Two other planes, the A-12 and the YF-12, are very much identical to the SR-71.
The A-12 was the first plane developed out of the three.
The YF-12 was an SR-71 with an internal bay carrying three Hughes GAR-9/ AIM-47A air to air radar guided missiles, designed to shoot enemy airplanes flying at lower altitudes.
Only three YF-12s were ever built.
January 1st, 1997, two SR-71 air crews and planes were declared mission ready for the first time since the plane's retirement, seven years ago.
In 1994, Congress appropriated funds to put two aircraft back into service, and these airplanes were taken out of storage, refurbished, and delivered to the USAF. (One was located at NASA's Dryden research facility and the other at the Skunk Works.)
These two Blackbirds and their crews are now based at Edwards Air Force Base, though administratively, they are part of the 9th Recon Wing at Beale.
These SR-71s are equipped with reconnaissance sensors, including the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar system that provides near real-time, all-weather, day or night imagery.
At rest on the ground, fuel leaks out constantly, since the tanks in the fuselage and wings only seal at operating temperatures, the Blackbird stretches a few inches during flight.
There is little danger of fire since the JP-7 fuel is very stable with an extremely high flash point.
You can actually put out a fire with JP-7 fuel!!
After the SR-71 takes off, it has to refuel seven minutes later. After this refueling, the plane can fly up to 2,500 miles without refueling.
The only aircraft that is faster is the X-15 that can reach a speed of over 4,000 mph.
The only aircraft ever to come close to the SR-71's speed besides the X-15 is the Russian MiG-25 Foxbat. The MiG-25 could only reach speeds of over Mach 3 for a few minutes.
The Anglo-French Concorde is the only aircraft besides the SR-71 that can fly at supersonic speeds for hours at a time.
The SR-71A accommodates two crew members in tandem cockpits. The pilot flies the aircraft from the forward cockpit, while a systems operator monitors sensors and experiments in the rear station.
For high-speed, high altitude missions, both crew members must wear full-pressure suites that resemble those worn by the early astronauts.
Specifications
| Version | SR-71 |
| Length | 107.4ft 32.73m |
| Height | 18.5ft 5.63m |
| Wingspan | 55.6ft 16.94m |
View all the specs and compare them with other aircraft!
SR-71 Blackbird Videos | 215 Videos Available!
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This page was last updated on: 2006-02-01
