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SR71

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

by Till Daisd October 31, 2023

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.

Check out Habubrat’s Facebook page for further Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by: U.S. Air Force

September 8, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

Before the SR-71 maiden flight, the cockpit had to be rearranged or the USAF would not buy it

by Till Daisd September 6, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The Blackbird’s cockpit needed to be rearranged prior to the aircraft’s first flight, but the cost was high and it wasn’t functional.

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence during its service in some of the most difficult environments on Earth. The SR-71 remained the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft for approximately 24 years of its life. It could survey 100,000 square miles of the Earth’s surface per hour from an altitude of 80,000 feet.

The SR-71 was intended 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 construct the SR-71 had to be created from scratch. The SR-71’s task was to collect pictures while also using its sensors to detect electronic surveillance and cautiously navigate close to the enemy’s border. All of that and more was managed by the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO).

The officer in the SR-71 who completed the checklist for the pilot was known as the RSO. Both his and the Pilot’s jobs had to be known to him. He did the SR-71’s Navigation. The Pilot would ask his RSO, “Where am I landing?” to acquire the precise coordinates if he had to make an emergency landing, which happened more frequently than you would imagine.

There is a saying: “You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost going 2,100 mph!”

The cockpit of the SR-71 was rearranged prior to the aircraft’s first flight. The redesign of this cockpit was highly expensive, yet it still wasn’t usable. Thus, Butch Sheffield, Tom Schmittou, and Coz Mallozzi, the first three RSOs selected for the program, took a look at it and demanded that they redo the cockpit, which they did.

A quote from Colonel Richard “Butch” Sheffield’s unpublished book. ‘I asked one of the Lockheed Skunk Works engineers who design this, and he said; “NO ONE”. He went on to say, “Kelly told us to put the instruments anywhere they would fit.” What a mess! Airspeed on one side, attitude on the other, altimeter in the middle, we couldn’t even tell what time it was, it was a nightmare.’

Check out the Facebook Page Habubrats for awesome Blackbird photos and stories.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

September 6, 2023 0 comment

History

The SR-71 Blackbird’s final flight (at Mach 3.2)

by Till Daisd September 4, 2023

written by Till Daisd

At the Edwards AFB Open House Airshow on October 9, 1999, an SR-71 Blackbird made its final flight

The brief video in this post, which was recorded on Saturday, October 9, 1999, at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), shows the final flight of an SR-71 Blackbird.

The flight took place at the Edwards AFB Open House Airshow. After taking off, the SR-71 climbed to an altitude of 80,100 feet and reached a speed of Mach 3.2, or 2,430 mph.

She emptied a trail of fuel in anticipation of the sonic boom so the crowd would see her. Before landing for the final time in her history, the Habu flew three flypasts over Edwards. She did not fly again after October 9, 1999.

The Mach 3 SR-71A Blackbird spy aircraft from Lockheed ruled the skies for a quarter of a century. More people than have flown what continues to be the world’s fastest, highest-flying jet, according to SR-71 pilot and author Brian Shul more people have stood atop Mt. Everest than have flown what remains the world’s fastest, highest-flying jet. A total of 32 aircraft were built.

Foreign agents treasured the SR-71’s revolutionary technology so highly that Lockheed was given the government’s order to destroy all of the tools used to design and construct the Blackbird in 1968. Airman Magazine claims that the SR-71 was also the first stealth aircraft ever built.

The airplane had to adopt a distinctive shape in order to become almost undetected. The wings were integrated into the body, and the forward fuselage had long, blade-like features called chines that helped deflect incoming radar waves.

The Blackbird’s radar cross-section was additionally reduced by the twin fins over the engines that were slanted inward and the pointed engine cones. The bottom fuselage of the 107-foot SR-71 was practically flat, giving it a sleek, futuristic spear shape.

Radar-absorbing paint made of ferrite (iron) was used to coat the SR-71. Due to 600-degree exterior temperatures brought on by friction during flight, the paint helped to prevent the aircraft from being targeted and made it even more difficult to target. The spy plane’s official Air Force name, Blackbird, was also given to it by the black paint.

Photo by NASA

September 4, 2023 0 comment

History

The Lockheed A-12 Oxcart was the first stealth aircraft

by Till Daisd August 30, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The A-12 was an early attempt by Lockheed to create a spy plane that could avoid enemy detection and anti-aircraft fire. It was the first “attempt” at a stealth aircraft

The Genesis of Stealth

Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the top engineer at Lockheed, faced an almost insurmountable challenge. On paper, the specifications for the spy plane that could capture incredibly clear pictures from 70,000 feet seemed like pure fantasy: A Mach-3 aircraft that could outrun missiles by actually flying nonstop for hours on end. An attack plane that could hide from the radar surveillance of its adversaries.

