In the early years of operation, the analog computers would not always keep up with rapidly changing flight environmental inputs. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the worlds most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration. European operations were from RAF Mildenhall, England. [8], Operational highlights for the entire Blackbird family (YF-12, A-12, and SR-71) as of about 1990 included:[104]. 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. Once the first J58 engine was started, the cart was repositioned to start the aircraft's other J58 engine. Special radar-absorbing materials were incorporated into sawtooth-shaped sections of the aircraft's skin. [45], Aerodynamicists discovered that the chines generated powerful vortices and created additional lift, leading to unexpected aerodynamic performance improvements. On July 28, 1976, an SR-71A set an Altitude in Horizontal Flight record at 85,068.997 feet. [33] The heat would have caused a smooth skin to split or curl, whereas the corrugated skin could expand vertically and horizontally and had increased longitudinal strength. The 1970s proved to be the most noteworthy period for the high-Mach Blackbird. [135] After the Los AngelesWashington flight, on 6 March 1990, Senator John Glenn addressed the United States Senate, chastising the Department of Defense for not using the SR-71 to its full potential: Mr. President, the termination of the SR-71 was a grave mistake and could place our nation at a serious disadvantage in the event of a future crisis. [9][10][11], Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A general misunderstanding of the nature of aerial reconnaissance and a lack of knowledge about the SR-71 in particular (due to its secretive development and operations) was used by detractors to discredit the aircraft, with the assurance given that a replacement was under development. 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. It carried one highly sophisticated, downward-looking film camera, but the plan was to eventually outfit the craft with an infrared camera, side-looking radar, and a gamma spectrometer. ", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham Veteran Tales", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-86", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-99", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-123", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-129", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-132", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-146", "First man to fly the world's fastest aircraft dies in Rancho Mirage", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham, Veteran Tales interview at Frontiers of Flight Museum (at 1:02:55)", "Memorandum for the Chairman, Sanitization and Decontrol Working Group Black Shield Photography", "Bye Bye U-2: CIA Legend Allen Predicts End Of Manned Reconnaissance", "SPIONFLY, DEN KALDE KRIGEN - Spionfly landet i Bod", "TV: Krnvapenskra bunkern styrde flygplanen", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:1/2", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:2/2", "SR-71 World Record Speed and Altitude Flights", "A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events", "Spy Plane Sets Speed Record, Then Retires. [11][129][130] SR-71 pilot Brian Shul states in his book The Untouchables that he flew in excess of Mach3.5 on 15 April 1986 over Libya to evade a missile.[95]. On July 27, 1976, the SR-71 set a Speed Over a Closed Circuit record at a speed of 2,092.294 mph. We need the [data] that a tactical, an SR-71, a U-2, or an unmanned vehicle of some sort, will give us, in addition to, not in replacement of, the ability of the satellites to go around and check not only that spot but a lot of other spots around the world for us. The rotating machinery produced less power, but still enough to run at 100% RPM, thus keeping the airflow through the intake constant. Reconnaissance equipment included signals intelligence sensors, a side-looking airborne radar, and a photo camera. Unofficially, SR-71 pilot Brian Shul states in his book The Untouchables that he flew in excess of Mach 3.5 on 15 April 1986 over Libya to evade a missile. These SR-71 photos were photographed by civilians or members/veterans of the US. The mission was to do an incident preparedness check and identify an aircraft of high interest. All this left the SR-71's status uncertain until September 1998, when the USAF called for the funds to be redistributed; the USAF permanently retired it in 1998. The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966,[13] due both to budget concerns[14] and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12. The USAF may have seen the SR-71 as a bargaining chip to ensure the survival of other priorities. 