Still remember been at mildenhall when he realised his display was taking him over the crowd line in a turn so lit the burners and piled the G's on....end result was unlit fuel into the engine till the G's came off and then 2 huge fireballs out the back!!
I was here, and at Mildenhall Air Fete from 1983 onwards, it was a real event when the SR displayed. The jet would line up and they'd drive cars down the runway to check for debris before they'd even allow her to take off. When she was rolling the heat and noise was like nothing I've ever seen. Never to be repeated again.
Wild Jet. Amazing this plane was designed in the late 50's. Its 1st test flight was 1962 and it was put into service in 1966. Over 4000confirmed missle's were launched against these Jets. Not 1 every hit! the SR71's. Mach 3.5 was the fastest these Jets would fly.(About 2200 MPH). What History!
The plane is officaly retired, but yes, nasa is still using them. now, what freaks me out is that it was suposed to be a high speed intercepter. imagine that thing comming at you with side winders. X.X
alucardandluroon...Ending in O7/Nov, N.A.S.A. destroyed all remaining SR-71 electronic and engine components from its Bartows CA. warehouses..totalling 7,343,480, pounds equaling 6.5 million pieces..the Blackbirds no longer exist in the air...the final humiliation for this exceptional A/C and support teams.....what a waste of such a national asset...
This jet, like concorde, was farrr ahead of its time and its always the most fastets most technological jets they retire, god dammnit bring this back into service take the cray a-10 out of service!
I saw a documentry on tele where a former soviet pilot stated that the soviets used Mig25's to try and ambush the sr-71. He went on to rubbish the official top speed of the Blackbird claiming at mach 3.2 a interception was possible, but, when caught the American pilots would just playfully disopear into the yonder. He estimated the sr's speed more like mach 3.6/3.7.(needless to say they never got one).
I saw a tv documentry about this plane where a former soviet pilot said that the soviets used mig25's to ambush it.
He went on to say that the american pilots would play "catch me if you can" with them.
He then question the blackbirds top speed saying at mach 3.2 there was a chance of interception but the blackbirds speed was consideratly faster then offical data.
Zipcode you are so full of --it! The Mig-31 has a "look down shoot down" radar system. Are you suggesting that the Mig could out speed and over fly the SR-71?...get a grip on reality! Its ok boy..Star Trek will always have its reruns!
While in the Air Force Stationed @ RAF Chicksands we gave ground support and watched for Soviet reaction as its missions were to overfly Russion territory to trigger Soviet alert reactions. Until 1989 this was safe, but when USSR MIG 31 was able to intercept the SR 71 all future missions were scrapped by 1990.
In my Lockheed history book it states that the unclassified speed is Mach 3.6. There was a documentary on the discovery channel in the mid 1990's, where one of the pilots overflew Libya before the US raid on Kadafi. The SR-71 outran a barrage of missiles. The pilot recounting the story said something to the effect of "we saw Mach #'s we'd never seen before." He declined to specify:)
There is no limiting mach number as such, just a limiting temperature on wing leading edge which must not exceed 427'C for any length of time. Mach 3.6 is perfectly possible, under the right conditions.
Absolutly, temperature is an important variable in the performance equation. It would not surprise me if this beast of an aircraft could hit 4 to 4.2 MACH for a short period.
From an SR 71 Pilot's account at strangevehicles dot com content/item/134782 dot h t m l
"It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar. " Doing the math, 1.6 seconds decimal equivalent is 1.167. This works out to 3084 MPH.
actually, i have a military aircraft book, and it says the they said it went mach 3 plus, but acording to the book it was actually capable of mach 3.5 plus and at altitude above 95,000 feet!
I've read that the airframe can withstand close to mach 5. But the engines can only push mach 3.5 for short bursts, the fan blades start to melt if they push to hard for too long.
Actually - the turbojet was bypassed completely at high speed and it ran on reheat only (e.g. ram-jet) at high mach. The strange thing about this plane was that the faster it went, the more efficient it was. As stated elsewhere, temperatures were the limiting factor.
