SR-71

August · 04-17-12, 07:51 PM

I saw one take off once during a deployment to England. Almost as soon as it left the runway the pilot stood it on it's tail and kicked in the afterburners. It just shot away up into the clouds like a bullet. An awesome thing to watch.

razark · 04-17-12, 10:02 PM

One of my favorite stories from an SR-71 pilot. Not sure if it really happened, but I still like it:

Quote:

One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground,' ATC responded. The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, ' Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmis sion on that frequency all the way to the coast.

soopaman2 · 04-17-12, 10:12 PM

In the opinion of everyone here would this still be a viable aircraft today?

That is what I thought of as I read these posts.

It truly was ahead of its time, and IMHO one of the best planes ever engineered.

A modern comparison is the f-22 Raptor.
(yeah yeah, the cost is too much to justify it in an extended combat role, blah blah)
Just saying, ahead of its time.

Love the US or hate us, we sure can build an airplane.

TLAM Strike · 04-17-12, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soopaman2

In the opinion of everyone here would this still be a viable aircraft today?

Nope. High and fast gets you killed. The Patriot and latest SA-XX can engage targets like the SR-71.

This is the super high speed recon asset of the future:

It stays up for a year, evasive maneuvers can send it in to the next hemisphere, it doesn't lose speed or alt in a turn, is expendable...

Stealhead · 04-18-12, 12:35 AM

Yeah the SR-71 would not be safe like it was during the Cold War at the time it was they way to go but the Soviets knowing about the SR-71 and the B-70(though it got scrapped in 69~70) they started developing counters I am not sure if it an urban legend or not but it is said that the interceptor version of the MiG-25 was designed specifically to deal with the B-70 which was a project that they did know about to some extent

That is why the scrapping of the original B-1A program was a good choice that program was to be a high altitude bomber something that was clearly the way of the Dodo by even the early 70's.The B-1B was originally(and it can still perform in this role as can the remaining B-52s if need be) a low altitude NOE penetration platform the odds it was felt where much better of flying low and fast as the Soviets lacked aircraft that had look down shoot down radar abilities until the MiG-31 came along in the early 80s and still good NOE even if radar did see it would have required a high level of coordination to deal with (remember in a SAC war you are sending a large number of bombers in) I am pretty confidante that the Soviets would have been overwhelmed and the F-117 and B-2 that just changed the whole game because those could be used to strike unseen and blow holes in the wall for the B-1Bs and Buffs to penetrate and they could do this to some extent already with cruise missiles.

I would say that radar and guidance technology have caught up with very high and very fast well we all know that high alone was not enough when Gary Powers was shot down 70,000 ft was not high enough.

Krauter · 04-18-12, 01:44 AM

Good post Steelhead

Herr-Berbunch · 04-18-12, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

This is the super high speed recon asset of the future:

Looks like a chinese copy of the shuttle!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

It stays up for a year, evasive maneuvers can send it in to the next hemisphere, it doesn't lose speed or alt in a turn, is expendable...

Surely that depends on the initial speed into the turn, the force of the turn, and a few other bits that escape me at the moment. Unless it's turn radius is huge at any speed?

Gargamel · 04-18-12, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Looks like a chinese copy of the shuttle!

Surely that depends on the initial speed into the turn, the force of the turn, and a few other bits that escape me at the moment. Unless it's turn radius is huge at any speed?

It's in orbit, so it's changing its vector more than turning.

Also wright pat in Dayton has a 71 too, iirc from my last trip there.

Herr-Berbunch · 04-18-12, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gargamel

It's in orbit, so it's changing its vector more than turning.

That makes more sense! I should've guessed by it's looks.

Back to the Blackbird, I've seen them at Mildenhall and Lakenheath airshows in the late '80s and very early '90s but disappointingly only on static display, and I've seen it fly once at Alconbury airshow around the same times.

Living where I do I've seen a lot of different aircraft over the years in their day-to-day flying, but not this beauty.