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. Development began on a coal slurry power plant, but Johnson determined that the coal particles damaged important engine components. [102] Pilots did report that missiles launched without radar guidance and no launch detection, had passed as close as 150 yards (140m) from the aircraft. Donald, David, ed. Major sections of the skin of the inboard wings were corrugated, not smooth. These generals were adept at communicating the value of the SR-71 to a USAF command staff and a Congress who often lacked a basic understanding of how the SR-71 worked and what it did. [26], The SR-71, while much more capable than the Lockheed U-2 in terms of range, speed, and survivability, suffered the lack of a data link, which the U-2 had been upgraded to carry. [17] The CIA's A-12 was a better photo-reconnaissance platform than the USAF's R-12, since the A-12 flew somewhat higher and faster, and with only one pilot, it had room to carry a superior camera[14] and more instruments. The Blackbirds owes its success to the continuum of aircraft that came before it. 3,500lb (1,588kg) of mission equipment, Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. By the time the SAM site could track the SR-71, it was often too late to launch a SAM, and the SR-71 would be out of range before the SAM could catch up to it. An SR-71 refueling from a KC-135Q Stratotanker during a flight in 1983. The SR-71 Blackbird cruises above Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound). No. The counterargument was that the longer the SR-71 was not upgraded as aggressively as it ought to have been, the more people could say that it was obsolescent, which was in their interest as champions of other programs (a self-fulfilling bias). The funding was later cut to $72.5million. The SR-71 was in duty from 1964 until 1989 and during a reactivation from 1993 until 1998. The U-2 was able to cruise at heights of more than 21,336 meters (70,000 feet), out of the reach of contemporary Soviet surface-to-air missiles and interceptors. No. [57][58] The engine was most efficient around Mach3.2,[59] the Blackbird's typical cruising speed. [N 1] It was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA.[1]. 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). [112][113][114], On 29 June 1987, an SR-71 was on a mission around the Baltic Sea to spy on Soviet postings when one of the engines exploded. The SR-71 was capable of flying at speeds over Mach 3.2 and at a height of 85,000 feet (25,900 Meter). 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. 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. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. The design was designated YF-12A in 1962 and it took its first successful Groom Lake flight in the following year. The CIA approved a US$96million contract for Skunk Works to build a dozen spy planes, named "A-12", on 11 February 1960. It has set numerous speed and altitude records including the following in chronological order. The shock waves generated slowed the air to subsonic speeds relative to the engine. However, by the mid-1980s, these SR-71 generals all had retired, and a new generation of USAF generals mostly wanted to cut the program's budget and spend its funding on different priorities, such as the very expensive new B-2 Spirit strategic bomber program. If the SAM site could track the SR-71 and fire a SAM in time, the SAM would expend nearly all of the delta-v of its boost and sustainer phases just reaching the SR-71's altitude; at this point, out of thrust, it could do little more than follow its ballistic arc. The project, named Archangel, was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. It had a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Operator (RSO). The aircraft, however, was detected on radar as soon as overflights began and it was only a matter of time before one would be intercepted. 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. Moving the spike tip drew the shock wave riding on it closer to the inlet cowling until it touched just slightly inside the cowling lip. Show more Show more 7:16 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. As the fastest jet aircraft in the world, the SR-71 has an impressive collection of records and history of service. As the U-2 was called Kellys Angel, or Angel, Lockheeds designs for its successor were designated with an A prefix for Archangel. The CIA gave the contract to Lockheeds A-11, which was modified and secretly re-designated the A-12. There were also trainer versions of the A-12 and SR-71. 831 officially delivered to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at, 28 September 1994: Congress votes to allocate $100million for reactivation of three SR-71s, 28 June 1995: First reactivated SR-71 returns to USAF as Detachment 2, 9 October 1999: The last flight of the SR-71 (AF Ser. )[26]:205217 The chief question for opinion, beyond that point, was only how crucial, or disposable, those unique advantages properly were. [55] During troubleshooting of the unstart issue, NASA also discovered the vortices from the nose chines were entering the engine and interfering with engine efficiency. ", U-2 / A-12 / YF-12A / SR-71 Blackbird & RB-57D WB-57F locations. A typical Blackbird reconnaissance flight might require several aerial refueling operations from an airborne tanker. The Blackbirds were designed to cruise at "Mach 3+," just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet. [49], On a typical mission, the SR-71 took off with only a partial fuel load to reduce stress on the brakes and tires during takeoff and also ensure it could successfully take off should one engine fail. [26] Dick Cheney told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the SR-71 cost $85,000 per hour to operate. [67], The SR-71 also required in-flight refueling to replenish fuel during long-duration missions. At take-off, the