SR-71 Blackbird | Cold War icon

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2 жыл бұрын

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest and highest-flying jet aircraft in history and Duxford’s SR-71 Blackbird has flown higher than any other when it set the world record for sustained altitude flight in 1976, flying at 85,000 feet. Blackbird was developed in the 1960s during the Cold War as a high-flying reconnaissance jet. It is still considered by many as the most advanced aircraft of its type, flying at three times the speed of sound, faster than any weapon that could be fired at it. So why was Blackbird grounded? Why were so few made? And what was it like to fly? We talk to curator Emily Charles and hear from two pilots who flew the Blackbird to learn all about this space-age icon.
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Image credits:
Gary Powers: RIA Novosti archive
Powers’ U2 plane: Alan Wilson
U2 at Duxford: Gobbolino the witch's cat, paulsolecki, David Merrett
Adelbert Carpenter: Photo by: Daryl Mayer, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
Crew signatures: Chad Kainz, Flickr

Пікірлер: 2 100

@thom-mark6443 2 жыл бұрын

As a retired Aerospace Engineer who has dealt directly or indirectly with pretty much everything that flies, this, in my humble opinion, is by far the most aesthetically beautiful aircraft ever designed.

@EL-DRAGON-31 2 жыл бұрын

Its a X-Men Plane 🤣

@axlm.808 2 жыл бұрын

The SR71 is like the McLaren F1 and other machines which were near perfect designed. Even decades after their creation, they still look modern looking, almost futuristic

@FhrithctebjXg 2 жыл бұрын

The fact that this iconic piece of engineering sits in a British museum is a testament to Anglo-American relations and I'm glad of such.

@theJavix 2 жыл бұрын

IT'S THE XMEN JET!!

@TheSeanUhTron 2 жыл бұрын

I love how blunt the answer to U-2's being shot down was. "Fly faster than the missiles."

@brucemitchell5637 2 жыл бұрын

It's absolutely incredible that this jet was entirely designed and built WITHOUT the aid of computers. That fact alone is a testament to the absolute genius of the designers and builders. Light years ahead of their time!

@redram5150 2 жыл бұрын

During the 90s, each plane cost $100M to operate for a year

@bazukawars9354 2 жыл бұрын

DO YOU EVEN READ MY CHRISTMAS LIST!

@dbm3154 2 жыл бұрын

Hold up... when you realize the Xmen used the blackbird as their "quinjet" and called it the blackbird

@xians3216 2 жыл бұрын

The Sopwith Camel first flew on December 22nd 1916. The SR 71 Blackbird first flew in January 1966.

@ICE-BREAKER-9000 2 жыл бұрын

“SR-71 ready for deployment”

@kurttuchscherer7706 2 жыл бұрын

My father was an electrician for the SR-71 and the U2. I have many childhood memories of watching the SR- 71 taking off and landing. Was then and still is the coolest plane ever built.

@dangerous8333 2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to ask my uncle, RIP.

@Microplastic_Therapy 2 жыл бұрын

The engineering is absolutely impressive, a special fuel was developed to be used as both, as coolant and lubricant while providing the plane with thrust.

@markj.a351 2 жыл бұрын

It's insane how fast planes developed through the 20th century. From the bi-planes of WW1 to this in half a century.

@JScott-wz2ug 2 жыл бұрын

Being stationed at Edwards AFB in the early 80's, still to this day there is nothing more impressive than standing at the edge of the runway as the SR-71 went into full afterburner. The sound pressure and the vibration in your chest is something that can't be experienced very often. Great video!!!

@PitFriend1 2 жыл бұрын

I have a friend that used to program the navigation systems for SR-71s on Okinawa in the 70s. This didn’t involve computer disks or magnetic tape this was done on punched tape, a continuous version of punch cards. Due to the tremendous heat generated during flight the tape had to be made out of Mylar instead of paper as paper might have spontaneously ignited.

@bryantford3054 2 жыл бұрын

When in the US Navy in the early 80s I was told the Blackbird used so much of its fuel on takeoff it needed to be refueled right away. She was so fast the tanker had to take off an hour before the SR-71 did.

@donpeters5159 2 жыл бұрын

I was an air traffic controller stationed at Kaden's AFB in Okinawa from 1982 until 1985. Had the privilege of working many of the HABU missions from the RAPCON . The most spectacular site was watching the SR-71 take off at sunset.