The sleek SR-71 Blackbird spyplane reached an all new plateau in supersonic high-level flight for the Lockheed Corporation. Developed from the YF-12A interceptor program which spawned the A-12 program which in turn generated the basis for the SR-71 system, the Blackbird became the ultimate tool for the American Central Intelligence Agency throughout the Cold War.
The SR-71 "Blackbird" was so named in that fashion due to the specialized heat absorbing and radar dissipating color scheme applied to the series. The A model was crewed by two personnel that were required to wear astronaut-type flight suits due to the rigors of high altitude flight. Looking every bit the part of stealth plane, the SR-71 was instrumental in reconnaissance of enemy Cold War facilities of the Western Bloc.
The Blackbird was of a streamlined delta-type design featuring a smooth elongated fuselage housing instrumentation and fuel. The twin continuous-bleed turbojet engines were held out mid-wing and were the bread and butter of the series, helping the system achieve flight speeds in excess of Mach 3 at well over 70,000 feet. At the time of its inception, the SR-71 was the world's fastest conventionally-powered aircraft.
The initial SR-71 series was developed from experimental YF-121-A interceptor aircraft. From that development, the A-12 series produced 15 of its type which became a favorite of the CIA for its Mach 3.6 capability and useful in the launching of the D-21 reconnaissance drone. The ultimate version became the well-known SR-71 and achieved full operational status in 1966 with a total of 30 aircraft being produced.
Training for SR-71 pilots was handled via a single SR-71B series model and a single SR-71C series model, the latter based highly on a converted A-series model. The SR-71 faced full retirement status in 1989. Two SR-71's were activated out of retirement in in the middle of the 1990's with the whole series once again seeing full retirement in April of 1998.
For a more in-depth look into the SR-71 including performance figures, imagery, and fleet history, visit SR71blackbird.org.
Specifications
Year: 1966
Status Retired, Out-of-Service
Crew 2
Production 32 Units
Lockheed Skunkworks, Lockheed Corporation - USA
United States (retired)
- Reconnaissance (RECCE)
- Special Forces
Length:
107.41 ft (32.74 m)
Width:
55.58 ft (16.94 m)
Height:
18.50 ft (5.64 m)
Empty Weight:
67,506 lb (30,620 kg)
MTOW:
172,005 lb (78,020 kg)
(Diff: +104,499lb)
(Showcased weight values pertain to the Lockheed SR-71A production model)
2 x Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed, afterburning turbo-ramjets developing 32,500 lb of thrust with reheat.
Max Speed:
2,274 mph (3,660 kph; 1,976 kts)
Service Ceiling:
85,007 feet (25,910 m; 16.1 miles)
Max Range:
3,682 miles (5,925 km; 3,199 nm)
Rate-of-Climb:
11,820 ft/min (3,603 m/min)
(Showcased performance values pertain to the Lockheed SR-71A production model; Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database)
None. Internal provisioning limited to reconnaissance and surveillance equipment.
(Showcased armament details pertain to the Lockheed SR-71A production model)
SR-71 - Base Series Designation, "Blackbird" name being unofficial.
A-12 - Precursor reconnaissance platform to the SR-71.
M-21 - A-12 with DB-21 autonomous surveillance drone mounted atop SR-71 fuselage.
M/D-21 - Designation of M-21 when mated with the DB-21 drone.
SR-71A - Base Production Model; 30 examples produced.
SR-71B - Two-seat trainer conversions with elevated instructor's cockpit; 2 examples produced.
SR-71C - Conversion involving surviving aft-section of an ill-fated YF-12 with SR-71 forward section; single example completed.
(Cockpit image represents the Lockhedd SR-71A production model)
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry. The rating is out of a possible 100.
74
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 5000mph
Lo: 2500mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (2,274mph).
Graph average of 3750 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LDN
LDN
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MSK
MSK
TKY
TKY
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Lockheed SR-71A operational range when compared to distances between major cities.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
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United States (retired)
