SR-71 Blackbird at March Air Field Museum
12/29/2004
Designed by Kelly Johnson of Lockheed, the SR-71 Blackbird was a high-speed high-altitude spy plane that pioneered stealth technology when it was built in 1962. The sharp edges, made of radar-absorbing composite materials, and tail fins that leaned toward each other were part of the stealth design. The structure was coated in radar-absorbing black paint that dissipated heat. The Blackbird had a 100-times smaller radar return than the F14, which was half the size and designed ten years after the Blackbird.
Commissioned by the CIA, it was designed as a replacement to the U2 after one was shot down over the USSR. The first version was a single seat model called the A12. It flew until 1968 when the twin-seat version designed for the Air Force and called the SR-71 took over reconnaissance duties. Nearly identical, both versions could fly faster than Mach 3 at heights above 85,000 feet.
The Blackbird frame was made out of titanium and titanium alloys because they were light and strong enough to withstand Mach 3 temperatures. Previous planes weren't made of titanium, so Lockheed had to create the tools needed to work with the material. After the planes were built, all dies and molds were destroyed to prevent theft of the design by other countries.
The Blackbird was also nicknamed SR, Sled, Lady in Red, and Habu, after a deadly snake native to Japan.
The plane was about 110 feet long and could carry 20 tons of JP7 jet fuel in the fuselage and wing tanks, enough to fly for 2 hours. In its first flight the Blackbird flew for one hour up to speeds over 1000 miles per hour. When the SR-71 hit Mach 3, there was a triple sonic boom followed by temperatures radiating from the skin in excess of 1100 degrees. The surface was designed to expand during flight from the heat and when sitting on the ground would actually leak fuel. The expansion caused the aircraft to grow a couple inches in length and after landing the plane would be so hot that crews couldn't go near it for over 30 minutes.
Two crew members man the SR-71. One piloted and the second was the Reconnaissance Systems Officer in charge of the optic equipment and radar-scrambling equipment. The 6 cameras are able to photograph 100,000 square miles in one hour, at such high resolutions that license plates on cars could be read. The pilots wore specially designed suits to withstand the temperatures and pressure. Before flights, pilots ate high protein meals of steak and eggs.
On September 13, 1974, an SR-71 flew from London to Los Angeles in 3 hours, 47 minutes, and 39 seconds. A pilot recalled watching it on the radar screen: "The 747s went 'blip...blip...blip' while the SR-71 went more like 'bpbpbpbpbpbpb.'" Also in 1974, a Blackbird flew from New York to London in a record 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56 seconds. Charles Lindbergh made approximately the same flight in 33 hours. In 1976, the SR-71 set a world speed record of 2193.167 miles per hour and an altitude record of 85,068 feet, records that stand to this day.
The Blackbird served under 6 presidents and was the only operational plane in Air Force history in which no crew member was killed. Blackbirds were shot at over 9000 times but not one was ever lost to enemy fire. Despite this impeccable record, the Blackbird fleet was mothballed in 1990 because its costs of operation weren't sustainable and satellites were claimed to do the job better.
Information gathered from "Modern Marvels: Blackbird Stealth" and "Modern Marvels: Extreme Aircraft" on the History Channel, and supplemented with information from the March Air Field Museum's web site.