Concorde airframe is constructed of "AL"..& suffers fatique problems, mostly at upper fuselage . also cracks at servos from poor heat transfer... the 4 engine design from the "Vulcan" bomber, Russia "TU144" had same issues.. SR71 was constructed ENTIRELY of "TI", which would "anneal" stronger after each Heat/Cool cycle with no frame or skin fatigue ..MACH 2.04 is max speed for "AL" fixtures or frames..(NASA has 2 SR71).. frame wise ,the older the better for the Habu..Thanks
If I may ask where you got your information from on the max of mach 2.04 on aluminum skin ACFT. the F-15 Eagle is rated at Mach 2.5 plus and she is made up of 2024-T81 Aluminum ,and Titanium in the aft section of the fuselage.. this acft can maintain that speed as well as other acft in thw Mach 2 range even the older F-106 Delta dart can maintain that speed
strikeeagle62 "AL" alloy is great. 2 things make "TI" better> much lower "fatigue" factor + better "Thermal shock"value caused by rapid heat&cool cycles, above M2.05 the design envelop narrows exponentially towards deformation & stress failure for "AL"..speed.. air pressure/ temp/G-loads,etc,etc makes aircraft longevity&serviceabitity another major factor..At Habu temperatures "AL"alloys are @20-50% up their envelop towards total deformation .Like you, just my opinion. Thanks
Hey! I was there and helped land that plane.. It parked at the very far end of 27 to the south and leaked like a sieve once it cooled down. That was a good airshow. I still have my letter from King Hussain of Jordan thanking me for my help...
The only planes capable of sustained supersonic flight until recently were the SR71 and Concorde. These 2 planes were well ahead of the game. The constant heat up and cool down associated with the speeds caused fatigue cracking in the airframes on both resulting in high maintenance costs. I think NASA still have a flight capable SR71.
The SLED was well before its time. When I asked my father(as a kid of age 8) why Mach 3+, answered, anything above that is classified. Asked why 80,000 Ft., Answered. pisses the commies off.
After hearing countless refuling stories of this plane. The king of all kings. Some say true numbers are around mach 5 and 100,000Ft. /110,000Ft. . UAV/ SAT for our eyes. My guess, Aurora or something ultra high flying, extrmely quick time to target exists.
Q.The New York Times July 1994(Senator Byrd (D.WV)Chair of the AS&IC was led to believe by Pentagon in 1990 that a successor to Sr71 was in the works, thats why its funding was stopped..something faster, higher and more capable..it turned out a disinformation campaign began in 1987 by those that wanted the SR retired. no successor existed) only urban myth....
djsal510, a MIG cannot fly at sustained high altitude, not enough air. Sustained speed or range as after burn uses all the fuel up. They were slower, mach 2.5 or less. Where as SR71 runs at mach 3+, 70ft +, for an hour+. Besides a MIG, despite trying, never shot one down. bestamerica, sort your English out!
Q."Mig Pilot" by Lt. Viktor Belenko..American Sr71's were prowling off the coast..They taunted and toyed with the Mig25's sent up tp intercept them,scooting up to altitudes the Migs could not reach and circling leisurely above and dashing off with speeds the Russians could not match..
1. The Mig-25 can only sustain Mach 2.8 for a short duration due to engine overheat.
2. The Mig-25 can only sustain an altitude of 78,740 feet for two minutes maximum.
3. The SR-71 routinely cruised at Mach 3.2 in continuous afterburner at 80-85,000 feet. The speed and altitude of an SR-71 coupled with superior Defensive electronics has prevented any intended intercept of the Blackbird either by land based missiles or airborne Interceptor threats."
Sure, the MIG-25 could touch Mach 3. It could sustain it for a few seconds before the engines would seize/blow up. The Soviets knowledge of metallurgy, and especially high temperature metallurgy, was minimal at best. On the other hand, the SR-71 could cruise for hours at Mach 3+ with no ill effects.
That's why the Soviets shot over 1000 missiles at SR's instead-and they all missed.
No plane in the world could have ever caught up with an SR that was at speed. Kelly Johnson was a God...
Pilots said that when they were fired upon their defense to this was to simply accelerate. It is aid that they travel at Mach 3, however, I have a feeling that they fly faster than that.
yeah right. where do you get this information from. It's not the plane that couldn't catch it it was the missles. Even though missles fly faster than a jet they have to catch up with the plane to get a shot off.