Johnson, however, simply handled all inquiries and informed his hand-selected group of Skunk Works staff members of what needed to be done. He developed the A-12, a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft that was the result of Project Oxcart, a covert military program.

The A-12 was an early attempt by Lockheed to create a spy plane that could avoid enemy detection and anti-aircraft fire. It was the first effort at an airplane that would be “stealthy” due to the outer design that reduced its radar cross-section (RCS). The employment of black paint and little iron balls to further amplify the beginnings of stealth aided to boost the emission of internal heat.

When the A-12 was being designed, titanium was the best option available before the discovery of building materials based on carbon fiber. Titanium was employed in only around 85% of the manufactured A-12, and it was mostly on parts that were subjected to the highest temperatures. Polymer composite materials made up the remaining 15% of the aircraft. In reality, the new composite materials that absorb radar were an enhancement to RCS. They took the place of the fillets and were constructed from iron ferrite and silicon laminate mixed with asbestos to block radar signals and increase the stealthiness of the aircraft.

The “titanium goose,” the A-12 in the image, is the trainer. Looking at the composite materials employed in the airplane, this is the best example I could find. It was essential to fool the radar. This was the true birth of stealth because the CIA’s A-12 had its initial design in 1959. The SR-71 continued in this vein.

The top-secret A-12 “Oxcart” flew for the first time on April 26, 1962, at a Nevada airfield that never existed. The “Article 121” aircraft started to oscillate badly in the air before dissipating into a cloud of dust, which Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, the plane’s designer, called “horrible to watch.”

It was determined that some of the A-12’s equipment was mounted backward after returning to the runway. The mistake was fixed, and the remaining flights were performed without a hitch. The replacement for the U-2, a top-secret CIA aircraft, was capable of Mach 3 flight at altitudes above 80,000 feet (more than 2,000 miles per hour).

Unlike the SR-71, the A-12 Oxcart was a single-seat, super-secret spy plane. It was also considerably more rare. In fact, the SR-71 was created from the A-12.

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

Photo by: U.S. Air Force, CIA, Chris Hunkeler from Carlsbad, California, USA, and Mys 721tx Own work via Wikipedia

August 30, 2023 0 comment

Cold War

An aluminum gun was a part of the SR-71 Blackbird crew members’ survival kit

by Till Daisd August 22, 2023

written by Till Daisd

During the harshest period of the Cold War, the SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 + spy plane crew used some unusual equipment while flying through Soviet-controlled airspace

The SR-71 Blackbird collected intelligence during its service in some of the most difficult environments on Earth. The SR-71 was built using titanium because of the friction created by air molecules traveling over its surface at Mach 2.6, which would melt an aluminum frame since it isn’t designed to operate at extraordinary speeds, altitudes, and temperatures.

Because of its cutting-edge engineering, even the tools used to construct the SR-71 had to be created from scratch. Also, during the coldest period of the Cold War, the crew of the SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3+ spy plane carried a variety of interesting equipment while flying through Soviet-controlled airspace. Notwithstanding the fact that no SR-71s were ever shot down, Blackbird pilots and RSOs had a survival kit that contained a number of unusual items.

SR-71-Survival-Kit — SR-71 Blackbird pilots Survival Kit

One long-standing urban myth or joke, according to Last Stand On Zombie Island, was that the SR-71’s survival kit contained:

“One low power 38 revolver; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings.”

A highly uncommon aluminum gun that was manufactured in order to make it lightweight was part of the SR-71 survival kit.

Yet as Richard Graham, a former Blackbird pilot, writes in his book SR-71 Revealed the Inside History, “the survival kit contained standard Air Force survival items: a one-man life raft, day/night flares, desalinization kit, emergency UHF radio with spare batteries, first aid kit, thermal blanket, fishing gear, survival manual, and maps. Tethered between you and the survival kit was the inflated one-man life raft, ready for a water landing.”

A sealed envelope that the SR-71 crews were instructed to hand to anyone bothering them was another item carried in the pressure suite (but not in the survival kit that was in the ejection seat). When they were concerned about having an SR-71 land on their tiny base in South Korea, Butch Sheffield, presented the sealed envelope to the base commander. The contents of that envelope and what it stated are unknown, but the base commander smiled, acted amiably, and was ready to go above and beyond to ensure the crew’s comfort.

Check out Facebook Page Habubrats for awesome Blackbird photos and stories.

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

August 22, 2023 0 comment

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