Home » blackbird » Page 6
Tag:

blackbird

SR-71-Blackbird-Tires
Cold War

Why the tires of the SR-71 Blackbird were silver and changed after ten takeoffs

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The SR-71 Blackbird’s tires could withstand about 15 full-stop landings, but after ten takeoffs, they were replaced

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence in some of the world’s most dangerous settings during its service. The SR-71 was designed to fly at very high altitudes, speeds, and temperatures. It was the first aircraft built of titanium since the air molecules’ friction against it at Mach 2.6 would have melted an aluminum frame.

Its engineering was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to build the SR-71. There are a plethora of fascinating details regarding the legendary Blackbird. The SR-71, for example, had silver tires.

Why were SR-71 tires silver?

Powdered aluminum was infused into SR-71 tires, such as the one shown in the article’s featured image, according to the sign that goes with the tire on exhibit at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas. When aluminum was added to rubber, the tire’s flash point increased significantly, which made it more resistant to the intense heat produced by friction with the ground when landing at very high speeds.

Nitrogen was also injected into the tires. Because there would be less oxygen in the tires when inflated with nitrogen rather than air, a fire would be less likely to ignite. The SR-71’s tires have 415 psi of pressure, whilst your car tires have 32–35 psi. The lifespan of each $2,300 tire is estimated to be about 15 full-stop landings.

As former A-12 and SR-71 pilot Colonel Ken Collins says, the tires could withstand about 15 full-stop landings, but they were changed after 10 takeoffs;

‘The tires were changed after 10 “takeoffs”. The wear & tear was during takeoff. The extreme pressure was at that point of rotation. That the reason we took off with half fuel load and air-air refueled shortly after takeoff, that reduced the tire stress. The temperature in the cockpit at the front windshield got up to 650 degrees F. Early in the experimental flight testing we wore silver suits. At cruise, if you touched the side canopy glass it would melt the silver coating on you glove. The coating on the suit was not “silver” metal. The cockpit and the pressure suits were air-conditioned. The cockpit got hotter as you burned the fuel. You were ready to get new fuel as it would cool it down.’

The SR-71 flew at an average speed of Mach 3, roughly 2000 mph, so it had to deflect a lot of heat! The SR-71’s metal skin would heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit at this high speed. To withstand the extreme heat, titanium made up more than 90% of the aircraft’s frame. To further dissipate excess heat, the SR-71 was coated with an extremely advanced and specifically blended black paint.

By disturbing incoming radar energy, the special paint also offered defense against detection by making the aircraft harder to identify by hostile forces.

SR-71 Tire

One of the SR-71 tires is on display at the Hill Aerospace Museum.

Blackbird Tire

The following video shows how the SR-71’s tires are kept from melting by Scott Willey, a docent at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.

Check out Habubrats and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and The Unwanted Blog

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
Thomas-J.-Keck-Tu-22M3
History

The former SR-71 Blackbird pilot who flew a Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire to become the first NATO serviceman

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The USAF’s 8th Air Force Commander and former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, Lt.-Gen. Thomas J. Keck, became the first NATO serviceman to fly a Russian Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bomber on August 22, 2001

A wave of democratic reform surged across some former Eastern Bloc countries in the mid-1980s. Gradually, democratic reforms also started to emerge in the Soviet Union.

Significant changes occurred in the USSR’s foreign and home policies and the military field following Mikhail S. Gorbachov’s ascension to power in 1985. All of this resulted in the Berlin Wall’s fall, the Warsaw Pact military bloc’s dissolution, and the signing of new arms reduction treaties.

Two Crew Members killed in Tu-22M3 Backfire Supersonic Bomber crash in Murmansk Region
Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire

The Soviet MoD created albums with different views and performance data of many kinds of Soviet weapons and military hardware, including combat aircraft, in accordance with the agreements made with the West. Every basic type and version of Soviet Air Force fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter was photographed from different angles, including the upper view; in every picture, an obligatory scale ruler was positioned close to the aircraft to define its dimensions and enable the use of surveillance satellite imagery to track the aircraft’s presence at specific airbases. Comprehensive data on Soviet military hardware, including its accurate Soviet designations, were sent to the NATO command.

