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'SR-71 "Blackbird"

Looks like the Lackland Bird.

I can count on three lucky fingers the number of times I've seen them fly back in the day at Mildenhall Airfete. If only I had been old enough to have a good camera, and a car then I would've set up camp outside the base all year round lol
 
My dad took me out of school back in the day to see the one fly into the Air Force Museum in Dayton.... I remember it was late! Leaving everyone to ask how a supersonic aircraft could be late! Also, the runway behind the museum is very very short, so I also remember the pilot being interviewed and he was pretty unsure of the landing himself......
 
my uncle was working at edwards back in the day...he was servicing the ILS systms or something to do with them...he invented an antena for the ILS landing systems in 1946 and worked for/with the airforce until 2005,anyway..he came home from edwards and told my dad he saw this pane..he didnt know what it was but it had flown to new york and back and set a record,was super secret,blah blah blah.....my dad allways thought he was fulla bull..like when my uncle told us the govermnemt had this techknology called GPS..or that there were satalites that could read matchbook text....lol...my dads a redneck..never believes anything he cant see touch or taste...anyway...my dad was then at a "upper crust" type party some of the local uppity people in town had cabins and we did to,,,we had a party and this air force commander was there...dads tellin this story of how full of poop my uncle was that he saw this ( now he knew it was an SR71) and he witnessed this historic flight ect...and the AF guy looked at him kinda sideways like and said...you mean Cleve Cr......... mom says yes..thats my brother....the commander or whater ever rank...says...yeah ive knon cleve a long time..work with him on the antenea alingments but i was the one who flew the sr71 that day.....my dad got put in his place that night and i loved it...LOL

ps i dont know the mans name right now...someone can google if you want and find his name...but the reason he was at this party is that he was an inlaw to the local mortian,who was a close friend of my parents at the time...i think there all dead now
 
The A-12s were the real hotrods of the Blackbird fleet. They only had one cockpit and less equipment (and thus weighed less) than the later models. They were also less stable in that the fuel tanks had to be manually balanced, which lead to at least one crash. I think they might've also had a different autopilot that wasn't as strong, but don't quote me on that. Therefore, any records set by the SR-71 could probably have been broken by the A-12. (And might have, we may never know....)
 
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Cool shot, Panther, & you too, Andrey (had never known of any black A-12s, sliver ones are what I remember).
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My job in the USAF was with the '71 program, working in PSD/Physiological Support Division, suiting up crew members
& installing them into the aircraft. A pic of my confirming an order for 2 Angus Burgers at the MickyDee's drive-through...
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InflatingSystem2-1975.jpg

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Am actually awaiting Noel Widdefield's acknowledgement of suit's secondary pressurization system.
Ah, to have that hair again.
action-smiley-023.gif

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'Nuther, with me in the S901J (Gemini space suit, upgraded model continuing to be worn by shuttle astronauts on ascent & descent)...
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SuitingUp_MeInTheSuit1976.jpg

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Had rigged the assembly to pressurize from a LOX container, the first tech to ever do so.
cool-smiley-015.gif

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Lastly, a pic of what Mach 3+ @ FL80+ looks like on a cheap little X-15 Kodak camera...
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PlanetEarth.jpg

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Noel, a Habu RSO, had taken my camera up out of OLKA & snapped one for me.

http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/image2~2.html
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Albeit its impressive performance, the front view of a SR-71 never struck me as appealing at all. The "pancake" part of the fuselage makes it simply look ugly.



boxcar said:
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Click to expand...

I love these up close and personal stories! Got anymore?
 
Wittpilot said:
My dad took me out of school back in the day to see the one fly into the Air Force Museum in Dayton.... I remember it was late! Leaving everyone to ask how a supersonic aircraft could be late! Also, the runway behind the museum is very very short, so I also remember the pilot being interviewed and he was pretty unsure of the landing himself......
Click to expand...


WOW... I was there also that day..
WOW..

And when the XB-70 flew in also..
That was it thrill to see these two super birds in the air..

I do miss seeing all the fighters/bombers at Wright-Patterson.
Now it is just has a transport wing.. No longer a SAC base with bombers and fighters..
Except for those that are being tested..
 
Boxcar,
I came across a former Blackbird PSD while in Loadmaster School. I had to go through anti-barf training. He made the entire experience enjoyable. I can't for the life of me remember his name, but he was involved late in the program and was invited back when the program was temporarily restarted.
 
Saw then twice. Once at Castle when one landed emergency. Parked it outside with the 106's. THAT didn't last long! Was quickly towed inside a hanger and left the next day. It was an outstanding takeoff - almost straight up with both Ab's lit up.

Saw another at U-Tapeo. Landed with generator out. Got a close look inside the hanger. An awesome machine.!
 
Bjoern said:
Albeit its impressive performance, the front view of a SR-71 never struck me as appealing at all. The "pancake" part of the fuselage makes it simply look ugly.
Click to expand...

Sacriledge! I can't think of one angle that makes it look ugly!!

The A-10, now that is ugly!!
 
Hey All,

My sister was an electronics tech on SR-71s and U-2s in the late 70s. I used to visit her at Beale AFB and often got to see them taking off and landing. Once I saw a U-2 and a Blackbird take off side by side then the 71 cut in afterburners and was flat gone. U-2 was still in sight though. Cool planes.

-Ed-
 
centuryseries said:
Sacriledge! I can't think of one angle that makes it look ugly!!

The A-10, now that is ugly!!
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, the SR-71 IMO has got to be the best looking aircraft of all time. As for other aircraft...well lets just say that I've never seen an airplane that I thought was ugly LOL
 
argo147 said:
My thoughts exactly, the SR-71 IMO has got to be the best looking aircraft of all time. As for other aircraft...well lets just say that I've never seen an airplane that I thought was ugly LOL
Click to expand...

The SAC Aerospace Museum in Ashland NE think the SR-71 is so beautiful that they have one as lobby sculpture at the museum. They also use an Atlas ICBM and other missles as some of their lawn ornaments too.
 
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