with the lower flashpoint, fuel stored in the wings could explode. As a result, the engine designers at Pratt & Whitney sought a fuel with an extremely high flashpoint. Working with the Ashland Shell and Monsanto companies, the engine designers added fluorocarbons to increase lubricity (or slipperiness), and other chemicals to raise the flashpoint. The resulting fuel was originally known as PF-1 but later renamed JP-7. It was used only by the A-12 OXCART (and its sister YF-12 interceptor) and later the SR-71 Blackbird. JP-7 has such a high flashpoint that a burning match dropped into a bucket of it will not cause it to ignite.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Evolution_of_Technology/fuel/Tech21.htm

[oxcart]

I think the fuel was heated after the engine was started. To do that they used a direct drive starting shaft powered by 2 454 racing engines and to get things going a kicker of tri-ethyl borane (TEB) got things burning.

It would be interesting to read a book just on the logistics of the of the blackbird. This was such a complex bird and they built it in the 60's with slide rules.

I sure wish someone in Hollyweird would wake up and make some movies about how we won the Cold War. The A-12 story would be one of many excellent choices./dreaming off

[garbageseeker]

That is the reason why I like it. It should have the same low radar signature of the SR-71

[CGVet58]

hey Great Pics,

I served onboard USS Albany CG-10 on her last tour prior to decommission as the command ship of the 6th Fleet, 1977-1980. Brought her back over on her decom cruise, too.

Great times, we were ported in Gaeta, Italy - lovely place, lovelier people. Since we carried the "flag", most all our U/W time was in transit from one port to the next, doing the diplomatic shuffle for the man with the gold on his shoulders.

Great memories, to be so young (fresh out of high school) and see the Pyramids, Jerusalem, the great Capitols of Europe, battlefields (always have been a military history man even before my 24 years in the service)... and I was single!

Thanks for the jolt of yesterday and the smile at the recall... the Big Al was a great ship, a great crew.

CGVet58

[Centurion2000]

Damn, with a 500nm range and 15min engagement window there is NOTHING except maybe a sub that will get close to our ships.

Stick about 48 if these things around an Aegis or a frigate and a CBG would be good to go.