What I still find amazing, is the fact that it was designed in the 50's and built in the 60's...just imagine what the Government has built within the past few years that nobody knows about yet.
i remember it being stationed at RAF Mildenhall until 1990. Watching it take off from the end of the runway while stuck in a traffic jam when leaving. Also when it used to do a fuel dump during the display (releasing fuel then re-igniting the afterburner leaving a flame behind the plane while climbing) wasan amazing site. No other plane looked as amazing
What the two of you are describing is the TEB (triethylborane) flowing out of its container and igniting fuel. TEB was used to ignite fuel on engine start and AB's. Nothing to do with fuel dumps or flame outs.
The TEB was used all the time to kindle the fuel because it was so inert on it's own. You cannot light the fuel alone with a lighter or anything. The TEB was used all the time.
The J-58 engines were constant-bleed AB.
Also, when it got to higher speeds, the turbojet engine actually turned into a ramjet.
I love the story of an SR-71 asking for FL60000, and the ATC not knowing who was asking, replied if you can get that high. Turns out it was descending....lol. I was in the AF...and had a friend who was a CrewChief on this beautiful plane.
lol, the one at duxford is in beautiful condition, they have taken the engines out to show the sheer scale of them, and yu can go from London to Scottland in 10 minutes!!
The SR71 Blackbirds fuel tank leaks when it is on the ground, but in flight, at altitude the fuel tank expands and stops the leak. I know this from a friend who works for Lockheed Martin.
Ive heard this many years ago but are you shure its not just a myth? They had problems with fuel tank seals and leaks during the development but that was fixed.
The SR71 Aircraft leaked But at mach 3+ it heated up due to air Friction just like Concord. They were both longer when they landed then when they took off. The SR 71 had its ouwn jet fuel that would not work in other aircraft as it was made for the low oxegen enviroment of on the edge of space. Hence the Black colour and stelth finish The whole airframe helps it fly.
B..E..A..U.TIFUL baby that ever flew in the sky!! I never got a chance to see it but not many people did. Mach 3.86 80,000- 90,000 feet...better then ne other country coyld do, and WILL do I might add.(in my opinion). I wonder if it will have a big brother ne time soon?? Will see i guess!!
One of the sexiest jets that was unfortunately retired due to the fact its too expensive to keep flying. They have one on static display at Beale AFB in northern california. I got the pleasure of touching it!!!
Fantastic aircraft! Shame theres only a handfull flying at Edwards (I think). I used to see it on its finals into Mildenhall when I served at Honington in the mid-80's.
The speed of sound decreases with atmospheric temperature, meaning the speed of sound decreases as altitude increases. The speed of sound is not 761mph everywhere, only at sea level
Beautiful bird, fast and the speed of sound.....
SR71ABCD 1 year ago
tremendous aircraft, though the rumors of the aurora are interesting, i'm still upset this is retired.
bigreddawg91 1 year ago
you must feel like god flyin that thing!
liam786024 1 year ago
Still remember been at mildenhall when he realised his display was taking him over the crowd line in a turn so lit the burners and piled the G's on....end result was unlit fuel into the engine till the G's came off and then 2 huge fireballs out the back!!
UKVoodooUK 2 years ago
beautiful
Dandruffshampoo 2 years ago
Such a shame that I'll never witness this for real. The SR71 was so far ahead of its time - designed half a century ago - incredible.
petem74 2 years ago
@petem74 40 year old technology. Imagine what's flying where you can't see.
TumisHumis 1 year ago
I was here, and at Mildenhall Air Fete from 1983 onwards, it was a real event when the SR displayed. The jet would line up and they'd drive cars down the runway to check for debris before they'd even allow her to take off. When she was rolling the heat and noise was like nothing I've ever seen. Never to be repeated again.
KrisRamJ 2 years ago
My grandpa helped make that plane. Still looks high teck for being allmost classic.
skyman95946 2 years ago 2
*****Great video!
She's so beautiful! Miss seeing her as remembered @ 0:55 All memories cherished.
~Semper Paratus
9th SRW, SAC, OMS, BAFB, Det 1 (HABU)
h8liver 2 years ago
the most beautiful aircraft ever made......apart from TSR-2......
hoopsxh558 2 years ago
yes .... i was at fairford airshow....... that low flyby i will never forget. The blackbird just went quietly then the sound came........
amarcare 3 years ago
great piece of design and engineering. I love this plane and great video
StuartFinnigan 3 years ago 2
and to think this was done in the late50s early 60s wheeew, what do we have now that we dont officially know about
poppy77 3 years ago
poppy77..What we now have, are U.A.V. liteweight drones...not nearly as exciting as the Habu...THX
E8F9G0 3 years ago
LEGENDARY
perparimgg 3 years ago 3
I guarded this plane there in July/1985, this plane is not very long. Pilots wear space helmet-types...Loved every min. of it !
God Bless the /US/ British people !
oscailandoras 3 years ago 3
Indeed God Bless the True Allies.
Xeroxi 3 years ago 10
every kids dream to fly a blackbird including me
Dillon0667 3 years ago 2
I wish i could have seen this plane in flight.
Apollo2003 3 years ago 12
Wild Jet. Amazing this plane was designed in the late 50's. Its 1st test flight was 1962 and it was put into service in 1966. Over 4000confirmed missle's were launched against these Jets. Not 1 every hit! the SR71's. Mach 3.5 was the fastest these Jets would fly.(About 2200 MPH). What History!
GKaly 3 years ago 5
they should use them for very high altitude bombers
rednight666666 3 years ago
The plane is officaly retired, but yes, nasa is still using them. now, what freaks me out is that it was suposed to be a high speed intercepter. imagine that thing comming at you with side winders. X.X
alucardandluroon 4 years ago
alucardandluroon...Ending in O7/Nov, N.A.S.A. destroyed all remaining SR-71 electronic and engine components from its Bartows CA. warehouses..totalling 7,343,480, pounds equaling 6.5 million pieces..the Blackbirds no longer exist in the air...the final humiliation for this exceptional A/C and support teams.....what a waste of such a national asset...
E8F9G0 3 years ago 2
This jet, like concorde, was farrr ahead of its time and its always the most fastets most technological jets they retire, god dammnit bring this back into service take the cray a-10 out of service!
lovemehatemeLOLZ 4 years ago
doesn't matter, this plane rocks!
Eagle0ne1 4 years ago 4
i love this plane .. awsome .. I heard NASA were still using em but they're no longer spy planes..
dimebag1977 4 years ago
what i would give to see that today! ahh well, raptors in 08!
thevegetarian 4 years ago 3
hell yea. ill go anywhere to c this jet in action
janemba210 4 years ago
I saw a documentry on tele where a former soviet pilot stated that the soviets used Mig25's to try and ambush the sr-71. He went on to rubbish the official top speed of the Blackbird claiming at mach 3.2 a interception was possible, but, when caught the American pilots would just playfully disopear into the yonder. He estimated the sr's speed more like mach 3.6/3.7.(needless to say they never got one).
derbbus 4 years ago
I saw a tv documentry about this plane where a former soviet pilot said that the soviets used mig25's to ambush it.
He went on to say that the american pilots would play "catch me if you can" with them.
He then question the blackbirds top speed saying at mach 3.2 there was a chance of interception but the blackbirds speed was consideratly faster then offical data.
derbbus 4 years ago
Zipcode you are so full of --it! The Mig-31 has a "look down shoot down" radar system. Are you suggesting that the Mig could out speed and over fly the SR-71?...get a grip on reality! Its ok boy..Star Trek will always have its reruns!
monsterdrk 4 years ago
what he is saying is fact. The mig-31 could not outfly/speed the SR-71 but it was capable of intercepting it.
