Lockheed SR-71

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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.jpg
NASA's SR-71B "Blackbird"
Type: strategic altitude reconnaissance
Design country:

United StatesUnited States United States

Manufacturer:

Lockheed Corporation

First flight:

December 22, 1964

Commissioning:

7th January 1966

Number of pieces:

32 (29 SR-71A, 2 SR-71B, 1 SR-71C)

The Lockheed SR-71 ( SR stands for S trategic R econnaissance , Engl. For Strategic Reconnaissance ) is a Mach-3 -Fast, high flying twin-engine reconnaissance aircraft , which from 1966 to 1998 in the use of the US Air Force was operating. It is the best-known model of a number of similar aircraft types made by the Lockheed Corporation and developed by the Lockheed Advanced Development Projects Unit (better known as Skunk works ) on behalf of the CIA .

The models in this series were officially called Blackbird (German: Amsel) in the US Air Force . While stationed at Kadena Air Base , the SR-71 was nicknamed Habu , after an endemic pit viper species (Protobothrops flavoviridis) that is only found on the Ryukyu Islands , to which Okinawa belongs. A total of 32 aircraft were built, twelve of which crashed, but not a single one was shot down, because the Lockheed SR-71 flew so fast and high that surface-to-air missiles could not reach it.

Most of the remaining 20 aircraft are now on display in museums, the only one outside of the US is in the Imperial War Museum Duxford in the UK . Some machines were made temporarily ready for research flights in the 1990s and then again long-term preserved. The last flight of an SR-71 took place on October 9, 1999.

precursor

A-12 Oxcart

The Lockheed A-12 Oxcart was the predecessor of the SR-71 and was developed from the late 1950s. In 1967 and 1968 the A-12 flew 29 missions over Vietnam and Korea , then they were decommissioned in favor of the Blackbirds . Of the 13 aircraft built, five crashed, eight are now on display in museums.

YF-12A Blackbird

The Lockheed YF-12 was a prototype for a Mach 3 fighter, first flight on August 7, 1963. Only three aircraft of this type were built. The YF-12 was equipped with a Hughes AGS-18 radar and an IR locator . Three Hughes AIM-47B Falcon missiles were planned as armament in the interceptor version . After the program was canceled, the aircraft were made available to NASA and decommissioned in 1979.

Of the three copies built, two were lost on August 14, 1966 and June 24, 1971. The SR-71C was created in 1969 from the rear half of the YF-12, which was badly damaged during landing on August 14, 1966.

M-21 Blackbird

The M-21 (M stood for Mother) was a special version of the A-12 for the transport and launch of the unmanned reconnaissance drone D-21 (D for Daughter). While 30 machines were made of the D-21, only two M-21s were made; this was a modified two-seat A-12. The team with the drone attached was called the MD-21. The program was discontinued on July 30, 1966 after a fatal accident. While the pilot was being rescued, the launch system operator drowned 150 miles off the coast of California.

SR-71 Blackbird

An SR-71A Blackbird on the tarmac at the Dryden Flight Research Center of NASA in Edwards, California
An SR-71A during a test flight over the Tehachapi Mountains
Position of the parts made of composite material (synthetic resin / asbestos)
The SR-71B with a double cockpit
Launch of an SR-71A with afterburner, 1983
An SR-71 during air refueling by a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

The most famous version of the Blackbird was developed from the A-12. The first flight took place on December 22, 1964. The task of the SR-71 in the troop service was the strategic reconnaissance. In January 1966, the 4200th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base , California, set up a year earlier, received its first machine with one of the two SR-71B trainers built. The unit received its first operational machine on April 4, 1966. On June 25, 1966, the 4200th SRW was renamed the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (9th SRW) and carried out all operations of the SR-71 from then until October 1, 1989. The number 4200 received the 4200th Test Wing, which carried out the testing of the D-21B drone.

The pilot wore a suit very similar to those used in space travel (model David Clark S-1030) and was ventilated with pure oxygen. The reconnaissance sensors could cover an area of ​​259,000 km² per flight hour. Most of the titanium needed for the construction had to be procured from the Soviet Union.

