SR-71 BLACKBIRD: THE WORLD'S FASTEST AIRPLANE
Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" was developed and manufactured in the 1960s, was operated by both the united states air force and NASA. The black paint, designed to dissipate heat, earned it the nickname, Blackbird.
It was part of a family of spy planes built to venture into enemy territory, without being shot down or even detected, in a time before satellites and drones. Because the aircraft is designed to fly faster than 2,000 mph, friction with the surrounding atmosphere would heat the fuselage to the point that would melt a conventional airframe. Therefore, the plane made use of titanium, the metal that can withstand high temperatures while being lighter than steel.
The shape of the SR-71 is based on that of the A-12, one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. A total of 32 units are created. The fuselage of the SR-71 included some of the first composite materials ever used in an airplane, making it harder to get spotted by enemy radar. Flying at a higher altitude than anti-aircraft fire could reach, faster than a missile, and barely visible to radar.
By the time the enemy had detected it and had fired their missile, it was already on its way out. As a result, no Blackbird was ever shot down by the enemy fire. However, its reliability was an issue, and 12 out of 32 are lost to accidents. It was also a complicated plane to operate and fly.
In 1976, the SR-71 set the records it still holds: flying at a sustained altitude of 85,069 feet and reaching a top speed of 2,193.2 miles per hour, or Mach 3.3. the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird from New York to London in 1 hour, 54 minutes, 56.4 seconds. The 1,806-mph flight still holds the transatlantic speed record between the two cities.
During 1988, the USAF retired the SR-71 mainly due to political reasons. NASA last flew the SR-71 in 1999, which used two aircraft for high-speed and high-altitude aeronautical research.
SR-72, A Concept Art for the Successor project of SR-71 Blackbird undertaken by Lockheed Martin.
An Article By: AeroFest Team
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