Breadstick88 4 years ago
Anybody have any idea how a Mig could intercept an airplane flying at over 80,000 feet?
sigung01 4 years ago
While in the Air Force Stationed @ RAF Chicksands we gave ground support and watched for Soviet reaction as its missions were to overfly Russion territory to trigger Soviet alert reactions. Until 1989 this was safe, but when USSR MIG 31 was able to intercept the SR 71 all future missions were scrapped by 1990.
zipcode43015 4 years ago
the chinese had it on radar at over 100,000 feet at mach 3 plus over the mainland
inagod 4 years ago
In my Lockheed history book it states that the unclassified speed is Mach 3.6. There was a documentary on the discovery channel in the mid 1990's, where one of the pilots overflew Libya before the US raid on Kadafi. The SR-71 outran a barrage of missiles. The pilot recounting the story said something to the effect of "we saw Mach #'s we'd never seen before." He declined to specify:)
biped19 4 years ago
There is no limiting mach number as such, just a limiting temperature on wing leading edge which must not exceed 427'C for any length of time. Mach 3.6 is perfectly possible, under the right conditions.
1976GEME 4 years ago
Absolutly, temperature is an important variable in the performance equation. It would not surprise me if this beast of an aircraft could hit 4 to 4.2 MACH for a short period.
biped19 4 years ago
From an SR 71 Pilot's account at strangevehicles dot com content/item/134782 dot h t m l
"It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar. " Doing the math, 1.6 seconds decimal equivalent is 1.167. This works out to 3084 MPH.
sigung01 4 years ago
Boy, did I really say "do the math" sorry for being so stupid, 3600 seconds divided by 1.6 equals 2250 MPH
sigung01 4 years ago 2
every body loves americans jets.
\
MALE49 4 years ago 3
actually, i have a military aircraft book, and it says the they said it went mach 3 plus, but acording to the book it was actually capable of mach 3.5 plus and at altitude above 95,000 feet!
LOCKHEED17 4 years ago
Lockheed17 is right on..the biggest limiting factor was compressor inlet temp........
E8F9G0 4 years ago
I've read that the airframe can withstand close to mach 5. But the engines can only push mach 3.5 for short bursts, the fan blades start to melt if they push to hard for too long.
gethmord 4 years ago
Actually - the turbojet was bypassed completely at high speed and it ran on reheat only (e.g. ram-jet) at high mach. The strange thing about this plane was that the faster it went, the more efficient it was. As stated elsewhere, temperatures were the limiting factor.
amaclach 4 years ago
its 1960s plane does not look like it is
kankraza 4 years ago
This plane is F***ING AWESOME!! i don't envy enemy pilots who try and shoot it down... it's virtually impossible at that speed
LordDairyLeeV 4 years ago
Now that's a plane!
1977albert 4 years ago
and its 46 years old....
stormz7675454 4 years ago
I'm not American but they do build some amazing aircraft.
h1017412 4 years ago
They invented the airpane afterall.
Pathfinder767 4 years ago
Well, no actually... DaVinci "invented" it.
The designs he came up with have been proven to be airworthy.
rudeboyzero 4 years ago
i love this jet
royalairforce16 4 years ago
Must be amazing to fly!!
Imagine it Mach 3.2 plus!!
j0010lesquish 4 years ago
amazing plane mach 3.2 0_0, but makes me wonder how much that lucky pilot is on a year!
jimmygray666 4 years ago
Beautiful plane.
a1oner 4 years ago
This is the coolest plane in the sky I think.
3ridetec 4 years ago
actually i have a book on the sr-71 and it goes mach 3.5 great video
LOCKHEED2011 4 years ago
hightly doubt it and the leaks you say are suppose to leak...(on the ground) because the ACFT stretches in flight
strikeeagle62 4 years ago
Concorde airframe is constructed of "AL"..& suffers fatique problems, mostly at upper fuselage . also cracks at servos from poor heat transfer... the 4 engine design from the "Vulcan" bomber, Russia "TU144" had same issues.. SR71 was constructed ENTIRELY of "TI", which would "anneal" stronger after each Heat/Cool cycle with no frame or skin fatigue ..MACH 2.04 is max speed for "AL" fixtures or frames..(NASA has 2 SR71).. frame wise ,the older the better for the Habu..Thanks
E8F9G0 4 years ago
this plane is awesome...last time i checked the maximum speed of this aircraft was 3,000 km/h, or 2,000 mph
LordDairyLeeV 4 years ago
If I may ask where you got your information from on the max of mach 2.04 on aluminum skin ACFT. the F-15 Eagle is rated at Mach 2.5 plus and she is made up of 2024-T81 Aluminum ,and Titanium in the aft section of the fuselage.. this acft can maintain that speed as well as other acft in thw Mach 2 range even the older F-106 Delta dart can maintain that speed
strikeeagle62 4 years ago
strikeeagle62 "AL" alloy is great. 2 things make "TI" better> much lower "fatigue" factor + better "Thermal shock"value caused by rapid heat&cool cycles, above M2.05 the design envelop narrows exponentially towards deformation & stress failure for "AL"..speed.. air pressure/ temp/G-loads,etc,etc makes aircraft longevity&serviceabitity another major factor..At Habu temperatures "AL"alloys are @20-50% up their envelop towards total deformation .Like you, just my opinion. Thanks
E8F9G0 4 years ago
Hey! I was there and helped land that plane.. It parked at the very far end of 27 to the south and leaked like a sieve once it cooled down. That was a good airshow. I still have my letter from King Hussain of Jordan thanking me for my help...