The original name was "RS-71", but was changed to SR-71 in the course of development and not least at the instigation of Air Force General Curtis LeMay . It is rumored that US President Lyndon B. Johnson made a mistake when he called the reconnaissance aircraft "SR-71" (SR for Strategic Reconnaissance ). The designation provides information about the purpose of the aircraft, because the letters RS indicate a reconnaissance and bomber function (RS - "Reconnaissance / Strike"). The SR-71 was created as a high-performance reconnaissance aircraft and bomber in competition with the XB-70 Valkyrie . The use of the SR-71 as a bomber was investigated but dropped. The SR-71 was a so-called "gray project". The development of the previous projects remained secret for 5 years and even the application category of the model remained hidden. In the election year of 1964, the model series, then known as the A-11, was revealed to the public, with the President and Secretary of Defense contradicting the role of the aircraft: On February 29, 1964, President Johnson presented the aircraft as a long-range fighter. Then a veil of secrets was drawn again, only to present the completely new version SR-71 as a strategic reconnaissance aircraft a short time later. On September 30, the fighter version was presented under its name YF-12A. In December 1964, the trade magazine Interavia wrote that the SAC expected the delivery of the first SR-71 in 1965.

The operational variant SR-71A is manned by a pilot and a Reconnaissance Systems Officer . In the training version SR-71B, the rear cockpit is equipped with an additional control and is raised to allow a view to the front. The SR-71C was built from still existing parts and the rear half of a wrecked YF-12.

Of the total of 32 built copies (29 SR-71A, 2 SR-71B and 1 SR-71C) twelve were lost in accidents.

The Blackbird series was abandoned after 1998 because the main task (clarification through photographs) could, according to official information at the time , be carried out more safely with spy satellites .

Stealth technology

radar

In the case of the SR-71, attempts have already been made to reduce the radar reflective surface using stealth technology and thus to reduce the risk posed by air defense. Speed ​​and altitude were other important factors, similar to the MiG-25 .

The contours are flowing, protrusions, edges and right angles have been largely avoided or are softly shaped. The technology of the "re-entrant triangles" and the continuous curvature were used to effectively reduce the radar cross section (RCS) of the SR-71. Radar impulses that get into these structures are reflected multiple times, which attenuates them and effectively disperses them. Parts of the structure are made of heat-resistant plastic material. In order to achieve a continuous curvature of the fuselage and the engine nacelles, so-called Chinese or so-called RAM gussets were used, which flattened the otherwise circular cross-sections. At the same time the two rudders were inclined inwards. This avoids a right angle to the wings, which would otherwise act like a corner reflector and send radar pulses arriving from any angle back to their origin (similar to a cat's eye ). At the same time, this cancels any roll moments that occur when the rudder is operated. In addition, the two metallic rudders were replaced with heat-resistant plastic components because they contributed too much to the RCS. The sum of the measures reduces the radar reflecting surface (RCS).

Infrared radiation (heat)

The dissipation of the heat flows that occur at speeds of Mach 3.5 was the greatest challenge for the construction (hottest point at around 570 ° C). In the case of the SR-71, this was achieved through active liquid cooling of the entire outer skin, with the high-boiling JP-7 fuel acting as a heat carrier . The lubricants met specification MIL-L-87100 and the hydraulic fluid met specification MIL-H-27601.

Early tests with 1.2 m × 1.8 m pieces of the planned wing paneling showed that inadmissibly large deformations occurred with the heat flows calculated for the flight condition. The problem was solved by corrugating the outer skin of the wing parallel to the direction of flight. At the design temperature, the corrugations only deepened by a few thousandths of an inch and returned to their original shape when cooled.

Electronic countermeasures (ECM)

The SR-71 has an ECM system in order to be able to track down enemy radar systems and to irritate anti-aircraft missiles . Similar to the electronic countermeasures of the A-12 , several systems are used: the primary system (BIG BLAST in the A-12) is intended to target acquisition by the control system of an S-75 anti-aircraft missile by sending false signals (noise, false targets in the Main lobe ). The power of the transmitter is 3 kW in the S band and 10 kW in the C band . In contrast to the A-12, the SR-71 is also equipped with a system called CFAX, which, if required, sends false signals in the X-band with a power of 1 kW to the control system of an S-125 Neva anti-aircraft missile in order to enable the radar tracking of the To complicate SR-71. APR-27 (PIN PEG on the A-12) is supposed to detect the radiation from enemy fire control systems and then activate the 13C system. The 13C (MAD MOOTH on the A-12) used as a test is based on the principle of side lobe jamming (playing a strong signal into the side lobe ) and thus prevents the guidance system from targeting in the S-band and C-band.