Gradually, the absolute secrecy that had surrounded the Soviet Armed Forces started to dissolve.

In their book Tupolev Tu-22M Soviet/Russian Swing-Wing Heavy Bomber, Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov tell how this showed Russia’s willingness to be transparent in military politics and their non-aggressive intents toward their former Cold War adversaries.

Shaw-SR-71
Photo on the left: Thomas J. Keck (pilot, left) and Timothy J. Shaw (RSO, right) in front of their SR-71 Blackbird. Photo on the right: in 2001 Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Keck was commander of the USAF’s 8th Air Force

A six-person American military delegation led by Lt.-Gen. Thomas J. Keck, Commander of the USAF’s 8th Air Force and a former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, accepted an invitation from the Russian Ministry of Defense on August 20, 2001, and traveled to Russia for six days in order to promote military contacts. On August 22, the delegation went to the 43rd TsBP I PLS of Long-Range Aviation at Dyagilevo AB, among other Russian Air Force bases. There, the general became the first NATO serviceman to fly the Backfire on a familiarization flight in a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber.

Live bomb drops were part of the sortie at a practice range. In an initiation procedure sometimes imposed on new arrivals, the Russian pilots offered Keck a shot of vodka after landing at Dyagilevo, then grabbed his arms and legs and swung him, bumping his behind against the aircraft’s nosewheels. Lt.-Gen. Keck took all this with good humor, as similar traditions existed back home. ‘Sometimes you get very wet being dunked in water; sometimes your necktie is cut off; sometimes even the tail of your shirt is cut off’, he said. (As a former SR-71 pilot, Keck referred to the tie-cutting ceremony as one of many traditions perpetuated by Blackbird crews.)

‘I was very impressed with everything from the beginning, from the ground crew preparing the aircraft to the aviators in the sky, the ones who make it all happen’, Thomas Keck told reporters after meeting the then Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Army Gen. Anatoliy M. Kornukov in Moscow. ‘The opportunity to see your units firsthand and fly your aircraft has been incredible — something I will never forget for the rest of my life.’ Kornukov said that, apart from the official side of the visit, the unofficial meetings with pilots and air force officers were also important and pledged friendship between Russian and US military aviation professionals. ‘Our meetings are a guarantee that we will not be looking at each other through the crosshairs of a gunsight, but rather facing each other like we do now’, he said.

Tupolev Tu-22M Soviet/Russian Swing-Wing Heavy Bomber is published by Schiffer Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Dmitriy Pichugin via Wikipedia

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-penultimate-Mildenhall-18-01-1990-Copy
Cold War

The slowest Lockheed Blackbird speed ever recorded

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The backseater later indicated a slow speed of 155 knots; the pilot saw 152 knots or 175 mph. The SR-71 at that point was gently floating down; control certainly would have been lost completely had not Blackbird pilot Brian Shul firewalled the throttles

One of the most sophisticated members of the Blackbird family, the SR-71 (along with the A-12 and YF-12) was created by a team of Lockheed personnel under the direction of Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who was vice president of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Company Projects at the time. Known as the “Skunk Works,” this unit is now part of Lockheed Martin.

Beginning in the late 1950s, the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft—which made its first flight in April 1962 and remained classified until 1976—served as the model for the Blackbird. The YF-12A interceptor variant was first made public by President Lyndon Johnson on February 29, 1964, which was more than six months after it made its first flight. The SR-71 completed its first flight on Dec. 22, 1964.

The Blackbird was built to reach altitudes of up to 85,000 feet and cruise at “Mach 3+,” which is just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour.

Probably the most common question regarding the “Blackbird family” when discussing them is how high and fast they actually fly.

But what about the slowest Blackbird speed ever recorded?

‘I was flying the SR-71 out of RAF Mildenhall, England, with my backseater, Walt Watson. We were returning from a mission over Europe and the Iron Curtain when we received a radio transmission from home base,’ remembers Brian Shul, former SR-71 Blackbird pilot, in his book Sled Driver.

Rex Lowe, former USAF Staff Sergeant, explains what happened later on Quora.