afterburner provided 26% of the thrust. [123], Retired USAF Colonel Jay Murphy was made the Program Manager for Lockheed's reactivation plans. The Blackbird was to retrace and photograph the flightpath of the hijacked 727 from Seattle to Reno and attempt to locate any of items that Cooper was known to have parachuted with from the aircraft. SR-71 Blackbird - Speed over Recognized Course - New York to London, SR-71 Blackbird - Distance Speed Record - London to Los Angeles, SR-71 Blackbird - Absolute Speed Record - Manned Aircraft. [6] Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. The one record that it still holds is a cross-country flight, zipping from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in just 64 minutes 20 seconds. As space-based surveillance systems became more sophisticated and air defense systems became more effective, the Air Force chose to end the expensive program. [81][82], SLAR, built by Goodyear Aerospace, could be carried in the removable nose. Rescue parties were sent in to repair the planes before leaving. Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet. The SR-71 had a radar cross-section (RCS) around 110sqft (10m2). Landing speeds were also reduced, as the chines' vortices created turbulent flow over the wings at high angles of attack, making it harder to stall. [81] Initially, the TEOCs could not match the resolution of the A-12's larger camera, but rapid improvements in both the camera and film improved this performance. Furthermore, an emergency ejection at Mach3.2 would subject crews to temperatures of about 450F (230C); thus, during a high-altitude ejection scenario, an onboard oxygen supply would keep the suit pressurized during the descent. Unlike the unarmed Blackbird, which used speed in its defense, the YF-12 was armed with three air-to-air missiles. The SR-71 Blackbird cruises above Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound). No. An advanced, long-range, Mach 3.2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. More than a decade after their retirement the Blackbirds remain the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft ever built. The dark color led to the aircraft's nickname "Blackbird". The SR-71 carried a Fairchild tracking camera and an infrared camera,[80] both of which ran during the entire mission. (In order to be selected into the SR-71 program in the first place, a pilot or navigator (RSO) had to be a top-quality USAF officer, so continuing career progression for members of this elite group was not surprising.) [40], The second operational aircraft[41] designed around a stealth aircraft shape and materials, after the Lockheed A-12,[41] the SR-71 had several features designed to reduce its radar signature. [11][127][128][129] Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. 98, 100101. [3] One of the most impressive vehicles to come out of the Lockheed Skunk Works experimental and clandestine development team is the SR-71 Blackbird. SR-71 Blackbird - Absolute Altitude (Sustained Flight) - Manned SR-71 Blackbird: One Flight - Four Speed Records. Morrison, Bill, SR-71 contributors, Feedback column. Supersonic flights generally lasted no more than 90 minutes before the pilot had to find a tanker. Soviet overflights ceased and the U-2 continued flying missions over places with less sophisticated air defense systems. Kelly Johnson submitted his proposal for the U-2, essentially a glider with a jet engine and a panning camera in its belly. While the SR-71 carried radar countermeasures to evade interception efforts, its greatest protection was its combination of high altitude and very high speed, which made it almost invulnerable. In later life, the radar was replaced by Loral's Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS-1). If internal pressures became too great and the spike was incorrectly positioned, the shock wave would suddenly blow out the front of the inlet, called an "inlet unstart". Paul Crickmore, Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond The Secret Missions, 1993, p. 233. [64][65], Several exotic fuels were investigated for the Blackbird. There were cases of the aircraft not being ready to fly again for a month due to the repairs needed. Bleed tubes and bypass doors were designed into the inlet and engine nacelles to handle some of this pressure and to position the final shock to allow the inlet to remain "started". 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. Reconnaissance aircraft. During unstarts, afterburner extinctions were common. Experience gained from the A-12 program convinced the Air Force that flying the SR-71 safely required two crew members, a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO). The rotating machinery had become a drag item[61] and the engine thrust at high speeds came from the afterburner temperature rise. YF-12A # 60-6934 Absolute Speed Over a Straight Course: 2,070.101 mph .YF-12A #60-6936 The Air Force decided to order its own two-seat version of the A-12, a refined reconnaissance version for the Strategic Air Command. [33] Research was conducted on a liquid hydrogen powerplant, but the tanks for storing cryogenic hydrogen were not of a suitable size or shape. The SR-71 holds a coast-to-coast speed record of 64 . No. The same day another SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 3,529.6 kilometers per hour (2,193.2 miles per hour), approximately Mach 3.3. Kelly Johnson later conceded that Soviet radar technology advanced faster than the stealth technology employed against it. The air slowed supersonically with a final plane shock wave at entry to the subsonic diffuser.