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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu".
The SR-71 was developed in the 1960s as a black project by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the SR-71's innovative concepts. Its shape was based on the Lockheed A-12, a pioneer in stealth technology with its reduced radar cross section, but the SR-71 was longer and heavier to carry more fuel and a crew of two in tandem cockpits. The SR-71 was revealed to the public in July 1964 and entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966.
During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 at 85,000 ft or 26,000 m), allowing it to evade or outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was to accelerate and outpace the missile. Equipment for the plane's aerial reconnaissance missions included signals-intelligence sensors, side-looking airborne radar, and a camera. On average, an SR-71 could fly just once per week because of the lengthy preparations needed. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents, none to enemy action.
From 1968, reconnaissance missions were flown from Kadena AB, Okinawa, first over North Vietnam and Laos during the Vietnam War, and later over North Korea. From 1976, missions were flown from RAF Mildenhall, UK, along the Soviet Union's Baltic and Barents Sea coastlines. Missions were also flown over Cuba, Nicaragua, Libya, and to probe nuclear weapons installations in Israel and South Africa. Unlike previous aircraft that were under the Central Intelligence Agency, SR-71 missions were flown overtly, with USAF markings, and never overflew the Warsaw Pact or China.
In 1974, the SR-71 set the record for the quickest flight between London and New York at 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56 seconds. In 1976, it became the fastest airbreathing manned aircraft, previously held by its predecessor, the closely related Lockheed YF-12. As of 2025[update], the Blackbird still holds all three world records.
In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons, although several were briefly reactivated before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform, until it was retired again in 1999. Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As of 2018, Lockheed Martin was developing a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, with plans to fly it in 2025.
Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. The project, named Archangel, was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, "A-10" was the front-runner, although its shape made it vulnerable to radar detection. After a meeting with the CIA in March 1959, the design was modified to reduce its radar cross-section by 90%. On 11 February 1960, the CIA approved a US$96 million (~$778 million in 2024) contract for Skunk Works to build a dozen A-12 spy planes. Three months later, the May 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers's U-2 underscored the need for less vulnerable reconnaissance aircraft.
The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada, on 25 April 1962. Thirteen were built, plus five more of two variants: three of the YF-12 interceptor prototype and two of the M-21 drone carrier. The aircraft was to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, but J58 development was taking longer than scheduled, so it was initially equipped with the lower-thrust Pratt & Whitney J75 to enable flight testing to begin. The J58s were retrofitted as they became available, and became the standard engine for all subsequent aircraft in the series (A-12, YF-12, M-21), as well as the SR-71. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966, due both to budget concerns and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12.
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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu".
The SR-71 was developed in the 1960s as a black project by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the SR-71's innovative concepts. Its shape was based on the Lockheed A-12, a pioneer in stealth technology with its reduced radar cross section, but the SR-71 was longer and heavier to carry more fuel and a crew of two in tandem cockpits. The SR-71 was revealed to the public in July 1964 and entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966.
During missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 at 85,000 ft or 26,000 m), allowing it to evade or outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was to accelerate and outpace the missile. Equipment for the plane's aerial reconnaissance missions included signals-intelligence sensors, side-looking airborne radar, and a camera. On average, an SR-71 could fly just once per week because of the lengthy preparations needed. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents, none to enemy action.
From 1968, reconnaissance missions were flown from Kadena AB, Okinawa, first over North Vietnam and Laos during the Vietnam War, and later over North Korea. From 1976, missions were flown from RAF Mildenhall, UK, along the Soviet Union's Baltic and Barents Sea coastlines. Missions were also flown over Cuba, Nicaragua, Libya, and to probe nuclear weapons installations in Israel and South Africa. Unlike previous aircraft that were under the Central Intelligence Agency, SR-71 missions were flown overtly, with USAF markings, and never overflew the Warsaw Pact or China.
In 1974, the SR-71 set the record for the quickest flight between London and New York at 1 hour, 54 minutes and 56 seconds. In 1976, it became the fastest airbreathing manned aircraft, previously held by its predecessor, the closely related Lockheed YF-12. As of 2025[update], the Blackbird still holds all three world records.
In 1989, the USAF retired the SR-71, largely for political reasons, although several were briefly reactivated before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, using it as a research platform, until it was retired again in 1999. Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As of 2018, Lockheed Martin was developing a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, with plans to fly it in 2025.
Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. The project, named Archangel, was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. Of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, "A-10" was the front-runner, although its shape made it vulnerable to radar detection. After a meeting with the CIA in March 1959, the design was modified to reduce its radar cross-section by 90%. On 11 February 1960, the CIA approved a US$96 million (~$778 million in 2024) contract for Skunk Works to build a dozen A-12 spy planes. Three months later, the May 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers's U-2 underscored the need for less vulnerable reconnaissance aircraft.
The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada, on 25 April 1962. Thirteen were built, plus five more of two variants: three of the YF-12 interceptor prototype and two of the M-21 drone carrier. The aircraft was to be powered by the Pratt & Whitney J58 engine, but J58 development was taking longer than scheduled, so it was initially equipped with the lower-thrust Pratt & Whitney J75 to enable flight testing to begin. The J58s were retrofitted as they became available, and became the standard engine for all subsequent aircraft in the series (A-12, YF-12, M-21), as well as the SR-71. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966, due both to budget concerns and because of the forthcoming SR-71, a derivative of the A-12.