SR-71 Blackbird

[Onyx]

The SR-71 was a remarkable plane. Lockheed has a great article about it:
Creating The Blackbird

Another article with more pictures:
Facts You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

The flight manual was declassified a while back:
SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual

It's been a few years since I used it, but the FlightGear simulator has a nice SR-71 model, with the landing chute and everything:
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - FlightGear wiki

 

[Quetzal]

In DC, they have one on display. I was able to grab a few pics!

https://imgur.com/a/3dQU4

 

[Onyx]

In DC, they have one on display. I was able to grab a few pics!

I bet it was cool to see it in person, thanks for the pictures!

 

[Quetzal]

I bet it was cool to see it in person, thanks for the pictures!

You're welcome! Of course you can see my girl in the back creeping in photo 2.

 

[Onyx]

 

[MD]

I see your SR 71, and raise you a Mig 25

 

[Nietzsche]

The SR-71 was a remarkable plane. Lockheed has a great article about it:
Creating The Blackbird

View attachment 15759

Another article with more pictures:
Facts You Didn’t Know About the SR-71 Blackbird

The flight manual was declassified a while back:
SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual

It's been a few years since I used it, but the FlightGear simulator has a nice SR-71 model, with the landing chute and everything:
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - FlightGear wiki

I did not know NASA had their own paintjob and ****. That F-16 looks so damn cool with it.

 

[Onyx]

I did not know NASA had their own paintjob and ****. That F-16 looks so damn cool with it.

NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: SR-71 Blackbird

 

[Revoltingest]

A friend I once worked with got to see one take off.
He said it was amazing.

 

[Revoltingest]

I see your SR 71, and raise you a Mig 25

The SR 71 is faster.
And it's somewhat stealthy (early version of the technology).

 

[MD]

The SR 71 is faster.
And it's somewhat stealthy (early version of the technology).

Wasn't the MiG 25 supposed to be a counter to the SR 71?

 

[Onyx]

The takeoff/climb procedures are interesting. The plane's engines basically become ramjets after mach 1.0. (See "area for transonic accel" in the chart below, link provided as a starting point for further reading.)

Wasn't the MiG 25 supposed to be a counter to the SR 71?

I don't know much about the MIG-25, perhaps a new thread is in order for that. There was a forerunner to the SR-71 with missiles onboard (YF-12 prototype), but I think the general design was used most profitably as a spy-plane.

At first glance, some differences I see are that the SR-71 was mostly titanium, while the MIG-25 was stainless steel (with some silver-plated steel in the engines?). Also, the SR-71 appears to have had a higher sustained speed. Will look into it more.

From SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 2, Page 2-40:

 

[Revoltingest]

Wasn't the MiG 25 supposed to be a counter to the SR 71?

They had entirely different roles.
The SR-71 is a spy plane with no armament.
The Foxbat could surveil, but also carried missiles.
This resulted in design compromises, which (along with others) limited both top & cruising speed.

Ref....
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 - Wikipedia
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - Wikipedia

Design philosophies differed between Americastan & Evil Ivan.
The former was more technologically advanced (eg, using titanium instead of easier to work steel),
but Ivan accomplished remarkable things with sophisticated use of less advanced resources.

 

[Neo Deist]

I did not know NASA had their own paintjob and ****. That F-16 looks so damn cool with it.

It's not a F-16. Blasphemy!

It's a F-16XL.