Tag:

SR71

U-2 Vs SR-71: why the Blackbird was retired while the Dragon Lady still flies Spy missions

by Till Daisd November 21, 2023

The US Air Force (USAF) retired its fleet of SR-71s on January 26, 1990, although the U-2 is still in use today

Before Gary Power’s U-2 was shot down, development on a breakthrough spy plane had already started at Lockheed’s famed Skunk Works in Burbank. This unique aircraft had to fly higher, faster, and with a minimal radar cross section (RCS) than any other aircraft.

The SR-71, also called the “Blackbird,” was developed from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A aircraft. It made its first flight on December 22, 1964, and the 4200th (later 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, received the first SR-71 to enter service in January 1966.

Throughout its nearly 24-year career, the SR-71 maintained its position as the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft in the world, reaching a maximum speed of Mach 3+. It could cover 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from 80,000 feet. The U-2 Dragon Lady, on the other hand, can reach a top speed of 410 mph and fly above 70,000 feet. Nevertheless, the US Air Force (USAF) retired its fleet of SR-71 aircraft on January 26, 1990, but the U-2 is still in use today.

Why is that? What is so special about the U-2?

‘Mostly expense,’ Damien Leimbach, former USAF Avionics Technician, says on Quora.

‘The SR-71 was insanely expensive to fly.

‘For a mission over a target in the Middle East with the planes based in England, it needed to have multiple airliner-size aircraft in the air to support it. ‘It was not capable of taking off with a full load of fuel (or rather, not advisable for many reasons), so in order to take off, there had to be a tanker waiting in the air to top it off once it got airborne. It would then make a high-speed run to the target zone, where it would meet up with another tanker before doing its Mach 3 run over the target. It would then need to tank up again once the recon run was done for the trip home, and then there would still be a tanker in the air on standby in case it needed gas before landing or in case it needed to divert for weather or something. So that’s a minimum of four airliner-sized support aircraft, including all of their parts, fuel use, and crew, flying out of a minimum of two different bases just to make a single SR-71 operational mission happen. And that’s on top of all the crew, fuel, parts, and mechanics just to operate the SR-71.

‘This is true for operational missions and usually true just for training runs back home as well. The planes were stationed at Beale AFB in California, and there was an entire squadron of tankers stationed there just to support the SR-71.

‘(Notice all the tankers in the back? They were there just for the SR-71)

‘They also had a squadron of T-38s there so the pilots could get their minimum training hours (night, instrument, supersonic, cross-country) in each month without having to fly the more expensive SR-71.’

Leimbach continues;

‘So that’s TWO ADDITIONAL squadrons of aircraft that have to exist just to support SR-71 training operations back at home station, complete with all the parts, fuel, mechanics, housing, etc., etc. for those extra planes. And that’s not even taking into account the specially formulated radioactive jet fuel it used. The list of special oils, lubricants, and tires the SR-71 needed to be able to operate in those flight regimes (Mach3.2 at 80K feet) alone made the SR-71 ruinously expensive to fly per hour.

‘(Aluminum mixed with latex so the tires could take the 400 °F temperatures in the wheel wells.)

‘Contrast that with the U-2, which only needs a crew of one, could easily be forward-based, and could take off on a single load of fuel good enough to keep it in the air for 14 hours. For training missions back home, just put less gas in it and let the pilot take it for a spin. A refueling plane does not need to be up just for the thing to take off. A U-2 would use less fuel on a 14-hour mission than the SR-71 did just taking off.

‘There really was no technology gap between the SR-71 and other planes like the U-2 as far as cameras, sensors, or EW suppression. The U-2 has been upgraded many, many times since the 1990s, when the SR-71 was retired. Cockpit, sensors, cameras, and anti-missile systems have all been upgraded. But they would have been upgraded in the SR-71 if it had been kept in service as well.

‘The SR-71 never directly overflew Soviet territory, and the MiG would have had to come out into international airspace to take a shot at the Blackbird.

‘The Russian SAM threat is not an issue. The SR-71 was fired on over 800 times by Warsaw Pact SAMs and was never downed. And that was when our ECM was in its infancy.

‘Speaking as a U-2 electronics guy, we fly in warzones covered by all of Russia’s latest and greatest, including the S-200, -300, and -400. The SR would have been upgraded with the same EWS suite the U-2 has.’

Leimbach concludes;

‘Satellites and drones aren’t the answer either. Drones didn’t exist then (when the SR-71 was retired) the way they do now, although the satellites are much better. However, we still fly the U-2 around the clock, despite SAMs, satellites, and drones, because it can do stuff on call in a way drones and satellites just can’t. But the SR-71 would have been useful for the same reason.

‘Like I said, it was mostly cost.’

Photo by Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force

November 21, 2023 0 comment

History

The Blackbird engines were started by the SR-71 crew using controlled explosions caused by triethyl-borane

by Till Daisd November 20, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘The NTSB lists Triethylborane [TEB] as the following most dangerous material, one step below fissionable nuclear material,’ Former SR-71 Blackbird pilot David Peters

The amazing photo in this post, taken at RAF Mildenhall in 1986 by Stuart Freer, shows an SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 spy aircraft performing at the Air Fete Air Show and creating amazing fireballs.

According to Lt. Col. Doug Soifer, a former Blackbird RSO, this is mentioned in Richard H. Graham’s book SR-71 Revealed The Inside Story.

‘During that pass we [Soifer and Mike Smith, the pilot] had “13 fireballs” come out of the plane’s exhaust. It looked beautiful, and people wanted to know if it could be done again. They used the picture of us with the flames coming out for the next year’s Air Fete poster. Mike and I became known as the “Fireball Twins.” The maintenance people figured it was the TEB [triethylborane] shooting out of its container and igniting the JP-7. With that start, we had an exciting six weeks in England.’

JP-7 fuel was used by the SR-71, a unique fuel that retains its integrity at very high temperatures by adding an additive that increases its flash point.

Graham recalls;

‘The high flashpoint brings up another problem. Most jet engines use igniter plugs—nothing more than a very hot spark plug if you will. Using these igniter plugs they used with the JP-7 and just drowns it out, it won’t ignite. Kelly [Johnson] put his engineers to work, and he said, ‘OK, gentlemen, how are we going to start this?’ They came up with a very unique way. Triethylborane (TEB for short) Each engine has a one-and-a-quarter pint. If I had it in a squirt gun and I squirted it into the atmosphere, it would go Kaboom!—it explodes with contact with the atmosphere. And that’s how we started the engines. As the engines rotate, at the right time, it sprays this amount of TEB into the turbine section, which goes kaboom, which in turn lights the engine. When you take the throttles up into the afterburner, it puts this metered amount of TEB in that lights up the JP-7. You get 16 shots for each engine.’

Every engine had a sealed tank installed on it, inerted with nitrogen gas, that was filled with 600 cc of TEB by maintenance before each flight.

Former SR-71 Blackbird pilot David Peters explains: ‘An interesting note to this is the transport of it. If we landed away, servicing had to be hauled to our location. The NTSB lists TEB as the next most dangerous material, one step below fissionable nuclear material. The folks that handled this stuff were highly trained and good.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Stuart Freer

November 20, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

The story of the SR-71 Blackbird crash occurred under severe crosswinds brought on by an approaching typhoon

by Till Daisd November 2, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘Usually, the SR-71 Blackbird pilots weren’t a chatty bunch, but I could hear the anxiety in the voice of this one,’ Jody Liliedah, Airman

The Vietnam War was still raging in 1972. Japan’s Kadena Air Base was regarded as the entry point to the southeast. Due to the Playboy logo she wore on both rudders for the majority of her career, SR-71 Blackbird #978—also referred to as the “Rapid Rabbit”—crashed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, on July 20, 1972. In October 2015, Air and Space magazine published an article by Airman Jody Liliedah detailing his eyewitness account.

Bush-on-left-Fagg-on-right — Dennis K. Bush on left, James W. Fagg on right

‘On the afternoon of July 20, 1972, I was in my maintenance truck, eavesdropping on the tower frequency. Word had gotten around that an SR-71 would be landing soon. Usually, the Blackbird pilots weren’t a chatty bunch, but I could hear the anxiety in the voice of this one.

‘I heard the tower warn him of a 90-degrees-to-the-runway crosswind of 35 knots gusting to 50 knots—a typhoon was on its way. I could’ve sworn I listened to the tower advise him to consider an alternate airport. Landing anywhere else was out of the question. The SR-71 wouldn’t have had the fuel, and everyone understood without discussion that the brass wanted that airplane on the ground and out of sight as quickly as possible.

Rapid-Rabbit-SR-71 — The wreckage of “Rapid Rabbit,” the SR‑71 that pilot Dennis Bush crash-landed in 1972 at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

‘I sought out a good vantage point to observe the landing: a small concrete building which housed fuel pumps, about 50 yards from the runway the SR-71 was headed for. I climbed to the roof and settled in. I could see the landing lights before I could make out the airplane, perfectly lined up with the runway, three or four miles out. I couldn’t have been more focused if I were landing the da** thing myself. The main landing gear touched down, and despite the horrible crosswinds, the fuselage was aligned perfectly with the runway’s centerline. It looked like the pilot was going to pull off a picture-perfect landing. But as soon as he deployed his drag chute, a wind gust blew it to port. I watched the nose shift to starboard.

‘Then one of the left main landing gear tires exploded.

‘The pilot jettisoned the chute, poured the coals to the burner, and rotated away from the runway, climbing back into the sky to circle around.

SR-71-Rapid-Rabbit-wreckage — The wreckage of “Rapid Rabbit,” the SR‑71 that pilot Dennis Bush crash-landed in 1972 at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

‘I remember thinking, “What the h*ll is he gonna do now? No drag chute. Blown tire. And a monster crosswind, increasing by the minute.” Fortunately, an incoming or outgoing SR-71 had the entire base to itself. The pilot made a second approach, dumping fuel the entire length of the runway, then came back around for his final approach.

‘As he touched down, a fireball engulfed the left landing gear. The airplane kept rolling, nose still high in the air, and then the right gear tires blew. The Blackbird skidded past me like that, nose up and tires on fire, for four or five seconds. When the left gear collapsed and the wing struck the runway, the left engine exploded, and debris flew high into the air. The entire airframe began to spin, still traveling down the runway at probably 150 mph, and finally, the right gear buckled.

‘The flaming wreck continued sliding down the runway, still on the centerline, until it finally drifted off to the left, into the grass. It came to rest about two-thirds of the way down the runway, about 4,000 feet from where I stood watching, jaw agape.

‘I watched the pilot and reconnaissance system operator in their bright orange flight suits leap from the remnants of their aircraft and run from it as fast as they could. I jumped down from the building, and several of us started running toward them, but a fire truck and a base security car cut us off. The officer in the car ordered us to stay back.

‘Five hours later, the typhoon was upon us.’

Both Captain James W. Fagg, the reconnaissance systems officer, and Captain Dennis K. Bush, the pilot, managed to escape unharmed. Even though this was a routine flight, Lew Williams, a member of the recovery team, noted that Bush and Fagg were wearing the yellow/orange suits.

Habu-Hill — A picture of an SR-71 Blackbird taken from Habu Hill (Matt Moran)

Williams recalls: “A crew from Palmdale led by Mel Rushing was deployed to our detachment and did the cutting up and the disposing of the structural remains and the location was on Habu Hill [According to the book SR-71 Revealed the Inside Story by Richard H. Graham, Habu Hill was a notorious viewing spot on Kadena where crowds of curious and avid aircraft watchers assembled to see the SR-71 takeoff and land].”

Checkout Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories

Photo by U.S. Air Force

November 2, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

Following an emergency landing, the crew of an SR-71 Blackbird was given additional assistance via a letter signed by a VIP

by Till Daisd November 1, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘When we went on a combat mission, we carried a sealed letter in our pocket. We were told the letters and who signed them changed from time to time and we never saw them,’ SR-71 Blackbird RSO Colonel Richard Sheffield

Colonels Robert (Bob) Spencer, the pilot, and Richard (Butch) Sheffield, the reconnaissance systems officer (RSO), flew an SR-71 Blackbird on a mission over Vladivostok to gather the SA-5 radar signal. During the flight, the aircraft’s engine failed, forcing Spencer and Sheffield to make an emergency landing in South Korea.

Some of the subsequent events were quite comical.

The following story was originally posted on the Habubrats Facebook page and is taken from Colonel Richard Sheffield’s unpublished book “The Very First.”

‘I gave an envelope to the base commander… I was instructed to give this envelope out if we were ever in a tight spot and needed extra help…

‘When we were trying to get the tower to open the field and turn up the landing lights so we could land, the person in the tower was speaking in broken English. He said, “No can land, field is closed.” We told him we were an RF-4 with an engine out and had no were else to land. Once we were on the runway and our eyes became accustomed to the light, we saw men in black pajamas sounding the aircraft and holding machine guns. Bob asked me, “Butch, are you sure we are in South Korea?”

