tuna55 wrote: In reply to XLR99: Wait, are you saying you flew the X15, or worked on it firsthand?
Oh no, not even close to smart enough for something like that! Plus the program was over before I was born. Sorry for any confusion; didn't mean to derail the thread.
However, I did stay at Holiday Inn Express last night 
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Appleseed wrote: They also have the only flying A6M Zero with it's Nakajima engine.
Wait, who does?
(resist the temptation resist the temptation resist the temptation)
I thought... zero... were left in the world (DANGIT)
Planes of Fame on Chino, CA. They also have a flying Northrop N9M.
There are a few flying Zero replicas. Saw one at Oshkosh next to a Grumman F4F-5.
tuna55 wrote: Also: Was the MiG 31 as impressive as it sounds? Intercepting the SR-71 and all? Or... is it typical Russian overpromising?
Over-promising on the Commies part, the SR was pretty much only restricted by surface temp on its leading edges instead of a particular speed. There is likely a reason the actual top speed has never been fully disclosed.
The SR was actually limited by it's engine's inlet temperature. 3.2 mach is listed as it's official top speed, but it could go as high as 3.3-3.35 if the air played right. I've heard this directly from a Sled driver.
In reply to Appleseed:
The more you know
The more I know, the more I want to know.
Looks like a cooler candidate engine for a Geo Metro than a two stroke snowmobile engine!
But each J-58 required a start cart with 2 Buick 455s to turn them over, negating some of the convince in a road car. 
Appleseed wrote: But each J-58 required a start cart with 2 Buick 455s to turn them over, negating some of the convince in a road car.
I always heard they were nail heads, 401 I believe.
In reply to XLR99:
I googled XLR99 and once I did that it is not hard to figure out your username.
spitfirebill wrote:Appleseed wrote: But each J-58 required a start cart with 2 Buick 455s to turn them over, negating some of the convince in a road car.I always heard they were nail heads, 401 I believe.
I heard Wildcat engines and Wildcats never came with 455s.
They were 401 nailheads, then switched to Chevy 454s. The start carts were always called "Buicks" regardless of their engines. The rad part is the pilot would inform the crew chief that he was ready to start over the intercom with "ENGAGE BUICKS."
Appleseed wrote: They were 401 nailheads, then switched to Chevy 454s. The start carts were always called "Buicks" regardless of their engines. The rad part is the pilot would inform the crew chief that he was ready to start over the intercom with "ENGAGE BUICKS." Auidio of a "Buick" in action.
This to me really puts the engineering level of the whole SR-71 program into perspective. When compare the technology of the plane (much of which is still highly classified) with the other technology of the day - being a gear-head the 401 is a perfect example - you can see how antiquated it seems compared to today's engine tech, while the plane is still just as legendary as it's always been. In some ways the SR-71 program seems like at least as big of an accomplishment as the Apollo program.
This to me really puts the engineering level of the whole SR-71 program into perspective. When compare the technology of the plane (much of which is *still* highly classified) with the other technology of the day - being a gear-head the 401 is a perfect example - you can see how antiquated it seems compared to today's engine tech, while the plane is still just as legendary as it's always been. In some ways the SR-71 program seems like at least as big of an accomplishment as the Apollo program.
Not to put down the SR-71 but consider that the cold war ended in 1991, thus removing much of the incentive for the government to spend billions of dollars building higher tech aircraft.
Instead, they cancel an already paid for program, investing in billion dollar spy sats that have an easily predictable flight pattern. 
I'm an SR fanboi. Sorry.
The SR program may have been paid for, but it consumed a lot of money to keep them flying. There are so many satellites now, I think it made sense, even though I am a huge SR fanboy.
More recently, the drones we know about and I am sure a few we don't, really make the SR71 unnecessary.
It was nice though, for a while, there was justification to need the fastest thing you could possibly build.
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