proxlamus© Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Yes I heard that plane leaks alot from the panels constantly shrinking and expanding from the atmospheric pressures. I also heard it theoretically has an unlimited top speed. We need SR71 trivia sheet! The body panels are made to fit loosely because of the body panel expansion from the heat generated by friction of air at high speeds and high pressure air on the leading edges of the surfaces. (awful run on sentence sorry) =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doublez Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 John, do you or anyone here know where in NYC one can be seen? A little searching brought this up... http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/getdoc/479c41f2-ab1f-4c71-a720-9e06c02706b5/US-Air-Force-Collection.aspx It's an A-12 at USS Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM73240Z Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 From some of the history that I have read, they have had successful ejections at mach4+ . the whole cockpit comes out in a capsule to protect the pilots at high altitude and speeds. That must have been exciting. Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairjj Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 I've seen 61-7976 up close and personal here in Dayton at the Air Force Museum. I can confirm that there are STILL pans underneath them to catch what drips out. The nose of the plane is close enough to the velvet ropes surrounding it that I touched it once. Much to my surprise, it was not smooth, in fact it was extremely rough. If you think the first post's picture was cool, you should see one from < 10 feet. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getoffmyinternet Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 Yeah I also saw the movie Space Cowboys I'd say the blackbird is more of a "this is why everyone should fear us" type of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONGO510 Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 A12's and Sr71's give me a woodie!!! The Ultimate airframe! Pacific Ocean to Atlantic Ocean in 1 hr. IIRC this plane was first flow in 1959! Thats 51 years ago. Nothing could touch it! They fly faster than a 30.06 bullet! The leading edge of the wing glows red at speed due to fiction! Damb, I'm Drooling!! Mongo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoov100 Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 If we are capable of something like that 50 years ago in complete secrecy, imagine what we could do with todays technology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM73240Z Posted June 6, 2010 Share Posted June 6, 2010 If we are capable of something like that 50 years ago in complete secrecy, imagine what we could do with todays technology. yes and no. yes, our tech is way out there compared to other countries. However, during the space race, America pushed science, math and tech in schools. that is why we were 20 years ahead of the compitition (except for the space race which we should have won if the green light was given to JPL). Now we are still ahead but not as much because we push buisness instead of math and science. Priorities. Jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 The A12 and SR71 maxed out at about Mach 3.2 although one pilot flying over Libya hit Mach 3.3 outrunning a SAM. The A21 first flew in 1962 and the SR71 first flew in 1964. The A12 also was used as the basis for the M21/D21 drone program. Imagine launching a Mach 3.5+ drone from the back of the A12 at Mach 3. The first launch of the D-21 from the back of the M-21 occurred successfully on March 5, 1966. The release was successful, though the drone hovered above the back of the M-21 for a few seconds, which seemed to one of the flight crew like "two hours". Kelly Johnson called it "the most dangerous maneuver we have ever been involved in, in any airplane I have ever worked on." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zcarnut Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 We’ve got an A-12 here in Huntsville parked in front of the Space and Rocket Center which is easily visible from the interstate highway. More reading on SR-71’s and A-12’s: http://www.johnweeks.com/sr71/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 My brother was stationed at Beal AFB in the late 70's. At that time Beal was home for the U2 and the SR-71. I had the privilege to see both of these planes in the air. The SR-71 flew right over his on base housing, very low, while we were in the back yard, it was a very impressive sight. I've seen the SR-71 in flight too. Mid 80's at the Point Mugu Naval Base airshow with the Blue Angels (in F4 Phantoms). The Blackbird came from directly behind the stands at very low altitude at probably about as slow a speed as it could go. It cruised out over the ocean and then the pilot punched it and it disappeared very quickly into the distance. Nice sonic boom. I was about 8 at the time, still remember it like it was yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 If you want to search the CIA documents related to the A12 (Oxcart) program, the fully declassified list is here: http://www.foia.cia.gov/search.asp?pageNumber=1&freqReqRecord=a12.txt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz21 Posted June 7, 2010 Share Posted June 7, 2010 I like your taste in the naughty my good man. I still remember the one time I went to the U.S.S Intrepid Museum in New York. It was a real treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrustnut Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 The Ram-Jet engines used on the SR-71 are essentially just a burner can, a fuel nozzle and a ejection nozzle. No real moving parts, and the faster you shove air in, the faster you go. So no real top speed on the engine, it was airframe limited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 The Ram-Jet engines used on the SR-71 are essentially just a burner can, a fuel nozzle and a ejection nozzle. No real moving parts Not exactly true. The P&W J58 is a variable cycle turbojet that has a compressor assisted ramjet section. At high Mach speeds 60 to 80% of the engine's thrust came from a fan assisted ramjet bypass of the turbojet burner section. It does not have an unlimited power output (top speed) due to the heat created by compressing the air with the supersonic shock wave. At full power it generated about 35,000 lbs of thrust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 (edited) According to the Wikipedia SR-71 page, 12 of the 32 planes were destroyed in accidents. The page if full of info on the history of the planes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sr-71 Below is the list showing the fate and disposition of the 32 planes. List of SR-71 Blackbirds Serial number / Model / Location or fate 61-7950 SR-71A Lost, 10 January 1967 61-7951 SR-71A Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona 61-7952 SR-71A Lost, 25 January 1966 61-7953 SR-71A Lost, 18 December 1969 61-7954 SR-71A Lost, 11 April 1969 61-7955 SR-71A Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California[74] 61-7956 SR-71B Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, Michigan 61-7957 SR-71B Lost, 11 January 1968 61-7958 SR-71A Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins, Georgia 61-7959 SR-71A Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida[75] 61-7960 SR-71A Castle Air Museum, 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, England[76] 61-7963 SR-71A Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California 61-7964 SR-71A Strategic Air and Space Museum, Ashland, Nebraska 61-7965 SR-71A Lost, 25 October 1967 61-7966 SR-71A Lost, 13 April 1965 61-7967 SR-71A Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana 61-7968 SR-71A Virginia Aviation Museum, Richmond, Virginia 61-7969 SR-71A Lost, 10 May 1970 61-7970 SR-71A Lost, 17 June 1970 61-7971 SR-71A Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon 61-7972 SR-71A Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia 61-7973 SR-71A Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, California 61-7974 SR-71A Lost, 21 April 1989 61-7975 SR-71A March Field Air Museum, Riverside, California[77] 61-7976 SR-71A National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio 61-7977 SR-71A Lost, 10 October 1968 61-7978 SR-71A Lost, 20 July 1972[3] 61-7979 SR-71A Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas 61-7980 SR-71A Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California 61-7981 SR-71C Hill Air Force Base Museum, Ogden, Utah I wonder how old that list is? We have a SR-71 here in Mobile Al at Medal of honor park where we have the USS Alabama. Very impressive indeed walking around that thing! Edited June 8, 2010 by wigenOut-S30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thrustnut Posted June 8, 2010 Share Posted June 8, 2010 (edited) Sorry I dumbed it down a little. It had to have compressor assist just to take off, ram jets are only efficient after your moving.The little I know about them I learned in T56-A-15 school, just basic principles. Another thing I herd was that there is a sonic boom happening inside every jet engine, but the act of compressing the air keeps it contained. (True?) Edited June 8, 2010 by thrustnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Here's a video of the first flight of the A12 at Groom lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaSmurf Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 (edited) had to mention that when I was at lackland afb for bmt they had an sr71 on display. I liked the b17, b25, p38, and p51 more though it was quite a collection. edit* I just noticed the list Edited July 10, 2010 by PapaSmurf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean111 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Any of you guys read Sled Driver? I've read some excerpts from it, some truly awesome stories there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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