‘After we had sat in the aircraft for a while with the one good engine in idle and the taxi light on we saw a military auto coming down the runway at a high rate of speed and barely under control. It pulled right up in front of us and a person jumped out (he was the Base Commander) (half dressed), and we could read his lips, he was saying, “What in the f— are you doing here?” Bob said back to him, once we had the wheels in chocks and the engine shut down, “What did you want me to do, ditch it?”

Former Blackbird pilot tells the story of one of only two successful SR-71 Barrier Engagements

‘When we gave the abort code over HF radio, we first gave the code for Kunsan, South Korea. Soon we saw that we did not have enough fuel to make it to Kunsan and decided to go to Taegu. I had never heard of Taegu and didn’t know where it was located. Bob knew he must have used it when flying the U-2. Taegu was so small and out of the way that they did not have an abort code. We gave the abort code for a base, not on the list of emergency landing places over the HF. So neither the Kadena command post nor Taegu knew where we were going to land. In other words, Taegu had no idea who we were or where we came from. The picture of the SR taken at night with the glow of a fire truck behind it must have been what we looked like. It is hard to imagine what the SR looked like sitting on the runway at Taegu in the middle of the night.

‘When we went on a combat mission, we carried a sealed letter in our pocket. We were told the letters and who signed them changed from time to time and we never saw them. Some crewmembers speculated that CINCPAC, the Air Force Chief, or even the President signed them. I do not know, but whoever signed the one I gave to the base Commander at Taegu sure got his attention. From the time he saw it until we left the next day, he could not do enough for us.

‘The mission package I had in the cockpit was Top Secret. I ask the Base Commander to take me to his vault so I could lock it up. I could not turn it over to him because he was not cleared, nor did he have a need-to-know where we had just flown in from.

‘He said we don’t have a vault to hold Top Secret data. So here I was, in a full-pressure suit with a package of classified data walking around under the aircraft. With the pressure suit on, you can’t get into an auto, so they put us in the back of a pickup truck and took us to the command post, which was the most secure area on base.

‘Once in the Command Post, I explained my problem to one of the controllers, and he said I might be able to help you. It was now about 2 A.M. He called the plan’s officer, who had a vault, and got him out of bed; he lived in town, and he agreed after much convincing by me to come out to the base and help me.

‘While this was going on, the Kadena Command Post was calling on the secure line to ask me what happened and what kind of equipment they had at Taegu to help get us out of there as soon as possible. I had no idea what they had at Taegu; I had never heard of it until a few hours before.

‘Finally, a Major showed up from plans, we wrapped up the classified data and locked it in his “Top Secret” safe. I never did know if it was really a Top Secret safe, but he said it was, and it was located in a secure area.

‘It was now almost daybreak, and we were going to fly back to Kadena that day and needed sleep. I had finally gotten out of the pressure suit and was just settling into bed when the Command Post wanted to talk some more to me. I had told them not to bother Bob; he had to fly and needed some rest. They asked if Taegu had a 40-TON LOADER. I told them why you don’t ask the command postpersons; they live here.

‘Soon aircraft started landing, two KC-135s and one C-130 with a new engine. One of the KC-135s flew the SA-5 data back to NSA. We had told the guards on the aircraft not to let anyone near it without our approval, so they wouldn’t let our own Air Force people on it to fix it. So Bob went out and cleared the people onto the aircraft.

‘They changed the engine in record time and got us out of there the next day. We buzzed the field and flew back to Kadena.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by NASA and U.S. Air Force

November 1, 2023 0 comment

History

From SR-71 Blackbird to Darkstar, a brief overview of Lockheed Martin’s collaboration with Hollywood

by Till Daisd October 31, 2023

written by Till Daisd

Darkstar is one of several Lockheed Martin aircraft, satellites, and helicopters that do background work for popular movies

In the most recent Top Gun: Maverick movie, Maverick flew a hypothetical hypersonic aircraft called Darkstar that was created by the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works team, exceeding Mach 10. Maverick had a “need for speed,” and Darkstar’s skills satisfied it by pushing the boundaries of flight to support an important mission.

In addition to several Lockheed Martin aircraft, satellites, and helicopters, Darkstar also appears in supporting roles in major motion pictures.

