Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird"

Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird". . The SR-71 was developed to replace the U-2 as a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft and was originally developed using the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A airframe design. The SR-71 structure is 80% titanium and 15% composite materials to withstand temperatures of 450 degrees fahrenheit at Mach 3.2. The first flight of an SR-71 took place December 22, 1964, and the first of 32 Blackbirds to enter service was delivered to the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, California in January 1966. The Air Force originally retired its fleet January 26, 1990, reactivated them in 1995 and then permanently retired the fleet in 1999. The Blackbird remained the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. From an altitude of 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles per hour of the earth's surface at Mach 3 plus speed (2,193 mph). There were no weapons on the SR-71 and the crew of two would depend on speed to escape a potentially dangerous situation., The SR-71A (s/n 61-7979) on display was first flown on August 10, 1967 and last flown March 6, 1990 with a total of 3,321.7 flying hours. This aircraft was assigned to the 9th SRW at Beale AFB and flew the first three of nine sorties from the eastern seaboard of the U.S. to the Middle East during the Yom Kippur War of October 1973., This aerospace vehicle (s/n 61-7979) is part of the USAF Heritage Program Collection.