‘The aircrew was asked to make a low level pass of a British airfield where cadets were training. Having difficulty actually sighting the field, though navigation was dead on, the pilot, Brian Shul, realized the aircraft was below advertised flying airspeed, he lit the burners and darted off. The backseater later indicated slow speed of 155 knots, pilot saw 152 knots or 175 mph. The aircraft at that point was gently floating down, control certainly would have been lost completely had not Shul firewalled the throttles.’

This is most likely the slowest Lockheed Blackbird has ever flown.

However, after landing, Shul and Watson were met by their commander.

Shul remembers;

‘We were both certain he was reaching for our wings. Instead, he heartily shook our hands and said the commander had told him it was the greatest SR-71 fly-past he had ever seen, especially how we had surprised them with such a precise maneuver that could only be described as breathtaking. […]Walt and I both understood the concept of “breathtaking” very well that morning and sheepishly replied that they were just excited to see our low approach.’

Photo by courtesy of Robin Harbour

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-1
Cold War

SR-71 pilot tells when he revealed Blackbird’s true top speed

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

‘At some point in the evening, the F-111 guys began to press me, in a good-natured way, for classified information about the SR-71. Probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question is, how high and how fast does it really fly?’ Gil Bertelson, former SR-71 Blackbird pilot

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity as the SR-71, the world’s fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird represented the highest point in aviation technology development during the Cold War due to its performance and operational accomplishments.

The SR-71 could cover 100,000 square miles of land per hour while traveling at Mach 3+, or three times the speed of sound, or more than 2,000 mph, at an altitude of 80,000 feet.

Now, the question that people ask most often when discussing the SR-71 Blackbird is probably, “How high and how fast does it really fly?“

In the book SR-71 Blackbird Stories, Tales and Legends by Richard H. Graham, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Gil Bertelson, a former SR-71 pilot, recalls:

‘When I first joined the SR-71 program, there was one permanent operating location for SR-71s at Kadena AB. The unit at Kadena was known as Detachment 1 (or Det 1) of the 9th SRW. Habus were deployed to Det 1 for six weeks at a time, and each crew made the trip four to six times a year. About twice a year, there was a requirement to temporarily activate an additional Det at RAF Mildenhall in England. Although we’d had two SR-71s permanently stationed at RAF Mildenhall since 1981, it wasn’t until April 5, 1984, that Prime Minister Thatcher formally announced SR-71s would be permanently based at Mildenhall. This unit was known as Det. 4 of the 9th SRW. Dets 2 and 3 of the 9th SRW were U-2 operating locations at Osan AB, Korea, and RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, respectively.

The incredible story of the SR-71 Blackbird that flew an eleven-hour-long mission from Kadena to the Persian Gulf and back

‘There was a significantly different flying environment between the two detachments. The weather was almost at opposite ends of the spectrum. The missions were not quite as “routine” as many of the Okinawa missions.

‘Because of the more demanding missions at Mildenhall, each new SR-71 crew had to fly its first operational sorties at Kadena. Every SR crew lobbied long and hard to get on the schedule for Mildenhall. And London was not far away!

‘Frank Stampf, my RSO crewmate on the SR-71, and I were fortunate to get on the schedule for Mildenhall after only two trips to Okinawa. For both of us, it was like going home. Just before entering the SR-71 program, Frank had been stationed at RAF Alconbury for about four years as an RF-4 crew dog. And I had been stationed at RAF Lakenheath for a couple of years. As the “crow flies,” Alconbury is only 30 miles from Mildenhall, and Lakenheath is only 3 miles from Mildenhall. We were both anxious to visit the old flying buddies we had known and worked with in our careers before we became Habus.

‘On one occasion, I arranged to meet several of my F-111 friends at Lakenheath Officers’ Club for dinner. We met in the bar and had a few drinks (as a real, live, dyed-in-the-wool teetotaler, I assume I was drinking grapefruit juice or 7-Up). We shared numerous laughs while trying to outdo each other with tales of unequaled courage and great feats of airmanship. I’m sure our hands were getting a good workout—pilots gesticulate a lot!

‘At some point in the evening, the Aardvark (F-111 nickname) guys began to press me, in a good-natured way, for classified information about the SR-71. Probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question is: How high and how fast does it really fly? That question was being actively pursued that night at Lakenheath.