Sensors

An SR-71 at the Udvar Hazy Center in Chantilly

In contrast to the A-12, the SR-71 was able to carry several sensor packages such as optical cameras, infrared cameras and high-resolution radar at the same time. The cameras used in 1967 achieved the best optical resolution of 0.3 m and the radar carried achieved a ground resolution of 10 to 20 m. The area photographed during a flight in the optical area was about 15 km × 3400 km, while the radar was able to record an area of ​​30 km × 6400 km.

Astronomical Inertial Navigation

The aircraft had a navigation system that was very precise for its time . Since the inertial navigation system was not precise enough, it was combined with an astronomical navigation (English Astro-Inertial Navigation System). The image sensor for astro navigation was located behind a circular window made of quartz glass on the upper fuselage.

Engines

The SR-71 is equipped with two turbojet engines of the type Pratt & Whitney J58 equipped, specifically for the drive of the SR-71 and its predecessor Lockheed A-12 have been developed. In order to still be able to work efficiently at the achievable speed of up to Mach 3.2, the engine was equipped with a technical sophistication that had never been used before: in addition to turbojet operation, it also works as a ramjet engine at high speeds , as the incoming air exceeds six Pipes are routed around the turbojet stage and directly into the afterburner. At very high speeds, 80 percent of the thrust is provided by the ramjet function.

A side effect was that as the ramjets became more efficient, the fuel consumption per route decreased as the maximum speed approached. These hybrid engines require very complex control mechanisms, which drove up the development effort.

fuel

It was already recognized during the development that previously unknown measures had to be taken to compensate for the expansion caused by warming. Many components had to endure temperature differences of 500 K and more without functional restrictions. In the fuel system, especially the tanks, no satisfactory solution has been found for this requirement. It was a special feature of this aircraft that technically unavoidable leaks in the fuel lines and tanks on the ground were tolerated. This was only possible because the JP-7 fuel used was difficult to ignite. The leaks closed during the flight due to the heating of the fuselage, while the aircraft leaked slightly on the ground . In the first few years of operation, the aircraft were completely refueled on the ground, as usual. However, there were problems with bursting tires during the start-up process, as a result of which some machines were even lost or not repaired. It was found that the problem could be solved by filling the tanks only about a quarter full at take-off and then refueling the machines in the air before the actual mission with tankers. The significantly lower take-off weight reduced the load on the tire sets, which from now on withstood the planned 15 take-offs and landings before they were replaced.

JP-7 cannot be ignited in the conventional way using spark ignition or glow plugs. When starting, pyrophoric triethylborane (TEB) is injected and the engine is started. The tanks for the triethylborane are located on the engines and are each filled with 600 cm³ TEB. These 600 cm³ are sufficient for 16 ignitions per engine. The triethylborane ignites immediately when it comes into contact with the oxygen in the air. The afterburner is also ignited with TEB. There are also catalytic igniters on the flame holders of the afterburner to prevent the afterburner from bursting.

During training, a normal JP-7 was flown. Due to the high heat of the afterburner, the exhaust gas ionized and reflected radiation in the VHF range, making the SR-71 easy to detect using an air surveillance radar. During the reconnaissance mission, A-50 containing cesium was added to JP-7, thereby reducing the radar signature of the exhaust gas jet.

Facts and Figures 1972 to 1989

  • 03551 reconnaissance missions were flown with the SR-71.
  • 17,300 flights in total
  • 11008 flight hours in reconnaissance missions
  • 02752 flight hours at Mach 3 in reconnaissance missions
  • 11675 flight hours at Mach 3 in total

Setting the program

The program was discontinued in 1998. All machines owned by the Air Force at the time were given to museums. Two copies were given to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (today Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center ) for research purposes, which they continued to use until 1999. Improved satellite technology and the expensive stockpiling of the JP-7 fuel, which is only used for this aircraft, were major reasons for abandoning the program.

On November 1, 2013, Lockheed Martin presented the SR-72, a concept for an unmanned successor that would be roughly twice as fast at Mach 6.

Records

Records of the SR-71

  • July 27, 1976 Beale AFB; Lockheed SR-71A (RS-17) 61-7958 3367.221 km / h Mach 3.2 over 1000 km WR
  • July 28, 1976 Beale AFB; Lockheed SR-71A (RS-17) 61-7959 3529,000 km / h Mach 3.36 over 16.1 km WR

The last official flight of an SR-71 in January 1990 set four course records. Unlike its Soviet counterpart, the MiG-25 (3–8 min Mach 2.83), the SR-71 was able to maintain its speed over long distances. The YF-12 routinely exceeded almost all the speed records held by Soviet aircraft.