Glenn L. Martin was paid $300 a day, according to the Lockheed Martin website, to fly his Model T trainer in the 1915 film The Girl From Yesterday, which took place during the heyday of silent film. Mary Pickford, dubbed “America’s Sweetheart,” was one of the best stars of the era and starred in the movie.

It’s possible that the last moments of Casablanca, the 1942 Best Picture winner, are the most well-known in all of cinema. Stars Victor and Ilsa Lund Laszlo are seen fleeing to avoid the Germans, and a scale replica of the Lockheed 10 Electra is an important part of their story.

A family of Lockheed Martin mobility aircraft, comprising a C-5, C-141, and MC-130, can be seen at different moments throughout the 1997 action movie Air Force One. Lockheed Martin aircraft, such as the F-35, F-22, F-16, and SR-71, have appeared on screen with superheroes in films ranging from Iron Man to The Avengers.

Hollywood and Lockheed Martin have a relationship that goes beyond the company’s systems being used in motion pictures. The Hollywood movie studios—Disney Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, and Universal Pictures—assumed the job of concealing aircraft manufacturing facilities, including the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation complex in Burbank, California, during World War II.

To hide the facilities from prospective opponents flying overhead, the studios provided scenic designers, painters, art directors, landscape artists, animators, carpenters, lighting specialists, and propmasters. Disney artists completed most of the work at the Lockheed plant, and they also painted the noses of certain aircraft before they were delivered.

Watch for Lockheed Martin systems soaring on screen the next time you are at the movies or home watching your favorite show!

Photo by Lockheed Martin

October 31, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

An administrative sergeant attempted to sell Soviet officials top-secret intelligence about the SR-71 Blackbird in 1985

by Till Daisd October 29, 2023

written by Till Daisd

When one of the unit’s administrative sergeants called the Soviet embassy in San Francisco, he proposed they offer him $100,000 in exchange for some important SR-71 documents

What aviation geek doesn’t love speed, new technologies, advanced manufacturing methods, and the mysteries of a secret government program? Many aircraft embody these features, but none come close to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

It could fly over Vietnam in eight minutes; its electronic countermeasures were so advanced that they are still in use today on other airplanes and remain top-secret; it had tires filled with nitrogen; and it was made from one of the most expensive metals on earth. And it’s still the world’s fastest plane.

No other aircraft of its era could match the SR-71 Blackbird’s speed, innovation, or secrecy. The following is an intriguing narrative from pilot Terry Pappas of SR-71 Blackbird, found in his fantastic book SR-71 Blackbird Q&A, which you can get HERE.

‘Sentenced to 25 years of hard labor at Leavenworth, Kansas.

SR-71-Crews — This photo comes from Terry Pappas‘s book SR-71 Blackbird Q&A. Terry said this may be the most members of active harbors assembled at one time during the Blackbird’s entire operational history. Left to right Bernie Smith, Rod Dyckman, Tom Bergam, Larry Brown. Doug Sofer, Randy Shelhorse, Terry Pappas, Bill ORCUTT. Tom VELTRI, Don Watkins, Mac Kendree, Mike Finan, and Greg Crittenden

‘When you try to sell top-secret information in 1985, Leavenworth is where you’re going.

‘One of the administrative sergeants assigned to the unit was in financial distress. He figured that the top-secret information that he had about the SR-71 could be sold. He called the Soviet embassy in San Francisco and proposed they give him $100,000 for several key documents related to the SR-71. The Soviets figured that this guy was deranged so they notified US intelligence. He was caught. He got a one-way ticket to Leavenworth.’

Pappas concludes;

‘Just how secure was the top-secret information? At Beale Air Force Base in California, there was a cipher lock to enter the building. There was another lock to enter the hall where our squadron was, then we had a separate room, there was safes lining the wall. Each of the RSOs and pilots had their own safe, and in it was in a larger safe that had to be unlocked in order to get your safe. What did they keep in there? Their checklist, among other things. Security was paramount around the SR-71 program.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by Terry Pappas

October 29, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

9 amazing facts about the legendary Blackbird

by Till Daisd October 7, 2023

written by Till Daisd

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

October 7, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

When a pilot of an F-101 once attempted to compete against an SR-71

by Till Daisd October 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

‘On takeoff roll, an F-101 came upon our wing; he was going to race us whether we wanted to or not,’ Richard “Butch” Sheffield, SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 strategic reconnaissance aircraft kept its title as the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft for approximately 24 years. It could survey 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from an altitude of 80,000 feet.