ricksoldit 4 years ago
The only planes capable of sustained supersonic flight until recently were the SR71 and Concorde. These 2 planes were well ahead of the game. The constant heat up and cool down associated with the speeds caused fatigue cracking in the airframes on both resulting in high maintenance costs. I think NASA still have a flight capable SR71.
jjhatch69 4 years ago
Nope. All SR-71's are now in museums.
brandonel12 4 years ago
I heard there are a couple operational at Beale AFB.
huffedgoat 4 years ago
was jeanne micheal jarre in air wolf?
eatgrowler 4 years ago
Jean Michel Jarre never did music of Airwolf (it's Sylvester Levay)
It's the title 'Oxygene'(by JM Jarre:)
hugo36lflx 4 years ago
Are you maybe thinking of Jan Michael Vincent?
IrishWhiskeyFan 4 years ago
jan michelle jar (oxygen)
rodcamblin 4 years ago
SR 71 top speed Mach 6 classified but widely talked about during the years:)
TISAC1 4 years ago
mach 3.3 actually ;)
littleshite 4 years ago
The SLED was well before its time. When I asked my father(as a kid of age 8) why Mach 3+, answered, anything above that is classified. Asked why 80,000 Ft., Answered. pisses the commies off.
After hearing countless refuling stories of this plane. The king of all kings. Some say true numbers are around mach 5 and 100,000Ft. /110,000Ft. . UAV/ SAT for our eyes. My guess, Aurora or something ultra high flying, extrmely quick time to target exists.
redout72 4 years ago
music=Jean Michel Jarre. Album "Oxygene" like this plane, something that has with stood time.
redout72 4 years ago
this plane can just keep going faster and faster...
compo1979 4 years ago
thank you for posting this.
tafftastic 4 years ago
I was in Kadena in the 70's and loved to watch this plane! great video!
brewerboy 4 years ago
my dad used to develop the film on the sr71 at kadena ab in japan when he first joined. he liked it alot.
bucy21 4 years ago
a beautiful bit of engineering, shame about the dodgy soundtrack.... doesnt exactly compliment it
boden1563 4 years ago
3500 kph
2220 mph
its the fastest plane ever made
landiego 4 years ago
OMG this plane is the best. No comment.
cartman204 4 years ago
SR-71 is THE BEST. FULL STOP.
e633xx 4 years ago
WOW! Totally Awesome! Keep Flying High! Defense in it's ultimate stages!
GMaOutlaw 4 years ago
I never had the pleasure of seeing one of these for real, thx for the video.
KrazyEnglishman 4 years ago
Q.The New York Times July 1994(Senator Byrd (D.WV)Chair of the AS&IC was led to believe by Pentagon in 1990 that a successor to Sr71 was in the works, thats why its funding was stopped..something faster, higher and more capable..it turned out a disinformation campaign began in 1987 by those that wanted the SR retired. no successor existed) only urban myth....
