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If you're anything like me, this picture will be the coolest one you see today:
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets...skunkworks.jpg
SR-71's under construction at the Skunkworks. Sourced from here with other pictures and stories from a pilot:
http://gizmodo.com/5511236/the-thril...r+71-blackbird
I would have loved to see one of these in the air.
That is pretty sweet.[Beer]
This is all that really needs to be said;
Quote:
On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum , sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and setting four speed records
Damn, what a fantastic plane...
Grew up in Palmdale, CA, not too far from Edwards AFB...a few miles outside of town was a small park (2 acres tops) with 2 or 3 SR-71s, one of their drones, and a large trailer full of awesome stuff like photos, space suits and the ejection seats...
My fav. Found it again, heard it a while ago.
One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below is. 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 transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
Yes, coolest picture I've seen today. Awesome planes. They always seemed to me to be bigger than they turned out to be the first time I walked up to one.
great pic! awesome airplanes!
I liked the one about Aspen XX asking for FL600, to which ATC replied "If you can get there, you can have it." Aspen's reply... "Roger, descending to flight level 600."
That is a sweet pic
isn't that the hangar from star wars episode 4?
Nah, its the warehouse from Indiana Jones
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmckay2
You weren't supposed to notice that . Stay put, someone from the government will be there to "speak" with you shortly.
Through the years, I met and worked with a few folks who had worked on the SR's. While some things they knew were still classified, there was the occassional story that they could tell that, while you knew it was real, it seemed so fantastic that it didn't seem possible. The SR-71's were (and, in my opinion still ARE) the most amazing aircraft ever to fly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ridge
My uncle lives right next to that museum...that portion of the base its next to I think is called plant 42
I used to ride dirt bikes outside of Lancaster and Palmdale all the time.
Sweet pic! I had a rare opportunity to see one on display and fly at March AFB in Southern Ca back in the day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DuckTape&550Cord
I like your picture and name, but shouldn't it be 100 mph tape and nylon cord number 550?
LOL, just joshin ya
We always just called it "550 Cord" too.
When I was stationed on Okinawa back the late 80's "2FSSG", we would see those “Habus” flying around the island every now and again, what a site to see! I believe they came out of Kadena AFB. Never did get any pics though.
[Bang]
I have a couple of friends that were stationed at Beale and worked the SR's. They had some interesting stories. For example, anyone know how they started the engines? For years, they had "start carts" that had 2 Buick Wildcat V8's that both connected to a probe that would raise vertically to engage the engine and spin the engine up. To get it going fast enough, they had to redline the cart. Later on, they replaced the Buicks with Chevy 454's. Both had straight pipes. Towards the end, they came up with an air driven turbine that used bleed air from a pair of turbine generator carts. Doesn't sound nearly as fun to me as the twin 454's.......Quote:
Originally Posted by theGinsue
If you are ever driving I-80 between Lincoln and Omaha you should stop by the SAC Museum. Besides all the other cool stuff there you can see this Blackbird http://www.habu.org/sr-71/17964.html Well worth the stop and visit.
http://www.sasmuseum.com/
What is crazy in my mind is that this thing was designed in the late 50's and flown in the early 60's.
Something designed in the past 50 years that's better and faster?
Satellites....
We had SR's at Mildenhall when I was stationed there. Man I hated those things. Fricken loud... Everytime they took off, the whole damn flightline shook. That's sucked sitting in a semi-stable cargo loader 15 feet in the air behind a C-5. The SR's leaked fuel like a seive on the ground too. The damn things fly so fast all the parts are put together to be tight and just cruise at Mach 1. The metal would become superheated and stretch at it's super-speeds. So, when it's on the ground, everything is all loosie-goosie including the fuel tanks. They did to amazing thing in the air though.
Before anyone had heard of 100 MPH tape, it was called Lapes tape. You can thank the AF for that advancement of duct tape.
Faster, not necessarily better.Quote:
Originally Posted by ColoWyo
Because the heat of them plowing through the atmosphere caused the metal to expand, it had huge gaps on the ground and it leaked fluids like a Land Rover...
Better fuel efficiency, stealthier, and faster.
Bit I agree Marlin. Probably spaced based.