It is therefore not surprising that the aircraft has consistently broken records for both speed and altitude due to its astounding flight qualities.

The following story is taken from Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield, an SR-71 Blackbird Reconnaissance Systems Officer, unpublished book by Col. Richard (Butch) Sheffield titled “The Very First” (RSO).

‘Sometime, early in the program, in January 1967, I believe, we aborted and landed at Buckley Air National Guard (ANG) Base near Denver. The base was home to an F-101 squadron. The F-101 was an interceptor assigned to defend the US in case of war. The fighter community considered it a “hot” aircraft.

‘After we got out of our pressure suits and arranged for the take-off the next day, we went to the Officer’s Club wearing loaned flying suits and our white pressure suit boots. The fighter pilots who came around wanted to know all about our aircraft, like; how fast, how high, and the rate of climb. What they really wanted was to race us as we climbed out after takeoff. We declined all offers of information and races.

‘The next day, on takeoff roll, an F-101 came upon our wing; he was going to race us whether we wanted to or not. Apparently, the F-101 had been orbiting the field just waiting for our takeoff.

‘The SR could climb fast but was no match for the F-101 at those altitudes. He stayed right on our wing up to 25,000 feet where we leveled off to hit a tanker that we always did. About the time we leveled off, someone from the F-101 came on UHF and said, “You guys aren’t so hot.” So I replied, “How fast can you climb above 80,000 feet?” The F-101 made a quick exit.’

Check out the Habubrats Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

October 6, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

The real top speed a Lockheed Blackbird has ever achieved

by Till Daisd September 21, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“During early flight testing at Area 51 with the A-12s, Jim Eastham told me that A-12 #128 flew as fast as any A-12 during testing. On the particular day that the A-12 red lined everything,” Jim Goodall.

As the U-2 spy plane’s replacement, the CIA created the highly classified A-12 Oxcart in order to satisfy the need for a very quick, extremely high-flying reconnaissance aircraft that could get by Soviet air defenses. It started operating on November 12, 1965.

In addition to the A-12 demonstrating its value throughout its brief operational lifespan, the Oxcart project as a whole gave birth to the SR-71, the second-longest-lasting aerial reconnaissance aircraft in US intelligence history.

The SR-71 Blackbird has historically operated in more hostile airspace and with greater impunity than any other reconnaissance aircraft. It is the swiftest air-breathing engine-powered aircraft. The Blackbird was at the forefront of aviation technology advancements during the Cold War due to its performance and operational accomplishments.

In order to acquire intelligence from locations deep inside Soviet territory, manned aircraft had already been replaced by orbiting reconnaissance satellites by the time the SR-71 went into operation. The Blackbird remained an essential instrument for gathering global intelligence since satellites could not continuously monitor all geopolitical hotspots. The SR-71’s pilots and RSOs frequently provided information that was crucial to the development of successful US foreign policy.

The Blackbird was built to cruise at “Mach 3+,” or more than 2,200 mph or slightly over three times the speed of sound, and at heights up to 85,000 feet.

Well, as we’ve already mentioned, the most commonly asked Blackbird question is probably how high and how quickly it actually flies.

“I’ve answered this question before, but here goes,” says Jim Goodall, former Master Sergeant at U.S. Air Force and author of the book Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America’s Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane. “The fastest an SR-71A has ever gone is Mach 3.43 in 974 [Blackbird #61-17974, better known as “Ichi-Ban”], at the time, a Site II bird. It blew out both inlets as it had a dual unstart.”

Goodall keeps going. “ The inlets were designed to fly at its “Sweet Spot” of Mach 3.24, according to Ben Rich. From the A-12 through the final SR-71 constructed, all manned Blackbirds were built with the same top speed in mind.

“But during early flight testing at Area 51 with the A-12s, Jim Eastham told me that A-12 #128 flew as fast as any A-12 during testing. On the particular day that the A-12 red-lined everything.

“During a routine top-speed envelope expansion flight, A-12 #128 was having a hard time getting past Mach 2.7 as the outside air was too warm. The reason for the flight test card that day was to validate a new inlet bypass door schedule.

“Jim said he dropped the nose down a bit to see if he could at least reach Mach 3.0. Out of nowhere, Jim hit good air, and in the dive with good air, he red-lined everything. He went into his descent profile and headed back to the test site.”