E8F9G0 4 years ago
I've heard reports of this plane being retired to fund the black project jet "Aurora"
a1q2s3 4 years ago
djsal510, a MIG cannot fly at sustained high altitude, not enough air. Sustained speed or range as after burn uses all the fuel up. They were slower, mach 2.5 or less. Where as SR71 runs at mach 3+, 70ft +, for an hour+. Besides a MIG, despite trying, never shot one down. bestamerica, sort your English out!
andrewj100 4 years ago
Q."Mig Pilot" by Lt. Viktor Belenko..American Sr71's were prowling off the coast..They taunted and toyed with the Mig25's sent up tp intercept them,scooting up to altitudes the Migs could not reach and circling leisurely above and dashing off with speeds the Russians could not match..
E8F9G0 4 years ago
Mig 25 matched this fuel leaking sr71 plus they sr71 was an easy target for the mig 25
djsal510 4 years ago
No.
1. The Mig-25 can only sustain Mach 2.8 for a short duration due to engine overheat.
2. The Mig-25 can only sustain an altitude of 78,740 feet for two minutes maximum.
3. The SR-71 routinely cruised at Mach 3.2 in continuous afterburner at 80-85,000 feet. The speed and altitude of an SR-71 coupled with superior Defensive electronics has prevented any intended intercept of the Blackbird either by land based missiles or airborne Interceptor threats."
aaston 4 years ago
Mig 25 did not get close to an Sr 71, if it did it surely would have shot one down!
StarTux 4 years ago
Sure, the MIG-25 could touch Mach 3. It could sustain it for a few seconds before the engines would seize/blow up. The Soviets knowledge of metallurgy, and especially high temperature metallurgy, was minimal at best. On the other hand, the SR-71 could cruise for hours at Mach 3+ with no ill effects.
That's why the Soviets shot over 1000 missiles at SR's instead-and they all missed.
No plane in the world could have ever caught up with an SR that was at speed. Kelly Johnson was a God...
ELaimins 4 years ago
Pilots said that when they were fired upon their defense to this was to simply accelerate. It is aid that they travel at Mach 3, however, I have a feeling that they fly faster than that.
GallardoNY 4 years ago
F-22 can shoot it down easily!
FeelFree3 4 years ago
yeah right. where do you get this information from. It's not the plane that couldn't catch it it was the missles. Even though missles fly faster than a jet they have to catch up with the plane to get a shot off.
sigsauer12 4 years ago
I know the Swedes got missile lock on several occasions. If it would have hit is a different story.
Cossie324 4 years ago
I heard the same thing but it would not have made a difference since the Blackbird outran their missiles at cruise speed.
tuber1554 4 years ago
i love this america plane SR71 / YF12 blackbirds are the best in the world than ussr russia plane..i am NOT interesting ussr russia plane at all
bestamerica 4 years ago
sr71 is the most beautiful looking aircraft ever, end of!
gordongate 4 years ago
what is this music?
flymaster9999 4 years ago
Jean Michel Jarre - Oxygène IV
Starbuck2143 4 years ago
one of my favorite planes!
captainpuncakes 4 years ago
God Save America !
jrcnd 4 years ago
sonds like that starwars sound lol
weeg91 4 years ago
What I still find amazing, is the fact that it was designed in the 50's and built in the 60's...just imagine what the Government has built within the past few years that nobody knows about yet.
MentalMarineSgt 4 years ago
i remember it being stationed at RAF Mildenhall until 1990. Watching it take off from the end of the runway while stuck in a traffic jam when leaving. Also when it used to do a fuel dump during the display (releasing fuel then re-igniting the afterburner leaving a flame behind the plane while climbing) wasan amazing site. No other plane looked as amazing
christnumber2 4 years ago
I've seen photos of the Blackbird doing a "flame out" - is this what you mention? I'd love to see a video clip of this happening.
JustAnotherPunk 4 years ago
What the two of you are describing is the TEB (triethylborane) flowing out of its container and igniting fuel. TEB was used to ignite fuel on engine start and AB's. Nothing to do with fuel dumps or flame outs.
stevel666 4 years ago
The TEB was used all the time to kindle the fuel because it was so inert on it's own. You cannot light the fuel alone with a lighter or anything. The TEB was used all the time.
The J-58 engines were constant-bleed AB.
Also, when it got to higher speeds, the turbojet engine actually turned into a ramjet.
