About the engineering of the SR-71

[87iroc]

Here is one of the best SR 71 stories. We loved watching them fly over at Kadena AFB in Okinawa.

[video=youtube;ILop3Kn3JO8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILop3Kn3JO8[/video]

I think that was from a book called ‘Sled Driver’. It is out of print but I did find a pdf copy online once. Unfortunately I lost it in a computer swap but I hear good things about the book. I saw used print copies at time for 800 bucks.

I have read the skunkworks book too. Have it on shelf.

I saw one in Dayton. Was shocked how small it is.

I heard it passed over southern Indiana as it set the record cross country time. I heard it was a rolling sonic boom from professor. We talked about it in my ‘history of American technology’ class at VU. Cool class

 

[Mgderf]

I was fortunate (if you can call it that) to be stationed in Keflavik Iceland for a deployment in the late 1970's.
My job was ground support for F4 Phantom jets. I was the one towing aircraft between the hangers and the flight-line.

The "Blackbirds" were isolated in their own hangers, but I was able to get close enough for a VERY good look on a daily basis for about 9 weeks.
Watching them take off and fly out of sight was a sight to behold.

Also had to be the coolest looking plane I've ever seen.

 

[MrSmitty]

Used to watch them take off, from Kadena AB Okinawa, every one called them "Habu", after a local poisonous snake. No one there called them Blackbird, only Habu..

 

[Nickbau5]

I actually have a PDF of the SR-71 handbook that a buddy sent me, if any of you are interested, here's a mediafire link to it. It's 134 pages of information on it.

Lockheed_SR-71_Researchers_Handbook

 

[Brad69]

A great aircraft designed with help from “operation paper clip” and I am sure some kinda alien support!

 

[Flingarrows]

Amazing aircraft. I wonder what is out there now that we are not aware of yet.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Alamo]

There is one of two, two-seater trainers at the AirZoo in Kalamazoo, MI. I had always pictured them larger that it really is.

Hope you took a good look at it, because it’s the only one in existence. The other B model crashed.

The major threat to the Blackbird seemed its own flight characteristics. Out of 50 A-12/YF-12/SR-71 airframes built 20 of them were lost in mishaps. Well, 19 1/2. They used the undamaged back half of the very first YF-12 (front damaged in a landing mishap) mated to the front of a static test airframe to become the only “C” model SR-71.
https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/losses.php

 

[Alamo]

Kelly Johnson was also was the lead designer on the P-38 Lightning, F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2 Dragon Lady. In other words he was probably a space alien stranded on this planet

He was the John Moses Browning of b****in’ aircraft.

 

[Leadeye]

We built these things in the 1960s.

 

[epeery]

I think some of the performance windows for the plane are still unknown. I had a college prof (retired air force) tell a story once of listening to a radio conversation between an SR pilot who had suffered a flame out and air traffic control. Here said without power the planes glided like bricks, but when the pilot did FINALLY report an altitude after an extended period of time recovering from the engine failure, he was only a few hundred feet below the plane's published operational ceiling.

 

[KittySlayer]

Impressive piece of machinery.

Saw one at U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL. Didn’t seem out of place around a bunch of rockets like other airplanes would have.

 

[churchmouse]

Kelly Johnson was also was the lead designer on the P-38 Lightning, F-104 Starfighter, and the U-2 Dragon Lady. In other words he was probably a space alien stranded on this planet

Was he related to JMB by any off world chance.

 

[chocktaw2]

[video]https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=xb-70+bomber&docid=608006767024539377&mid=A10E6887A1E 6E69BFFF0A10E6887A1E6E69BFFF0&view=detail&FORM=VIR E[/video]

 

[ws6guy]

I will have to watch this with/read this with my 9 yr old son. He is enthralled with the blackbird and the B-17. For a kid his age he is truly interested in history specifically military stuff! whenever he gets a chance he will being home a war book from the school library.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I know the first A20 rolled off the line within a couple of months of me. That makes it old. The A20 Oxcart was the lead-on to the F12 (YF12) tactical bomber and the RS71 Recon/strike plane. It was originally intended to be called RS71 to put it in the series with the B70, which in turn was to be used in the RS role, but the president or somebody that was not to be corrected had called it SR71 in a speech, so some junior officer was assigned to retcon the initialism. After crashing one of the two B70s and canceling the program, it had become irrelevant. The A20 was, I think about 1m shorter, and all were scrapped when the now fully specified SR71 was deployed. It's my understanding that they've never made public, or just don't know, how fast it can actually go, but I would expect the limit to be thermal. One of those glorious "we can't do that anymore" projects. "[SR71] requesting 600" ATC Well, ok, if he thinks he can make 600, he can have it "[SR71] clear for 600" [SR71] "Thank you, descending to 600." That's angels 600, 100ft each, or 60000.

 

[STFU]

Here is one of the best SR 71 stories. We loved watching them fly over at Kadena AFB in Okinawa.

Brian Shul is a very good speaker. He not only has some great stories to tell, but the photography is pretty amazing as well.
Sled Driver is on my list to acquire when once I have a few more bucket list items in my safe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndamj_Ewod8

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Link to a copy of Sled Driver on Google drive online.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mILa_ZHvQU4MM0XMjYHMfmhQ6O7kGhrW/view?usp=drivesdk

 

[hammer24]

My Grandfather was one of the lead engineers at Bendix (South Bend) that designed the fuel system for the Blackbird. I love listening to his stories about what it was like working on that project, and the problem solving that had to be done. Needless to say, I've always had a great admiration for the work and ingenuity it took to make that incredible machine happen. He says it was the most fun and fulfilling project he was ever part of. And to think, it was all done with slide rules!

 

[24Carat]

In 1977 I was an A1C working as a Crewchief on F-4D's in the UK. I got an emergency leave when my grandfather passed away and a subsequent hop out of RAF Lakenheath on a KC135 that was supposed to stop at Offut AFB in Nebraska to refuel. The crew was able to transfer enough JP-4 out of their bulk tanks to go 11:45 to their home base at Beale AFB in CA. The base transportation office, where arrangements were made for my Space Available Commercial flight back to Chicago O'hare, was across the street from the SR-71 hanger row. Imagine a 2 hour wait for base transportation to take me to Sacramento Intl spent walking back and forth gazing at 7 of these amazing birds in different phase inspection intervals?

 

[actaeon277]

A little bit about the "Archangel", the predecessor of the Blackbird.
(It was mentioned earlier in the thread.)


This guy has some good videos.
I do find him making a bit of annoying comments when discussing American military projects.
But enough good in the video that I put up with them.

[video=youtube_share;ota57uxa-wo]https://youtu.be/ota57uxa-wo[/video]