Goodall concludes:

“When all was said and done; and for a very brief 15 seconds, Jim hit Mach 3.56, or just under 2,400 mph. Mind you, this was a one-time event and was never duplicated.”

The True Fastest Speed Ever Reached by a Lockheed Blackbird — *SR-71A Blackbird #61-17974, better known as “Ichi-Ban,” and a T-38 chase plane.*

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency

September 21, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

The SR-71 had to refuel immediately after takeoff, and Blackbird Pilot explains why

by Till Daisd September 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The crews of the SR-71 Blackbird remember the KC-135Q Stratotanker crew with gratitude for their attention to their safety

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird requires JP-7 fuel, which the KC-135Q variant of the renowned KC-135 Stratotanker was modified to carry by separating the JP-7 from the KC-135’s own fuel supply (the body tanks carrying JP-7, and the wing tanks carrying JP-4 or JP-8). Also, the tanker included unique fuel systems for transferring various fuels across tanks. The KC-135T model, which could separate the main body tanks from the wing tanks where the KC-135 gets its engine fuel, was renamed after the KC-135Q model when it was given the CFM56 engines.

The KC-135Q crews and their aircraft set themselves apart from the rest of the Air Force in a number of ways, including the fact that they were the only ones certified in the specific radio-silent rendezvous techniques used by the SR-71 and that their boom operators were the only ones capable of refueling the Blackbird.

If it weren’t for the SR-71’s ability to refuel in the air, its range would only be about 2,000 NM. The aircraft’s range was increased through numerous air refuelings to the limit of the crew’s endurance. Several missions have traveled more than 12,000 NM. The SR-71 and KC-135Q tankers’ forward basing enabled them to respond more quickly, conduct missions with shorter ranges and shorter durations, require fewer air refuelings, and operate more efficiently overall.

The story of the SR-71 Blackbird that pitched up and collided with a KC-135Q tanker during an air refueling over El Paso

If the SR-71 landed somewhere where JP-7 fuel was not accessible, the Q-model tankers flew in with the fuel and were able to refill the SR-71 using transfer hoses on the ground.

In his book SR-71 The Complete Illustrated History of THE BLACKBIRD The World’s Highest, Fastest Plane, former SR-71 pilot Col. Richard H. Graham explains why the Blackbird needed to refuel immediately after takeoff.

“Many people believe we refueled after takeoff because the aircraft leaked fuel so profusely that we needed to fuel up quickly. We had to refuel right after takeoff for only one reason, and it wasn’t because we leaked JP-7 fuel on the ground. Yes, the plane does leak fuel, but not enough to require refueling after takeoff.

“The JP-7 fuel reaches temperatures well over 300 degrees F. during Mach 3 cruise, making the fumes in each of the six fuel tanks very volatile and potentially explosive. The metal skin of the aircraft approaches 400 degrees F., adding to the volatility of the fuel inside the tanks. One of our aircraft limitations was a maximum speed of Mach 2.6 without an inert atmosphere inside the fuel tanks.

“The aircraft had three liquid nitrogen Dewar flasks containing 260 liters of liquid nitrogen, located in the nose wheel well. The only way to ensure a 100 percent inert atmosphere in each fuel tank was to refuel the plane inflight completely full of JP-7, allowing ambient air in each fuel tank to vent overboard. Once full of fuel, gaseous nitrogen would now dominate each fuel tank’s empty space above as it burned off JP-7. The nitrogen gas pressurized each fuel tank to 1.5 psi above ambient pressure and inerts the space above the heated fuel to prevent autogenous ignition. This is why we refueled after takeoff. Then we could safely accelerate beyond Mach 2.6.

“There was one other way of achieving tank inerting, called a Yo-Yo. but this was a maintenance nightmare. A few of our missions required the SR-71 to accelerate to Mach 3+ right after takeoff with a 65,000-pound fuel load. The Yo-Yo procedure had the crew chief completely refuel the plane to full tanks of 80,000 pounds of fuel. Then, with the nitrogen pressurization system working, they de-fueled 15,000 pounds of JP-7, ending up with a 65,000-pound fuel load and a plane that was capable of going immediately to Mach 3+.”

The SR-71’s refueling process took at least 15 minutes, but at times it felt much longer. As opposed to other SAC tankers, the KC-135Q did not require constant alertness. The KC-135Q crew members are remembered warmly by the SR-71 crews for their attention to detail in ensuring their safety.

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Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 8, 2023 0 comment

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