Rexpilot0990 4 years ago
the sr-71 could not do a dump and burn could it. i know it could dump fuel but i dint know it could ignite it again.
mileswilson1 4 years ago
I love the story of an SR-71 asking for FL60000, and the ATC not knowing who was asking, replied if you can get that high. Turns out it was descending....lol. I was in the AF...and had a friend who was a CrewChief on this beautiful plane.
djay72 4 years ago
Amazing aircraft. I love the fact that all it needed to do to avoid enemy missiles was to simply fly away - it was that fast!
Perranporth 4 years ago
lol, the one at duxford is in beautiful condition, they have taken the engines out to show the sheer scale of them, and yu can go from London to Scottland in 10 minutes!!
JAMESKNIGHTMEDIA 4 years ago
Eat yer heart out Russia and China!
volstov 4 years ago
The SR71 Blackbirds fuel tank leaks when it is on the ground, but in flight, at altitude the fuel tank expands and stops the leak. I know this from a friend who works for Lockheed Martin.
ajonbass 4 years ago
Yep your right about that. I saw it on WIngs and the fuel almost gushes out of the plane while its on the ground.
vanzantyt 4 years ago
Ive heard this many years ago but are you shure its not just a myth? They had problems with fuel tank seals and leaks during the development but that was fixed.
Cossie324 4 years ago
The SR71 Aircraft leaked But at mach 3+ it heated up due to air Friction just like Concord. They were both longer when they landed then when they took off. The SR 71 had its ouwn jet fuel that would not work in other aircraft as it was made for the low oxegen enviroment of on the edge of space. Hence the Black colour and stelth finish The whole airframe helps it fly.
ranroz 4 years ago
they have one at duxford UK two
ajonbass 4 years ago
B..E..A..U.TIFUL baby that ever flew in the sky!! I never got a chance to see it but not many people did. Mach 3.86 80,000- 90,000 feet...better then ne other country coyld do, and WILL do I might add.(in my opinion). I wonder if it will have a big brother ne time soon?? Will see i guess!!
111Nightrider111 4 years ago
along with concorde, the most beautiful of aircraft
selkent 5 years ago
One of the sexiest jets that was unfortunately retired due to the fact its too expensive to keep flying. They have one on static display at Beale AFB in northern california. I got the pleasure of touching it!!!
DeathscytheHell1 5 years ago
For practical puposes, the speed of sound depends only on temperature. Local Speed of Sound (LSS)in knots=38.94*sqrt(Kelvin).
70439 5 years ago
yer this old thing is unbelievablely loud, if it went supersonic it would probebly blow every window out in a mile radius lol
Shatfitindahouse 5 years ago
I'd give my left nut to see one of those fly!! I was born in 1989! AMAZING!
Chuckthegopher 5 years ago
The speed of sound is not 761. It depends on your altitude, air pressure, and many other variables. It is commonly AROUND 700.
jfairr6 5 years ago
Those were the days!
dr1141tube 5 years ago
absolutely stunning it would be great if there was still just one flying
whatthehellisaplough 5 years ago
Fantastic aircraft! Shame theres only a handfull flying at Edwards (I think). I used to see it on its finals into Mildenhall when I served at Honington in the mid-80's.
BoNidle3863 5 years ago
that plane is amazing it is capable of going over mach 3.0 speed i love it
SlapaPope 5 years ago
The speed of sound decreases with atmospheric temperature, meaning the speed of sound decreases as altitude increases. The speed of sound is not 761mph everywhere, only at sea level
Vampbarbie13 5 years ago
So, JJL2006, it's as fast as a Corvette ZO6? :)
louie1606 5 years ago
yo JJL2006 what were you thinking when you put the speed of sound is 3x 200 MPH. if thats true then theres cars taht travle taht fast. wtf man
base80balla 5 years ago
The speed of sound is 761 mph.. This plane is capable of flying over 2200 mph..
flip009 5 years ago
The speed of sound is 6xx mph, m8.
Kanevex 5 years ago
thats the fastest aircraft on earth. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 200mph, nearly 3 times the speed of sound. :)
JJL2006 5 years ago
very nice jet there, love the music you put with it too
thesquisheee 5 years ago
jean michel jarres's oxygene
edproblemchild 5 years ago