‘I need to back up about a year and a half to set the stage as to why they seemed intent on pushing that particular question. In most Air Force buildings, at least the flying squadron buildings I used to frequent, there were numerous locations where the base fire marshal had posted information regarding fire classifications and appropriate reactions upon discovering different types of fires. These posters were displayed in the restrooms, in the halls, near the duty desks, in the crew briefing rooms, and next to all of the fire extinguishers. I can’t remember all the specifics other than there was one fire classification identified as a category or type 3.

‘At some point in my application for assignment to the SR-71, I was requested to go to Beale for my “tryout” for the Blackbird program. The whole process, from departing Lakenheath until returning back to Lakenheath took about two weeks. During the visit to Beale, I heard and read a number of times that the unclassified speed of the SR-71 was listed as Mach 3-plus. A “3+” patch is displayed on flight suits worn by SR-71 squadron crewmembers.

Remembering Gil Bertelson, the SR-71 driver that saw three sunrises on one particular Blackbird mission

‘When I arrived back to Lakenheath, I was really pumped up and excited about the prospects of being selected to fly the SR-71. I didn’t want to forget the experiences I had at Beale or to lose sight of my goal. To help me remember and to keep my attention focused on what I wanted to do, I began adding a black grease pencil + sign to all of the 3s on the fire code posters. There were many added + signs around the base that the very diligent safety officer in 493rd Tactical Fighter Squadron actually called the base fire marshal to get information about this “new classification.” When he was told there was no such thing as a code 3+, he finally figured it out and started looking for me. I was given a “cease and desist” order and one by one, he began erasing my “unauthorized” + signs.

‘Now back to the “O” Club a year and a half later. My dinner partners remembered the fuss over the posters and figured now was an appropriate time and place to get the real scoop as to how high and how fast the Blackbird really did fly. They were curious as to what kind of speed that little + sign actually equated to.

‘I played along for a while, dragging out the inevitable answer of Mach 3-plus, which, when all was said and done, was all I really could tell them anyway. I finally got them leaning in toward me as we sat around the dinner table. I did a pretty good acting job as I began nervously looking around the room be sure no one else was eavesdropping on what they thought would be a classified conversation.

‘I have to momentarily divert again. A wonderful aviation poem was written the early days of powered flight. The author is John Gillespie Magee Jr. The poem is entitled “High Flight.” Some of you may remember this poem being recited by Orson Wells late in the evening by TV stations that were about to sign off the air for the night. Yes, there actually was a time when television didn’t operate 24 hours a day. As Orson Wells recited this poem with his marvellously deep and resonant voice, the final TV pictures for the day were that a T-38 dashing in and out of clouds and doing aileron rolls, etc. It was a combination of sight and sound that stirred the blood and emotions of everyone who had the slightest interest in airplanes and the wonders of flight. The poem is as follows:

“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter, silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds—and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or eagle flew.

And while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”

‘Back to the “O” Club again. With the guys leaning in to hang on every word I was about to speak, I said something like, “You’ve got to promise not to tell a soul what I am going to tell you now. If you do, I’ll deny it till the day I die. I’m sure you know I shouldn’t be talking about this at all. You know how high the pile will be that they’ll stick me in if you tell anyone else.” As they gathered closer to make sure they didn’t miss anything, I said, “I can’t specific numbers, but I can give you a point of reference you can use to figure it out. You know the part in ‘High Flight’—where it talks about putting out your hand to touch the face of God?” Well,” I added, “when we’re at speed and altitude in the SR, we have to slow down and descend in order to do that.”

‘So, the word’s out. Feel free to share this information with anyone you’d care to tell. You can even use me as the source document. I’m retired now, so who cares?’

Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
Blackbird-Vs-Oxcart
History

SR-71 vs. A-12: Project Nice Girl

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

Code-named “Nice Girl,” the recon fly-off between the A-12 and the SR-71 took place between October 20 and November 3, 1967

Unofficially referred to as the “Blackbird,” the SR-71 is a sophisticated, long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Dec. 22, 1964, saw the first SR-71 flight, and in January 1966, the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base (AFB), California, received the aircraft. On January 26, 1990, the US Air Force (USAF) retired its fleet of SR-71 aircraft due to rising operating expenses and a dwindling defense budget.

