How slow can an SR-71 BLACKBIRD fly?

From where I'm sitting in my office right now I can almost throw a baseball and hit one at the Robins Air Museum, just across the highway. Beautiful craft. They've moved it inside in recent years, but for a long time it was parked outside. It was roped but the ropes were so close you could easily lay hands on it.

COULD, but of course I did not, because that was against the rules....

If you air guys ever get through central GA the museum is very impressive. At one time it was second only to Wright Pat in size.

relevant link: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-is-an-image-of-the-very-last-test-of-the-pratt-w-1484943138?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_facebook&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

petegossett wrote: Makes you wonder what we've been keeping secret since then, doesn't it?

The 50's and 60's gave us the U-2 and SR-71. The 80's and 90's gave us the F-117 and the B-2. The military never gets rid of something unless something better is operational. It amuses me to think of what kinds of badass stuff is flying now that we aren't aware of. I would just really love to see what we have, not because I feel we as taxpayers are entitled to but just to be in awe of what we can do with the technology availible today.

Lancer007 wrote:

petegossett wrote: Makes you wonder what we've been keeping secret since then, doesn't it?

The 50's and 60's gave us the U-2 and SR-71. The 80's and 90's gave us the F-117 and the B-2. The military never gets rid of something unless something better is operational. It amuses me to think of what kinds of badass stuff is flying now that we aren't aware of. I would just really love to see what we have, not because I feel we as taxpayers are entitled to but just to be in awe of what we can do with the technology availible today.

SR-72? Not out yet, but...I am sure that something is in the toy box....maybe the Aurora (SR-91?)???

Lancer007 wrote:

petegossett wrote: Makes you wonder what we've been keeping secret since then, doesn't it?

The 50's and 60's gave us the U-2 and SR-71. The 80's and 90's gave us the F-117 and the B-2. The military never gets rid of something unless something better is operational. It amuses me to think of what kinds of badass stuff is flying now that we aren't aware of. I would just really love to see what we have, not because I feel we as taxpayers are entitled to but just to be in awe of what we can do with the technology availible today.

I've always wondered the same thing. They kept these things secret for years, sometimes decades. What else is out and about in the skies?

I suspect a lot of the new "stuff" looks like this:

Not quite as sexy, but effective none the less. Not sure speed is the "game" anymore.

In reply to air-cooled:

I agree completely on all points, yet I still can't help but think there's bigger/better/whatever which the public is unaware of?

In reply to aircooled:

Yeah, I am pretty sure most of the secret E36 M3 we don't know about is more on the drone side. I am curious about what kind of weapons are being developed too. The secret stuff going on now will blow our minds even 20 years from now when we find out.

Strongly recommend the book "Dark Eagles: A History of Top Secret U. S. Aircraft Programs", by Curtis Peebles. Excellent sections on the design and development of the U-2, SR-71 and F-117A, as well as some stories about operations. When you consider the way the Blackbird was designed in the late 50s and early 60s, it is simply amazing. Lots of good info on the real Area 51, no UFO crap, just real stuff from the days when the Skunk Works were riding high.

Car connection: Anyone notice the brief test of the Flyin' Miata V8 Miata in, I think, R&T, that mentioned the nickname Habu and only mentioned the deadly snake - it read like the writer had no idea about the connection of the name to the Blackbird and speed.

Jim Pettengill wrote: R&T ... mentioned the nickname Habu and only mentioned the deadly snake - it read like the writer had no idea about the connection of the name to the Blackbird and speed.

Don't forget that we're a bunch of weirdos.
I find it more than likely that most people who hear the Habu name have no idea what it means as a critter, much less in other realms

When I hear Habu, I think Kadena Air Base. The barracks i lived in were called the Habu Hilton. Also, i think of Habu saki.

http://www.habu.org/what-is-habu.html

Lancer007 wrote:

petegossett wrote: Makes you wonder what we've been keeping secret since then, doesn't it?

The 50's and 60's gave us the U-2 and SR-71. The 80's and 90's gave us the F-117 and the B-2. The military never gets rid of something unless something better is operational. It amuses me to think of what kinds of badass stuff is flying now that we aren't aware of. I would just really love to see what we have, not because I feel we as taxpayers are entitled to but just to be in awe of what we can do with the technology availible today.

+1. Look how long it takes though. The F-117 was operational in the early 80's. Testing was done in the late 70's and we, the public, found out about it in 1991.

This needs to be 'shopped into a V8 Miata patch:

Evergreen Aviation museum in Oregon has one... along with a drone

oldeskewltoy wrote: Evergreen Aviation museum in Oregon has one... along with a drone

Yeah, I got to take a shot inside the empty engine bay of the SR-71 they had. It was awesome. The skin feels surprisingly rough (probably a ceramic-like coating).

Jim Pettengill wrote: Car connection: Anyone notice the brief test of the Flyin' Miata V8 Miata in, I think, R&T, that mentioned the nickname Habu and only mentioned the deadly snake - it read like the writer had no idea about the connection of the name to the Blackbird and speed.

I think it got edited out. We always mention the SR71 connection, the writer was aware of it

AWESOME!

Appleseed wrote:

WANT!!!!!

Dear FM,

Please make merchandise with this logo and take all of my hard earned-dollhairs whilst I dream about affording a Habu of my own.

Thanks,

Me

Went down and paid a visit to the Pima Air and Space Museum this afternoon. Took some pics of the beast.

Starting cart with the dual big blocks. One throttle lever and a bank of gauges for each motor.

Old boys are leaking some oil.

The SR-71 with a D-21 drone in the forground.

As mentioned before, the finish is surprisingly rough. One little thing I noticed looking at it today was that the panel fitment was orders of magnitude more exact than other planes on display and the screws were all perfectly countersunk and flush. I know that necessary for it but I love those small details about stuff like this.

-Edit- to add a shot from under the jet.

Hi - First post here. I'm an SR71 fan big time! This might be of interest to Kazoospec - I have tried to contact the Kalamazoo museum - but no reply...

Anyway - long story cut short... I'm also a big lego fan, so if anyone here ever fancied a Habu, but cant afford a full size one.... check these baby ones out.

Lego SR71 Pictures

I went to the USS Alabama park in Mobile to tour the battleship. As a bit of a side show they have a "few planes" you can check out as well. Including a Blackbird at touching distance.

It was the little things about it that really make my head swim. The tires for instance, are 20+ ply inflated with nitrogen to 325 psi (!) and have to be capable of baking in the wheel wells for the duration of an entire flight (3-8 hours) at something like 800 degrees F. Seriously, who came up with stuff like that??

Interesting to compare and contrast the technology differences between it and another display, a near perfect replica of the CSS Hunley..... Mind boggling.

and just think … these planes were designed mostly using slide rulers … kids today in eng. school might never have even heard of slide rulers