[51]. YF-12, A Record Breaker Still-active USAF pilots and Reconnaissance Systems Officers (RSOs) who had worked with the aircraft were asked to volunteer to fly the reactivated planes. Colonel Rich Graham, SR-71 pilot, described the acquisition process: The airplane is 92% titanium inside and out. Just to put the speed of the SR-71 into . Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. 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. American leaders needed to know about the Soviet Unions nuclear capability, ICBM program, and military installations. Blackbird aircraft have been setting records since day one. These were called the TA-12, SR-71B, and SR-71C. The SR-71's record setting speed and high-altitude flights helped it keep enemies at bay. A MiG-25 had locked a missile on the damaged SR-71, but as the aircraft was under escort, no missiles were fired. The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. Over the years, there were several emergency landings in Norway, four in Bod and two of them in 1981 (flying from Beale) and 1985. As the SR-71 had a second cockpit behind the pilot for the RSO, it could not carry the A-12's principal sensor, a single large-focal-length optical camera that sat in the "Q-Bay" behind the A-12's single cockpit. An air conditioner used a heat exchanger to dump heat from the cockpit into the fuel prior to combustion. Two SR-71s were lost during these missions, one in 1970 and the second aircraft in 1972, both due to mechanical malfunctions. The fly-over orbit of spy satellites may also be predicted and can allow assets to be hidden when the satellite passes, a drawback not shared by aircraft. Only one crew member, Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight-test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, was killed in a flight accident. President Eisenhower had approved the use of bombers and balloons in the early 1950s for intelligence gathering, but these craft were vulnerable to antiaircraft artillery and fighter-interceptors. This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 07:27. In 1989, SR-71 operations were suspended, and the SR-71 program was soon terminated after flying for 24 years with the Strategic Air Command. The remaining engine's asymmetrical thrust would cause the aircraft to yaw violently to one side. 61-7956/NASA No. "[122], Macke told the committee that they were "flying U-2s, RC-135s, [and] other strategic and tactical assets" to collect information in some areas. This configuration never flew operational missions due to horrific accidents involving difficulty with drone separation that occurred during testing. 61-7972, when the Astro-Inertial Navigation System (ANS) fails on a training mission and they accidentally fly into Mexican airspace, 5 February 1968: Lockheed ordered to destroy A-12, YF-12, and SR-71 tooling, 8 March 1968: First SR-71A (AF Ser. SR-71C 64-17981)[177], After completion of all USAF and NASA SR-71 operations at Edwards AFB, the SR-71 Flight Simulator was moved in July 2006 to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas. [95] The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966.[96]. The V8 start carts remained at diversion landing sites not equipped with the pneumatic system. Such generals had an interest in believing, and persuading the services and the Congress, that the SR-71 had become either entirely or almost entirely redundant to satellites, U-2s, incipient UAV programs, and an alleged top-secret successor already under development. On 26 April 1971, 61-7968, flown by majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick, flew over 15,000 miles (24,000km) in 10 hours and 30 minutes. By 1970, the SR-71s were averaging two sorties per week, and by 1972, they were flying nearly one sortie every day. [37] Cooling was carried out by cycling fuel behind the titanium surfaces in the chines. YF-12A # 60-6934. NASA operated the two last airworthy Blackbirds until 1999. [29] To control costs, Lockheed used a more easily worked titanium alloy which softened at a lower temperature. Filmed with Digital Combat Simulator New Videos Every Day Subscribe Turn On Noti. The 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (1 SRS) kept its pilots and aircraft operational and active, and flew some operational reconnaissance missions through the end of 1989 and into 1990, due to uncertainty over the timing of the final termination of funding for the program. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. 61-7959) in "big tail" configuration, 2728 July 1976: SR-71A sets speed and altitude records (altitude in horizontal flight: 85,068.997ft (25,929.030m) and speed over a straight course: 2,193.167 miles per hour (3,529.560km/h)), 15 January 1982: SR-71B, AF Ser. 