For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world. It could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet. The SR-71 was derived from the A-12 Oxcart, another Mach 3 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.

The CIA operated the A-12, but its operational lifetime was short-lived because the CORONA reconnaissance satellite, which was first launched in June 1959, began providing worldwide imagery without much of the risk associated with airborne reconnaissance. The A-12 was retired in 1968 as a result of the SR-71 joining the US Air Force (USAF) at the same time. Why did the A-12 Oxcart lose out to the SR-71 Blackbird?

A-12 SR-71 Comparison

Code-named “Nice Girl,” the recon fly-off between the A-12 and the SR-71 took place over the United States from October 20 to November 3, 1967. It involved refueling and flying identical routes one hour apart on three different days, and both aircraft completed the entire sortie with collection sensors operational.

The SR-71 performed well on the first attempt, but the A-12 had an issue. The situation was the opposite on the second day. Both aircraft completed the trip successfully on day three. That day, there was an undercast over the northern region (from California to Kentucky); therefore, the SR-71 was able to collect ELINT and SLR data while the A-12 could only take pictures of the clouds. Both increased speed and altitude over the Gulf of Mexico after receiving air refueling. The weather was CAVU from New Orleans to the San Francisco area, and both aircraft were able to provide all of the data they needed for the evaluation.

The aircrews that took part in the program were:

  • Lt. Col. Al Hichew and I, Maj. Tom Schmittou, flew mission #1.
  • Maj. John Storrie and Maj. Coz Mallozzi flew mission #2 Maj.
  • Bill Campbell and Capt. Al Pennington flew mission #3.
  • Jack Weeks flew all three A-12 missions.

The first two flight days were inconclusive. Intelligence evaluators concluded that the SR-71 was a better overall investment after the third day of flying. While the A-12s’ cameras were superior due to their wider swath and higher resolution, the SR-71 was able to gather a greater variety of intelligence than the CIA aircraft. These additional sensors included side-looking airborne radar, infrared detectors, and ELINT-collection devices required for the SR-71 post-nuclear strike reconnaissance mission.

The conclusion was that they picked the SR-71 to continue flying. The A-12s were retired. The A-12s were put in hangars until 1984.

Check out the Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-Dents
Cold War

The Blackbird’s nose has two small dents that prevent surface-to-air missiles from hitting the SR-71

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

Their placement was for the sophisticated ECM systems the SR-71 Blackbird got in the 1970s and 1980s but they are not dents

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence in some of the most dangerous settings in the world during its service. For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world. It could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet.

Because of the extreme temperatures, altitudes, and speeds at which it was designed to operate, the SR-71 was the first aircraft built with titanium, since the friction produced by air molecules passing onto its surface at Mach 2.6 would have melted an aluminum frame.

Its engineering was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to assemble the SR-71.

Richard-Butch-Sheffield-and-Bob-Spencer
Richard Butch Sheffield and Bob Spencer

When the former SR-71 RSO Richard “Butch” Sheffield’s daughter would visit him at the Udvar Air and Space Smithsonian Museum in Virginia, he would point to the nose of the SR-71 Blackbird. Butch got his moniker from his 1960s hairdo. He would point to the dimples and say, “This is really important, but I can’t talk about it.”

He would smile. She could just tell him he wanted to tell her, but he didn’t.

When he and Bob Spencer intercepted the SA-5 Missile Signal as it was approaching the Russian border, it was one of the most significant missions they conducted in the SR-71. Receiving that signal was important to the SR-71’s defense. An SR-71 was never shot down; none ever got close to it. It was impossible due to defense and speed.

The nose is coming off! How a T-38 trainer helped a SR-71 that was losing her nose section in flight to RTB
SR-71 Nose Section

In his book “SR-71 The Complete Illustrated History of THE BLACKBIRD The World’s Highest, Fastest Plane,” former Blackbird pilot Col. Richard H. Graham claims that the SR-71’s nose section allowed the installation of a ballast, an advanced synthetic aperture radar system (ASARS) for radar imaging, or an optical bar camera (OBC) for photographic imaging while the faun-massive fasteners held the part of the nose in place.