Records of the SR-71A

The SR-71A Black Bird - on display in the Boeing Aviation Hangar ( Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center )

The 1000 km record with 1000 kg payload held by a Je-266 ( MiG-25 record version ) since October 1967 was surpassed by the SR-71A by 450 km / h. The SR-71A holds the absolute speed record to this day, the one with no payload and the one with 1000 kg, as well as the record in altitude in level flight.

The height record of jets in level flight of 25,929 m (the absolute height record of 37,650 m was achieved by a MiG-25 in parabolic flight ), and the speed record of 3529.6 km / h was set with an SR-71A. The fastest crossing of the USA (about 4000 km) was set up by a NASA machine in 1990: It took 68 min 17 s, which corresponds to a cruising speed of 3500.7 km / h. The fastest Atlantic crossing was also achieved with a Blackbird. The air refueling required here meant that the average speed was lower: 2925 km / h for New York - London in 1 hour and 55 minutes.

Media reception

The SR-71 gets an early mention in Frederick Forsyth's book The Devil's Alternative , when the protagonist crosses the Atlantic as a passenger in a two-seater SR-71 and lands in Moscow.

  • N24 Documentation SR71 - The fastest jet in the world (2015)

The SR-71 or its design has been used in several film productions and a computer game:

  • In the 1985 film DARYL - The Extraordinary , the title character escapes from a secret research facility of the US military by a. steals an SR-71.
  • In the 1997 film Strategic Command (also Executive Command ) - On a lonely mission , the SR 71 has a passenger transport room from which an anti-terrorist unit is transferred into a hijacked Boeing 747 passenger jet with the help of an extendable telescopic connecting element.
  • In the second part of the comic adaptation of Transformers , an SR-71 serves as a camouflage for the robot Jetfire .
  • For the comics of the X-Men series, the aircraft served as a template for the emergency aircraft, which was also used in the film adaptations .
  • At the beginning of the "Mass Destruction" mission of the Call of Duty: Black Ops computer game , you sit in an SR-71 as a scout and lead a troop to the target.

Technical specifications

Outline drawing of the SR-71A
Parameter Data from the SR-71A Blackbird
crew 2
SR-71A: Pilot and Reconnaissance Systems Officer
SR-71B: Students and teachers with raised cockpit
length 32.74 m
span 16.94 m
Wing area 149.10 m²
Wing extension 1.92
Wing loading 183 kg / m² minimum (empty weight)
517 kg / m² maximum (max. Starting weight)
height 5.64 m
Empty mass 27,214 kg
Max. Takeoff weight 77,112 kg
Max. Fuel capacity 36,287 kg
Service speed 3219 km / h
Top speed 3529 km / h ( Mach 3.36)
Service ceiling 24,385 m
Max. Altitude 26,213 m
Range 4830 km (without refueling)
Radar reflective surface approx. 0.012 m²
Engines 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58 jet engines with afterburner and 151.30 kN each of thrust
Thrust-to-weight ratio 0.38 minimum (max.start mass)
1.08 maximum (empty mass)
Armament -

Incidents

On January 25, 1966, test pilot Bill Weaver lost control of the aircraft during a test flight at a speed of Mach 3.18 and an altitude of over 75,000  ft (approx. 22,900  m ) due to a technical defect. The SR-71 got a strong yaw and roll motion . Due to the associated structural overload, the SR-71 broke. Weaver and his Reconnaissance System Officer (RSO) Jim Zwayer could no longer use the ejection seat due to the unconsciousness that quickly occurred due to the high acceleration forces, but were thrown from the crashing plane because the belts tore due to the high load . Zwayer was killed in the process. Weaver, who had regained consciousness in the fall, survived almost unharmed.

