Workers at Kadena Air Base in Japan called it after a snake found on Okinawa, the 'habu'. Its crews preferred the name the Sled, although some people also referred to it as the Lady in Black. The name is not important, though. What is, is that the SR71 Blackbird was probably the most phenomenal airplane ever built.
Between the Sixties and the Nineties, the aircraft was used on reconnaissance missions. It was designed and built at Lockheed Skunk Works in the early years of the Sixties. Its existence was announced by President Lyndon B Johnson in July of 1964, five months before its first flight. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, it was deployed from Kadena on its first operational mission.
In its day the SR71 set a number of records for speed and altitude. It was the fastest of all manned aircraft, with a cruising speed of Mach 2 but capable of reaching Mach 3 and more. This is one of the reasons why not one of these aircraft was shot down. It could fly away so fast that the enemy couldn't get to it.
The high speeds at which the plane flew made it necessary to use a material that could deal with the extreme heat generated by friction. Titanium turned out to be ideal for the airframe. To get this metal from its main supplier, the Soviet Union, the CIA had to create a front company and keep mum about what the titanium would be used for.
Another feature of the aircraft was the altitude at which it flew. At above 80,000 feet, most other aircraft couldn't reach it. In order to protect the pilots when they flew at this altitude, they had to wear pressure suits similar to those worn on space shuttles. They also had to wear oxygen masks for breathing.
The unusual shape was to reduce the risk of detection by radar. However, radar easily picked up the plane's exhaust fumes. The blue-black color made it very difficult to see the plane at night and was the reason for the plane's name. The craft carried the most advanced spying equipment, so in addition to a pilot, there was a Reconnaissance Systems Officer.
Lockheed built only thirty-two Blackbirds. Twenty survived while twelve were destroyed in crashes. Only one pilot ever died flying an SR71. The airplane had a service record like no other and even when it wasn't expected to perform, it outclassed other aircraft. On its final flight between California and Virginia, to become a museum display, one Blackbird set no less than four speed records, including one for the just over an hour it took to fly between Los Angeles and Washington DC.
NASA had some of these airplanes too and employed the first woman to fly one. While the USAF stopped flying the SR71 Blackbird in 1998, NASA held out for another year. This phenomenal plane made its last-ever flight in 1999 and today you can only see it on display in aviation museums across the United States, There is one in Great Britain too.
Between the Sixties and the Nineties, the aircraft was used on reconnaissance missions. It was designed and built at Lockheed Skunk Works in the early years of the Sixties. Its existence was announced by President Lyndon B Johnson in July of 1964, five months before its first flight. In 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, it was deployed from Kadena on its first operational mission.
In its day the SR71 set a number of records for speed and altitude. It was the fastest of all manned aircraft, with a cruising speed of Mach 2 but capable of reaching Mach 3 and more. This is one of the reasons why not one of these aircraft was shot down. It could fly away so fast that the enemy couldn't get to it.
The high speeds at which the plane flew made it necessary to use a material that could deal with the extreme heat generated by friction. Titanium turned out to be ideal for the airframe. To get this metal from its main supplier, the Soviet Union, the CIA had to create a front company and keep mum about what the titanium would be used for.
Another feature of the aircraft was the altitude at which it flew. At above 80,000 feet, most other aircraft couldn't reach it. In order to protect the pilots when they flew at this altitude, they had to wear pressure suits similar to those worn on space shuttles. They also had to wear oxygen masks for breathing.
The unusual shape was to reduce the risk of detection by radar. However, radar easily picked up the plane's exhaust fumes. The blue-black color made it very difficult to see the plane at night and was the reason for the plane's name. The craft carried the most advanced spying equipment, so in addition to a pilot, there was a Reconnaissance Systems Officer.
Lockheed built only thirty-two Blackbirds. Twenty survived while twelve were destroyed in crashes. Only one pilot ever died flying an SR71. The airplane had a service record like no other and even when it wasn't expected to perform, it outclassed other aircraft. On its final flight between California and Virginia, to become a museum display, one Blackbird set no less than four speed records, including one for the just over an hour it took to fly between Los Angeles and Washington DC.
NASA had some of these airplanes too and employed the first woman to fly one. While the USAF stopped flying the SR71 Blackbird in 1998, NASA held out for another year. This phenomenal plane made its last-ever flight in 1999 and today you can only see it on display in aviation museums across the United States, There is one in Great Britain too.
About the Author:
People who are interested in the sr71 blackbird can learn more about it when they visit www.sr71blackbird.net today. You will discover more information about the book by clicking the links at http://www.sr71blackbird.net now.
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar