The World's Fastest Flying Legend

This aircraft is the SR-71 Blackbird, an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and designed by Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson an important figure in American aviation history. The aircraft are included in the combat fleet of the United States Air Force from 1966 to 1998. From the 32 unit aircrafts that ever built, 12 units lost in an accident that was not related to enemy action.

The aircraft that painted in dark blue and almost black, is intended to increase the emission of internal heat and act as camouflage against the night sky. With the dark color caused aircraft with the call sign "Blackbird" is well worth pinned on this plane. At the other fighter aircraft, the titanium components that used limited on the parts that are susceptible to high temperatures, such as in the exhaust and the front edge of the wing. But the SR-71, titanium is used in 85% of the aircraft structure and the rest using composite materials. It is intended to reduce weight, thereby increasing its flight speed. 

Front view of SR-71 Blackbird. (Picture from: http://kootation.com/)

Because this plane can fly at an average altitude of 24,000 m (78,740 feet) so the pilots are not allowed to use a standard fighter pilot helmet (which could not provide enough oxygen in the altitude of 13,000 m or 42,650 feet). So for the plane's pilot that made a special protective airtight helmet, such as those used on the space shuttle crew.

SR-71 Blackbird taking off. (Picture from: http://www.strangecosmos.com/)

The aircraft uses two Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojet engines with afterburners, each supplying more than 35,000 pounds of thrust, are housed in wing nacelles with diameters larger than the fuselage itself. Virtually every part of these complex powerplants had to be fabricated from special materials to meet the demands of triple-sonic flight. A translating (moveable) spike in each inlet controls airflow, retracting at speeds above Mach 1.6 to capture more air for the engines.

The world's fastest aircraft, SR-71 Blackbird. (Picture from: http://www.flightglobal.com/)

The first flight of the fastest aircraft in the world was held on December 22, 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, and the first SR-71 aircraft that entered United States Air Force service in January, 1966. The SR-71 holds the record as the "fastest" and "highest" of manned combat aircraft ever built in the world during its career until today. 

Cockpit view of SR-71 Blackbird. (Picture
from: http://www.likecool.com/)

In 1971 an Air Force crew demonstrated the SR-71's extended supersonic capabilities on a non-stop, 15,000-mile (24,140 km) flight -- the equivalent of a non-stop trip from San Francisco to Paris and back -- in 10-1/2 hours. Slowing to subsonic speeds for periodic aerial refueling, the Blackbird still averaged nearly 1,500 mph. For this feat the crew was awarded the 1971 Mackay trophy for "most meritorious flight of the year" and the 1972 Harmon International Trophy for the "most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics."

On July 28, 1976 this aircraft has broken the world record for the class: an "absolute altitude" is 85,069 feet (25,929 m). Then several aircrafts have exceeded this altitude in a rapid increase, but not in a long flight.

On the same day the SR-71 also set a record for the "absolute speed" - 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph, 3,529.6 kph). Besides, this Lockheed-Martin's aircraft also holds the record for "Speed ​​at a certain level" on the flight from New York to London (5,646 miles) in 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds, on 1 September 1974. 

SR-71 was permanently retired in 1998 when Congress and the U.S. Air Force decided this aircraft is very expensive for the maintenance and operational costs. Although retired for the first time in 1991, Congress decided to reactivate a small fleet to be used during the Cold War era. Awesome upgrades for this aircraft, such as advanced radar systems and data links that can send images in real time, the SR-71 was retired back in 1998 for good. 

For those of you who are curious about this aircraft, you can find them in a variety of museums and the U.S. Air Force base, like in Tucson, Arizona; Edwards Air Force Base in California; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, as well as numerous American museums. (Jump to previous part.) ***  [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LOCKHEED MARTIN | ]

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