TLAM Strike · 04-18-12, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Looks like a chinese copy of the shuttle!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37

MH · 04-18-12, 02:34 PM

Platapus · 04-18-12, 04:02 PM

There are a few static displays of aircraft that look like the SR-71. But maybe they are not SR-71s. How can you tell the difference?

1. If it is a single seater, it is an A-12 (there was one 2-seat trainer but that's gone)
2. If the forward chines are chopped short of the nose, it is a YF-12
3. If it is a two seater and the chines go to the nose it is an SR-71

SR-71 trivia question: What color is the SR-Blackbird?

Osmium Steele · 04-18-12, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

It stays up for a year, evasive maneuvers can send it in to the next hemisphere, it doesn't lose speed or alt in a turn, is expendable...

... it is curiously overdue to RTB, unless there was a clandestine landing within the last couple of weeks.

Osmium Steele · 04-18-12, 07:39 AM

I caught an SR-71 on static display at an airshow just before they came out of retirement in '93. The Kalamazoo Air-Zoo has a B variant.

04-17-12, 07:51 PM	#1
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,217 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I saw one take off once during a deployment to England. Almost as soon as it left the runway the pilot stood it on it's tail and kicked in the afterburners. It just shot away up into the clouds like a bullet. An awesome thing to watch. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

04-17-12, 10:12 PM	#3
soopaman2 Der Alte Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 3,316 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 0	In the opinion of everyone here would this still be a viable aircraft today? That is what I thought of as I read these posts. It truly was ahead of its time, and IMHO one of the best planes ever engineered. A modern comparison is the f-22 Raptor. (yeah yeah, the cost is too much to justify it in an extended combat role, blah blah) Just saying, ahead of its time. Love the US or hate us, we sure can build an airplane. __________________ If Hitler invaded Hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons. -Winston Churchill- The most fascinating man in the world.

04-18-12, 04:02 PM	#12
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,381 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	There are a few static displays of aircraft that look like the SR-71. But maybe they are not SR-71s. How can you tell the difference? 1. If it is a single seater, it is an A-12 (there was one 2-seat trainer but that's gone) 2. If the forward chines are chopped short of the nose, it is a YF-12 3. If it is a two seater and the chines go to the nose it is an SR-71 SR-71 trivia question: What color is the SR-Blackbird? __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

04-18-12, 07:39 AM	#14
Osmium Steele Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Upper midwest USA Posts: 1,101 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	I caught an SR-71 on static display at an airshow just before they came out of retirement in '93. The Kalamazoo Air-Zoo has a B variant. __________________ In the month of July of the year 1348, between the feasts of St. Benedict and of St. Swithin, a strange thing came upon England... My U297 build thread

04-18-12, 12:35 AM	#5
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Yeah the SR-71 would not be safe like it was during the Cold War at the time it was they way to go but the Soviets knowing about the SR-71 and the B-70(though it got scrapped in 69~70) they started developing counters I am not sure if it an urban legend or not but it is said that the interceptor version of the MiG-25 was designed specifically to deal with the B-70 which was a project that they did know about to some extent That is why the scrapping of the original B-1A program was a good choice that program was to be a high altitude bomber something that was clearly the way of the Dodo by even the early 70's.The B-1B was originally(and it can still perform in this role as can the remaining B-52s if need be) a low altitude NOE penetration platform the odds it was felt where much better of flying low and fast as the Soviets lacked aircraft that had look down shoot down radar abilities until the MiG-31 came along in the early 80s and still good NOE even if radar did see it would have required a high level of coordination to deal with (remember in a SAC war you are sending a large number of bombers in) I am pretty confidante that the Soviets would have been overwhelmed and the F-117 and B-2 that just changed the whole game because those could be used to strike unseen and blow holes in the wall for the B-1Bs and Buffs to penetrate and they could do this to some extent already with cruise missiles. I would say that radar and guidance technology have caught up with very high and very fast well we all know that high alone was not enough when Gary Powers was shot down 70,000 ft was not high enough.

04-18-12, 02:34 PM	#11
MH Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 3,184 Downloads: 248 Uploads: 0