Tag: blackbird
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Why R2-D2, the SR-71 Astroinertial Navigation System, was essential for Blackbird missions
The SR-71 Blackbird Astroinertial Navigation System was affectionately called R2-D2 after the Star Wars movie came out in 1977
No other reconnaissance aircraft has ever...
F-14 RIO tells the story of two memorable SR-71 takeoffs… And that of his Tomcat’s unrestricted climb
In February 1988, the SR-71 community hosted a small conference and invited representatives of the four types of US fighters—Navy F-14 and F/A-18, Air...
Why the iconic SR-71 could only barely exceed 85,000 feet of altitude
What would happen if an SR-71 tried to surpass 85,000 feet of altitude?
Over its nearly 24 years of service, the legendary SR-71 held...
Disassembled M-21 Blackbird being transported to the Museum of Flight in Seattle
The Museum’s M-21 Blackbird first flew in 1964 and is the sole surviving example of its type.
Captured in 1991, the striking photo in...
The Blackbird crew flew 15,000 miles in 10h 30m non-stop to test how many refuelings the SR-71 could complete before its liquid nitrogen ran...
On Apr. 26, 1971, pilot Lt. Col. Thomas Estes and RSO Lt. Col. Dewain Vick flew SR-71 #968 15,000 miles in 10 hours 30...