However, her doubts remained unanswered.

What are those two little dents on the nose of the SR-71 Blackbird?

‘I’m assuming you’re talking about the two “dents” in the Chinese at the front part of the nose, one on each side? Those aren’t dents; those were put there on purpose for the more advanced ECM systems the Blackbird got in the ’70s and ‘80s,’ says Kelly Pedron, an aviation expert, on Quora.

‘There weren’t any good places to put the ECM receivers in the front of the aircraft, so those “dents” were put in the chine to allow the installation of ECM receivers there. If you’ll notice, the flat part of the “dent” is facing about 60 degrees forward in order to cover that quadrant of the airspace around the aircraft. Earlier models of the SR, including the A-12, were more concerned with attack radar signals from the rear, so front-mounted ECM receivers weren’t as necessary at the time. With the advent of more advanced Soviet SAM systems, like the S-200 and S-300, a forward warning receiver and jammer were required, hence the development of the so-called ECM “dents” in the nose.’

Pedron concludes;

‘So, yes, those were put there on purpose; nobody accidentally taxied an SR-71 into a solid object.’

Check out the Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Linda Sheffield Miller and U.S. Air Force

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-Blackbird-Cockpit-1
Cold War

No cockpit requires as much focus as a Habu’s

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

“The SR-71 Blackbird knew when your eyes started to wander to the spectacle of earth from 85,000 feet; that’s when something would go wrong,” Curt Mason, owner of Project Habu website

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence in some of the most dangerous environments in the world during its service. For almost 24 years, the SR-71 held the record for being the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world. It could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet.

Blackbird-Cockpit

Because of the severe temperatures, altitudes, and speeds at which it was designed to operate, the SR-71 became the first aircraft built entirely of titanium, since the friction generated by air molecules passing on its surface at Mach 2.6 would have melted an aluminum frame. Its engineering was so advanced that new tools had to be created in order to build the SR-71.

Cockpit-SR-71

The SR-71’s mission was to take pictures and detect electronic surveillance using its sensors to safely navigate near the enemy’s boundary. All of that and more were managed by the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO).

Due to the Blackbird’s exceptional capabilities, “No cockpit demands as much intense focus as an SR-71 Blackbird’s, and in frustrating irony, no cockpit offers a better view,” says Curt Mason, owner of the Project Habu website who kindly shared the unique photos in this post with us.

Cockpit-Blackbird

“There was no time to look out the window. The plane knew when your eyes started to wander to the spectacle of earth from 85,000 feet; that’s when something would go wrong. There was much to monitor. The many “steam gauge” instruments reflect a bygone era, giving the pilot information ranging from heading to compressor inlet temperature, each dial representing a critically important system.

“Even though this cockpit was operated through 2,854 flight hours, it looks brand new. That’s because it was only ever flown using the gloved hands of a crew member wearing the essential high-altitude pressure suit. Every control is large enough to be adjusted with those bulky pressure suit gloves.

SR-71-Blackbird-Cockpit

“You sit atop your throne, the SR-1 ejection seat, which carries a rare 100% success rate. To operate the circuit breakers, you must reach beside and behind your seat, outside your field of view, through the pressure suit helmet. To make sure you actuate the correct breaker, you count down the rows and columns by feel.”

Mason concludes;

SR-71-Cockpit

“March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California, is kind enough to display SR-71A 17975 with her cockpit open. This gives us a rare peek inside the world of the Blackbird, allowing us to look inside something that was formerly top secret and reserved only for a privileged few crew members. These photos were captured using a camera extended into the cockpit via monopod. At no point did I or my equipment come in contact with the artifact.”

Photo by Curt Mason / Project Habu and U.S. Air Force

Check out Habubrats and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-Afterburner-explosion
Cold War

The SR-71 afterburner blowing apart during an air show

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

The main image in this post, taken at Andrews Air Force Base at an Air Show in May 1984, shows the SR-71 Blackbird #960 right afterburner blowing apart

The post’s main image, of an SR-71 #960 right afterburner blowing apart, was taken in May 1984 at an air show at Andrews Air Force Base (AFB), now known as Joint Base Andrews. Here are a few quotes taken from a May 14, 1984, Washington Post article.

