Nobody ever shot down a Blackbird. Nonetheless, 12 of them crashed out of combat
The SR-71 Blackbird acquired intelligence during its service in some of the most difficult environments on earth. The SR-71 was designed to operate at high speeds, altitudes, and temperatures; in fact, it was the first aircraft to be built using titanium since a typical aluminum frame would melt under the friction of air molecules passing over it at Mach 2.6.
Because of its cutting-edge engineering, even the tools used to build the SR-71 had to be created from scratch. These are just a few of the countless fascinating details regarding the legendary Blackbird.
If you want to know more, we report here some additional interesting facts about the iconic SR-71 that aviation expert Lachie Smith listed on Quora.
If you’re interested in learning more, we’ve included here a few more intriguing tidbits about the historic SR-71 that aviation expert Lachie Smith shared on Quora.
1. Solid quartz measuring 1.25 inches thick made up the cockpit glass.
2. Due to its design, the plane was among the quietest on the inside, despite traveling at a speed of Mach 3+.
3. Modern engineers conducted a study using extremely cutting-edge technologies to determine how the Blackbird’s architecture may be enhanced. They came to the conclusion that there was no opportunity for aerodynamic advancement—it was flawless.
4. Never was a Blackbird shot down. Yet, 12 crashed while not in a combat situation.
5. As numerous other answers have already mentioned, the fuel was completely odd. In fact, it needed a boost from something quite explosive. The engines could not be restarted as in a typical airplane if there were many outages because the aircraft only possessed enough of this chemical for a few engine starts.
6. These stunning engines’ ram-jet design meant that the faster they traveled, the better they performed. One pilot said that when he reached Mach 3 (the top service speed), the engines were not only still running properly, but they were also accelerating further.
7. The M-21 was a modified version of the CIA Mach 3 A-12 reconnaissance aircraft (the SR-71’s forerunner), with the addition of a super-fast drone launcher. The drone, known as the D-21, was basically a J58 engine with some side wings. Tragically, a drone launch ended with an M-21 crash. Following it, B-52s launched the D-21 program.
8. Before being moved to the numerous museums they visited, the wing spars in each of these aircraft had to be destroyed. As a result, no SR-71 will ever take flight again.
9. To catch all of the fuel that leaked from the fuel tanks (which are designed to leak, btw), many of these museums had to place large trays underneath the aircraft. They reportedly take 8 to 12 years to completely dry up, and they may continue to leak until that point.
So yeah, this is a pretty cool aircraft.
Photo by U.S. Air Force