None of the planes were shot down over enemy territory by missiles or other planes, so the very high speed principle worked as hoped. Nevertheless, there were two major problems that led to accidents, especially in the first few years of operation:

  • Tires: Due to the extreme temperature differences during the flight, the tires were filled with nitrogen in order to keep the pressure as constant as possible. Nevertheless, there were problems with the tires in the beginning. The combination of high take-off speed and heavy weight with full tanks (up to 77 tons) resulted in some blowouts. As a result of these punctures, there were some losses. Two measures finally helped to get the problem under control: You started with only a quarter full tank and the tires were meticulously replaced after 15 take-offs and landings.
  • Engines: Due to the requirements, the engines were a technically very sophisticated design. The primary goal was to keep the air in front of the engine blades below Mach 1, even in the supersonic range. As soon as the pilots accelerated into the supersonic range, under unfortunate circumstances it could happen that the air flow in front of the afterburner was briefly interrupted and the afterburner thus died. However, the flame failure in the afterburner did not occur in both engines at the same time, but only in one engine. As a result, 100% performance was available on one side of the machine, and only around 15–20% on the other. This sudden, uneven thrust caused the aircraft to yaw and roll, which could not always be successfully intercepted. The pilots had the option of manually activating the engine ignition on the thrust levers, but they did not succeed in all cases. Lockheed developed a computer-aided system that monitored the condition of both engines and automatically re-ignited both engines in the event of a sudden drop in thrust in one engine. The thrust waste was only there for a short moment and the crews were able to keep the aircraft under control.

Whereabouts

SR-71 at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona
Close-up SR-71B at NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB , California

Twelve SR-71s were destroyed in accidents during the service and one pilot died. Eleven of these accidents occurred between 1966 and 1972.

List of all built SR-71
USAF serial number model Whereabouts
61-7950 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, January 10, 1967
61-7951 SR-71A Pima Air & Space Museum (near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base ), Tucson , Arizona
61-7952 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, January 25, 1966
61-7953 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, December 18, 1969
61-7954 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, April 11, 1969
61-7955 SR-71A Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base , California
61-7956 (NASA 831) SR-71B Air Zoo , Kalamazoo , Michigan
61-7957 SR-71B destroyed in an accident, January 11, 1968
61-7958 SR-71A Museum of Aviation , Robins Air Force Base , Warner Robins , Georgia
61-7959 SR-71A Air Force Armament Museum , Eglin Air Force Base , Florida
61-7960 SR-71A Castle Air Museum on the former Castle Air Force Base , Atwater , California
61-7961 SR-71A Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center , Hutchinson , Kansas
61-7962 SR-71A American Air Museum in Britain , Imperial War Museum Duxford , Cambridgeshire , UK
61-7963 SR-71A Beale Air Force Base , Marysville , California
61-7964 SR-71A Strategic Air and Space Museum (west of Offutt Air Force Base ), Ashland , Nebraska
61-7965 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, October 25, 1967
61-7966 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, April 13, 1967
61-7967 SR-71A Barksdale Air Force Base , Bossier City , Louisiana
61-7968 SR-71A Science Museum of Virginia , Richmond , Virginia
61-7969 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, May 10, 1970
61-7970 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, June 17, 1970
61-7971 (NASA 832) SR-71A Evergreen Aviation Museum , McMinnville , Oregon
61-7972 SR-71A Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center , Chantilly , Virginia
61-7973 SR-71A Blackbird Airpark, Air Force Plant 42 , Palmdale , California
61-7974 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, April 21, 1989
61-7975 SR-71A March Field Air Museum , March Air Reserve Base (formerly March AFB ), Riverside , California
61-7976 SR-71A National Museum of the United States Air Force , Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , near Dayton , Ohio
61-7977 SR-71A destroyed in accident, October 10, 1968, cockpit exhibited in the Seattle Museum of Flight
61-7978 SR-71A destroyed in an accident, July 20, 1972
61-7979 SR-71A Lackland Air Force Base , San Antonio , Texas
61-7980 (NASA 844) SR-71A Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center , Edwards Air Force Base , California
61-7981 SR-71C Hill Aerospace Museum , Hill Air Force Base , Ogden Utah (previously: YF-12A 60-6934)

Note: Serial numbers beginning with “64-”, such as SR-71C 64-17981, are incorrectly listed in many publications. There is no evidence in government documents to support such 64 numbers.

After completing all USAF and NASA missions on the SR-71, the flight simulator was brought to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas in June 2006 .