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). [100][101] Over the course of its reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese fired approximately 800 SAMs at SR-71s, none of which managed to score a hit. [42] Drawing on early studies in radar stealth technology, which indicated that a shape with flattened, tapering sides would reflect most energy away from a radar beam's place of origin, engineers added chines and canted the vertical control surfaces inward. Also, with the allocation requiring yearly reaffirmation by Congress, long-term planning for the SR-71 was difficult. The TEB produced a characteristic green flame, which could often be seen during engine ignition. Both the first SLAR and ASARS-1 were ground-mapping imaging systems, collecting data either in fixed swaths left or right of centerline or from a spot location for higher resolution. Air Force and NASA. In 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird broke the world's record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight at 25,929 meters (85,069 feet). The SR-71 was one of several spy airplanes built to venture into enemy territory without being shot down or even detected. [118] Opponents estimated the aircraft's support cost at $400 to $700million per year, though the cost was actually closer to $300million. [104], Congress's disappointment with the lack of a suitable replacement for the Blackbird was cited concerning whether to continue funding imaging sensors on the U-2. The gone but not forgotten Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird takes flight at sunset on its way to making a Mach 3.2 thunder run. [46] The angle of incidence of the delta wings could be reduced for greater stability and less drag at high speeds, and more weight carried, such as fuel. 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. [38], The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. [60], At around Mach3, the temperature rise from the intake compression, added to the engine compressor temperature rise, reduced the allowable fuel flow because the turbine temperature limit did not change. Clarence Kelly Johnsonand Francis Gary Powers have a discussion with an early U-2 aircraft behind them. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. It has set numerous speed and altitude records including the following in chronological order May 01, 1965 Absolute Altitude: 80,257.86 ft (24,390 meters). "[104] It was agreed to add $100million to the budget to return three SR-71s to service, but it was emphasized that this "would not prejudice support for long-endurance UAVs" [such as the Global Hawk]. [43], The SR-71 featured chines, a pair of sharp edges leading aft from either side of the nose along the fuselage. To start the engines, triethylborane (TEB), which ignites on contact with air, was injected to produce temperatures high enough to ignite the JP-7. This close-up, head-on view of NASA's SR-71A Blackbird in flight shows the aircraft with an experimental test fixture mounted on the back of the airplane. The R-12 also had a larger two-seat cockpit, and reshaped fuselage chines. In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. On landing, the canopy temperature was over 572F (300C). Locals nicknamed the SR-71 Habu, after a poisonous pit viper found on the neighboring Ryukyu Islands. Modifications were made to provide a data-link with "near real-time" transmission of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar's imagery to sites on the ground.[104]. A second round of armed JA-37s from ngelholm replaced the first pair and completed the escort to Danish airspace. [120] Four months after the plane's retirement, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., was told that the expedited reconnaissance, which the SR-71 could have provided, was unavailable during Operation Desert Storm. [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. Its initial purpose would have been to conduct post-nuclear strike reconnaissance; that is, looking over the enemys situation after a nuclear exchange. Some of this compressor flow (20% at cruise) was removed after the fourth compressor stage and went straight to the afterburner through six bypass tubes. Kelly Johnson answered the call. When we are trying to find out if the Serbs are taking arms, moving tanks or artillery into Bosnia, we can get a picture of them stacked up on the Serbian side of the bridge. [19], During the 1964 campaign, Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater repeatedly criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration for falling behind the Soviet Union in developing new weapons. The primary consumers of this intelligence were the CIA, NSA, and DIA. On 1 November 2013, media outlets reported that Skunk Works has been working on an unmanned reconnaissance airplane it has named SR-72, which would fly twice as fast as the SR-71, at Mach 6. A closer view of the target area was given by the HYCON Technical Objective Camera (TEOC), which could be directed up to 45 left or right of the centerline. [52] One response to a single unstart was unstarting both inlets to prevent yawing, then restarting them both. [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). Kansas City, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds. [56], The SR-71 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) axial-flow turbojet engines. 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. On one occasion, one complete wing with engine was replaced as the easiest way to get the plane airborne again. 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. SR-71 Blackbird - Absolute Altitude (Sustained Flight) - Manned Aircraft.
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