‘A highly sophisticated Air Force spy plane that was on public display here Saturday caught fire yesterday as it took off from Andrews Air Force Base, authorities reported.

‘The pilot of the SR-71 Blackbird shut down the burning right engine of the high-altitude reconnaissance jet and brought the airplane, which carries a crew of two, safely back to the runway, an Andrews spokesman said.

‘[…] The cause of the fire could not be learned last night. Officials said that it will be investigated by the Air Force.

‘The plane has been here at least since Friday morning, according to an Andrews spokesman, but authorities said they did not know just when it arrived from Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, Calif., where it is attached to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. Although its missions and activities are still shrouded to a great extent in secrecy, the black-painted SR-71 was one of a number of aircraft parked on the ramp at Andrews Saturday for inspection at the air show, attended by an estimated 370,000 persons.

‘Visitors were permitted to approach to within about five feet of the needle-nosed 107-foot 5-inch long airplane, which has a wingspan of 55 feet 7 inches.

‘A spokesman for the Strategic Air Command, which operates the SR-71s, said the craft, manufactured by Lockheed, can fly “higher and faster than any other planes in our inventory.” He said they can climb to above 80,000 feet and reach three times the speed of sound.

‘The plane, said to carry a wide variety of information-gathering sensors along with cameras, was taking off shortly after noon yesterday when, according to a witness, the engine on its right side “burst into flames.”

As previously mentioned, Blackbird #960 (SR-71) was involved in the accident. Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) Butch Sheffield was informed by Kelly Johnson that the SR-71 was structurally unsound. This very identical airframe nearly crashed once before.

It was flown once in the 1970s by Butch Sheffield and Ben Bowles, and again in the 1980s by Dave Peters and Ed Bethart.

Then it had another accident in 1984. This SR-71 managed to avoid death three times. Currently, the 960 is visible from the outside of Castle Air Force Base in California.

Check out the Habubrats and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

SR-71-damaged

Photo by John Olp shared by Mike Relja

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
Lockheed-SR-71-Blackbird-1200x940-1
Cold War

The SR-71 Blackbird crew, who flew a mission to the North Pole the night before Christmas in order to spy on the Soviets

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

‘The next morning as the family sat around the table having breakfast before school, I thought to myself, no one would believe where I was last night, the North Pole right before Christmas?,’ Colonel Richard Sheffield, SR-71 Blackbird RSO

The SR-71, unofficially known as the “Blackbird,” is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. The first flight of an SR-71 took place on Dec. 22, 1964, and the first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in January 1966.

Throughout its nearly 24-year career, the SR-71 remained the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. From 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour.

Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), flew a night mission to the North Pole in 1969 on the eve of Christmas. This is the Night Before Christmas as told by a Habu.

Late In 1969, shortly after I was crewed with Bob Spencer, we were tasked to fly a night mission to the North Pole. Night missions were very rare in those days because of St. Martins crash (summer of 1967) at night when navigation system failed. We were one of the most experienced SR crews and we were told that the Russians were doing something with our submarines at night at a station they had built on the ice near the North Pole.

Butch-Sheffield-Pre-flight
Butch Sheffield Pre- flight

It was believed that our Side Looking, High Resolution Radar System could gain valuable intelligence by spying on the unsuspecting Russians in the middle of the night. I found out a few years ago what the Russians were doing, setting up acoustic sensors so they could track our submarines under the ice cape.

We launched from Beale at night, flew north to Alaska and refueled over the central part on a Northern heading. Once we were full of fuel, we lit the afterburners and climbed to about seventy five-thousand feet heading north to the ice station. The tanker was briefed to continue to fly north in case we lost an engine. There was no place to land and our emergency procedure was to turn around 180 degrees and do a head on rendezvous with the tanker on one engine.