See also

Web links

Commons : Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. David Donald (Ed.): Black Jets , 2003, p. 166
  2. SR-71 EC96-43463-1: SR-71 Tail # 844 Landing at Edwards Air Force Base. In: www.dfrc.nasa.gov. Retrieved January 12, 2017 .
  3. Paul Kucher, among others: SR-71 Online: An Online Aircraft Museum. Retrieved January 12, 2017 .
  4. youtube: film from the Lockheed archives
  5. David Donald (Ed.): Black Jets - The Development and Operation of America's Most Secret Warplanes. AIRtime Publishing, 2003, p. 186.
  6. ^ SR-71 pilot Colonel Rich Graham: "The airplane is 92% titanium inside and out. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies - an ore called rutile ore. It's a very sandy soil and it's only found in very few parts of the world. The major supplier of the ore was the USSR. Working through Third World countries and bogus operations, they were able to get the rutile ore shipped to the United States to build the SR-71. "- Stephen Dowling: SR-71 Blackbird: The Cold War's ultimate spy plane . BBC. July 2, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  7. Peter W. Merlin: The Truth is Out There ... SR-71 Serials and Designations . Air Enthusiast, No. 118, Stamford (UK) July / Aug. 2005, pp. 4-5.
  8. ^ The A-11: New US Jet is Fastest and Highest , Time, March 13, 1964, p. 25
  9. America's fastest and most discussed military aircraft: YF-12A , Interavia No. 12/1964, p. 1806
  10. Efforts to Reduce the A-12's Radar Cross Section
  11. NASA research report YF-12: p. 3 - Chinese primary function, the reduction of the RCS; P. 4 - vertical stabilizers inclined to reduce roll and RCS; English, PDF
  12. Ferdinand CW Käseman: The fastest jets in the world. Avantic Verlag, 1999, ISBN 3-925505-26-1 , pp. 110-111.
  13. A-12 OXCART Reconnaissance Aircraft Documentation, Comparison of SR-71 and A-12 Aircraft, Aircraft Systems. CIA , September 26, 1967, archived from the original on December 12, 2012 ; Retrieved January 1, 2010 .
  14. A-12 OXCART Reconnaissance Aircraft Documentation, Comparison of SR-71 and A-12 aircraft, ECM equipment. CIA , Sept. 26, 1967, archived from the original on July 31, 2012 ; Retrieved January 1, 2010 .
  15. A-12 OXCART Reconnaissance Aircraft Documentation, Comparison of SR-71 and A-12 Aircraft, Sensor Capabilities. CIA , September 26, 1967, archived from the original on August 3, 2012 ; Retrieved January 1, 2010 .
  16. a b c Bill Weavers SR-71 Breakup. Roadrunnersinternationale.com, accessed January 18, 2013 .
  17. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-030-DFRC.html
  18. PICTURES: Skunk Works reveals Mach 6.0 SR-72 concept. Flightglobal, November 1, 2013, accessed November 13, 2013 .
  19. ^ Fédération Aéronautique Internationale : Record: Robert C. Helt (USA). Entry of the achieved altitude in level flight of a class C aircraft; C1 (land plan). FAI World Air Sports Federation, October 10, 2017, accessed December 11, 2019 .
  20. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale : Record: Alexandr Fedotov (URS). Entry of the achieved absolute altitude of a class C aircraft; C1 (land plan). FAI World Air Sports Federation, October 10, 2017, accessed December 11, 2019 .
  21. ^ Fédération Aéronautique Internationale : Record: Eldon W. Joersz (USA). Entry of the achieved speed of a class C aircraft; C-Absolute (Absolute Record of classes C, H and M). FAI World Air Sports Federation, October 10, 2017, accessed December 11, 2019 .
  22. http://de.call-of-duty.wikia.com/wiki/Blackbird
  23. Aviation Week & Space Technology , August 8, 2005, pp. 60–62.
  24. a b Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 98, 100-101.
  25. ^ Pace 2004, pp. 126-127.
  26. SR-71 # 953 crash. check-six.com.
  27. SR-71A Blackbird ( Memento October 16, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Air Force Flight Center Museum .
  28. a b http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/SR-71/HTML/EC94-42883-4.html
  29. ^ Exhibits ( memento of October 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). Air Force Armament Museum .
  30. Aircraft On Display: Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird. ( Memento of July 18, 2004 in the Internet Archive ) The American Air Museum. Imperial War Museum. (accessed: February 10, 2009)
  31. Aircraft: Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird. ( January 5, 2014 memento in the Internet Archive ) March Field Air Museum .
  32. ^ David Donald: Black Jets , AIRTime Publishing, 2003, p. 191
  33. U-2 / A-12 / YF-12A / SR-71 Blackbird & RB-57D - WB-57F locations. ' u2sr71patches.co.uk (accessed January 22, 2010)
  34. ^ "Frontiers of Flight Museum." Flightmuseum.com accessed: March 14, 2010.