Awesome picture

[tmckay2]

isn't that the hangar from star wars episode 4?

[Ridge]

Nah, its the warehouse from Indiana Jones

[theGinsue]

isn't that the hangar from star wars episode 4?

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.

[Troublco]

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.

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.......

[cmailliard]

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/

[ColoWyo]

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?

[Marlin]

Satellites....

[Ridge]

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?

Faster, not necessarily better.

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...

[ColoWyo]

Better fuel efficiency, stealthier, and faster.

Bit I agree Marlin. Probably spaced based.

[SA Friday]

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.