As we departed Alaska heading North with the after burners blazing, I looked out the window at the barren land and ice. I could see well because of star light. We had no moon that night. The thought came to my mind, “this is really risky business,” and if anything goes wrong they will never find us. Nothing went wrong, I turned on the Side Looking Radar (SLR), looked at the location and took the images. Returned to Alaska and refueled from the tanker and returned to Beale.

The SLR had a great resolution plus the speed of the SR traveling three thousand feet per second caused the antenna to believe it was much longer. The SLR could image out to eighty miles to the side of the SR so if the site was manned they would not hear our sonic boom. The CIA found out that the station was not manned during the worst part of winter. When not manned, the CIA landed a few people by parachute to find out what was going on at the station. They found everything to include code books. The men were recovered by being snatched up into a low flying aircraft.

This event has been documented by book and a movie.

The night of the mission, the family had gone to bed at the regular time. I got out of bed, went to the flight line, flew the mission and returned home to the bed. The next morning as the family sat around the table having breakfast before school, I thought to myself, no one would believe where I was last night, the North Pole right before Christmas?

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Linda Sheffield Miller and NASA

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
SR-71-one-engine-Full-AB
Cold War

Blackbird pilots describe why their most dangerous mission was to fly the SR-71 with only one engine in full afterburner

by Till Daisd
written by Till Daisd

These intriguing images, which were captured on Nov. 1, 1981, by US Air Force (USAF) Scene Camera Operator Ken Hackman, show an SR-71 Blackbird flying with just one engine running at full afterburner

The most sophisticated spy plane in the Blackbird family and the fastest jet-powered aircraft in the world, the SR-71 was created by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s clandestine “Skunk Works” division. The SR-71’s incredible speed and high altitude were intended to allow it to fly deep into enemy territory without being intercepted. Operating at a maximum speed of Mach 3+, it could safely operate at a height exceeding sixteen miles above the Earth.

The intriguing pictures in this post, which were taken on November 1, 1981, by US Air Force (USAF) Scene Camera Operator Ken Hackman, show an SR-71 Blackbird flying with just one engine running at full afterburner.

Why is that?

‘That is what we called a “single-engine go around,”’ says Stormy Boudreaux, SR-71 Blackbird pilot. ‘It was a practiced emergency procedure. It simulated what you had to do if you were making a single-engine approach to land and for a variety of reasons something made the runway or the landing impossible so you “went around” on only one engine. The tremendous thrust with one engine in full afterburner and the other in idle was eye-opening! To counter the yaw from that engine required full rudder as well as banking the aircraft into the good engine in order to maintain your flight direction down the runway.

SR-71 pilots explain why flying the Blackbird with just one engine in full afterburner was SR-71 aircrews’ most dangerous operation

‘Most twin-engine aircraft have to do something similar, but it’s darn right frightening the first time you try it in the SR-71. That one engine in AB is really pushing the nose around trying to turn the jet away from that engine, and the amount of bank angle when at low speed makes you glad you are strapped tightly in the seat. It’s almost a knife-edge pass!’

Boudreaux is echoed by David Peters, another SR-71 pilot.

‘As Stormy said the picture[s] indicate a single engine go around. Thrust was never an issue. What became imperative was the ability to point the airplane. Under most conditions full opposite rudder and a slight bank into the operating engine was enough. By under certain conditions, other factors came into play. Minimum control speed being most important.

‘We had a couple of missions out of Mildenhall that went hot to the tankers. That required a heavy takeoff using a 65,000-pound yo-yo fuel load. In the wintertime, with freezing temperatures in England min control speed was a huge factor. Once the burners lit if you lost an engine on takeoff, once the burners were lit your only option was to eject. Why you ask.

‘Well, the runway there is only 8,000 feet. There was so much thrust developed in the cold, heavy air climate that your speed combined with gross weight would not allow you to abort since you couldn’t stop the airplane. There was plenty of thrust available to fly on one engine but there was so much thrust you could not control it below min control speed which in those cases was generally around 260 knots. So, the only thing you could do was pull both engines to idle pop the chute and eject.

‘I always felt that was perhaps our most dangerous operation.’

Check out the Habubrats and Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Facebook pages for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Scene Camera Operator Ken Hackman / U.S. Air Force

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinRedditWhatsappTelegramEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts
@2019 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Aviation Wings