SR 71

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird entered the U.S. Air Force's inventory in 1966 as the fastest aircraft in the world and still holds that distinction to this day. In 1990 the U.S. Air Force withdrew the SR 71 from operational duties.

In 1995 the USAF brought 2 SR-71's back to service (somebody made in 1990 the wrong decision) and believe it or not: Finaly the new SR71 squadron was operational and one week later Bill Clinton killed the program.

The SR 71 Blackbird has captured several world speed records. In September 1974, crews of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) broke the existing record of four hours, 46 minutes for a trans-Atlantic crossing between New York and London. Their time was an amazing one hour, 55 minutes. In 1976 they set a new absolute world speed record over a 25 kilometer straight course (2.193 mph, 3528 km/h) and flew the Blackbird to 85,069 feet (27983 meters) to set world absolute altitude record for horizontal flight.

The Lockheed SR 71-A Blackbird is an American made two-seat reconnaissance aircraft.

SR-71 BLACKBIRD PERFORMANCE: Wing span: 16,94 m. Length: 32,74 m. Height: 5,64 m. Max. speed: Mach 3.5+(3500+ km/h,2175+mph.) Empty weight: 60,000 lbs.(27216 kg.) Max. weight: 170,000 lbs.(77111 kg.) Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney J-58 bleed turbojets Thrust : 32,500 lbs.(14742 kg.) (each)

About SR 71...

Role: Strategic Reconnaissance

Manufacturer: Lockheed Skunk Works

Designed by: Clarence "Kelly" Johnson

First flight: 22 December 1964

Introduced: 1966

Retired: 1998

Primary users: United States Air Force NASA

Number built: 32

Developed from: Lockheed A-12