Tag: blackbird
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SR-71 pilot recalls using one Afterburner during Aerial Refueling
KC-135Q
The SR-71 would be a very short-ranged aircraft were it not for air refueling, limited to around 2,000 NM. Multiple air refuelings extended the range of the...
When a SR-71 pilot and his RSO safely landed after the right engine nacelle blew out and damaged the right-wing leading edge
Not a routine Blackbird inlet unstart
The SR-71, commonly referred to as the "Blackbird," is a sophisticated, long-range aircraft designed for strategic reconnaissance, developed from...
SR-71 pilot explains why he had to see through the Blackbird periscope after an intake unstart occurred
In a different category from anything that had come before
The legendary SR-71, which earned its nickname "Blackbird," emerged as a long-range, Mach 3+, strategic...
President Jimmy Carter let a catholic priest fly at Mach 3.52 aboard an SR-71
President Jimmy Carter
From 1977 to 1981, American politician and humanitarian James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924–December 29, 2024) served as the 39th...
Why the Blackbird had to refuel right after takeoff (and it’s not because it leaked fuel)
KC-135Q
A team of Lockheed personnel, led by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, then vice president of Lockheed's Advanced Development Company Projects (commonly known as the "Skunk...