SR-71

One thing I would like to point out, if I havent already in this thread, is that as fast as the SR-71 is the A-12 version was lighter and had the same exact power output. As the vast majority of us realize as car guys to make a car faster without adding hp you can (as Colin Chapman put it) add lightness.

How fast do you figure the A-12 was??


And I will tell you that from my interviews of pilots and RSOs and crew chiefs over the years that the SR-71 will indeed go considerably faster than the claimed Mach 3.3. As a matter of fact the faster it goes the more efficient the engines are and it burns less fuel....

Just a few things to throw out there....




PDG

 

I've heard 120k for altitude an 3.5 Mach. Only in emergencies (like having a missile shot at them) and the plane needed work after that.

Art

 

The Russians will sell you an SA-12 system supposedly good to 100k ft, not much else hanging around at that altitude...

 

What is in picture 5? A single engined ???

Kevin's post #243

 

It's a D-21
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_D-21

 

Here you go: http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/Articles/Jim_Wilson_Yom_Kippur_War_SR71_flight-25Jan10.pdf
Other sources add that the israelis tried to shoot the sr71 down.

 

A few more - the evergreen museum had much more in terms of the cameras, tires and defensive measures than I've seen at any other museum.
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"... leisurely Mach 3 flight..."

love it. thanks for posting that pdf!

 

And just about every other angle

 

Nice details, thanks for posting.

-F

 

fantastic detail shots,thanks!

 

Same altitude I've heard. Different mach # though.

 

Related - How fast are (were?) the missiles that could get it at those kind of altitudes? ie, could it outrun the suckers?

TIA, cheers,
Ian

 

I recently read:

Yes, a few (Soviet) contemporary (to the SR-71) SAMs could exceed the SR-71 max altitude and had a higher max speed as well. (One had a 130k altitude at over Mach 5.)

The advantage was that the aircraft could detect launches and with a huge head start, the SAM would be hard pressed to catch up.


Most in the Soviet SAM stockpile either had lower ceiling/speed. Even some that had performance equivalent (ceiling/speed) to the SR-71 would never catch it with the lead.


But, the SR-71 could be brought down by many SAMs these days.

 

More goodies - this time about the engine and disposing of extra fuel. Some good pics too:

http://www.enginehistory.org/P&W/p&w_j58.shtml

 

Bumping up this post. Was in Richmond the past two days and drove by this Blackbird without noticing it the first time leaving the airport. Right as I was about to leave, I looked to my side for whatever reason and it quickly caught my eye. Had to make a u-turn!

It looked in pretty rough condition up close. The Museum was closed so I couldn't go beyond the fence around it. There is a Tomcat sitting next to it now. Amazing how large the Tomcat is in comparison to the Blackbird!

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics. Really regret not bringing my DSLR.

http://imageshack.us/a/img594/5146/imag0795w.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img209/592/imag0798s.jpg

 

Thanks for the pix.
Interesting size comparison with the Tomcat.

 

No problem. Here's a better comparison of the size difference from overhead. Clearly the Blackbird is longer, but what surprised me the most was how tall the Tomcat is and how low the Blackbird is.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=q7kk4z8jnybm&lvl=19.86&dir=352.35&sty=b&sp=Point.q7kj7d8jny7h_Virginia%20Aviation%20Museum____&form=LMLTCC

That link should pull up the "Bird's eye" view automatically.

 

Thanks
If you don't mind I may use that photo to show my class next semester the importance of understanding proportion as related to design.
I have several examples,but the aircraft analogy is a good one IMO.

 

The Tomcat though, is still a pretty sizeable plane. The SR-71 is pretty big as well. The Russians designed a similar plane to the SR-71 that never really got past the test phase that was absolutely enormous, probably 3-4 times the size of the SR-71. I am just too tired to look it up right now, but it was fascinating.




PDG

 

Yeah, you can use any of the photos I posted. I don't mind at all. Sounds like a cool project.

 

Sounds like it's time for a field trip to the Intrepid here in NY.



Whenever I drive by and see that SR-71 . . . my God! (The F-16 is a gorgeous bird, IMO.)

 

so sad they let a bird like that sit outside to rot...

 

been to Wright-Patterson many ,many times.
wish I could take the class there
when I was going to school in SoCal,we used to go to "The Planes of Fame" museum in Orange Co.,IIRC.
Those were always cool trips.