SR-71 Blackbird

The legendary SR-71 "Blackbird" is the United States Air Force’s high-altitude, (85,000 feet +), high-speed, (Mach 3+) reconnaissance aircraft that has never been superseded by any known aircraft. None was ever lost to enemy action and the intelligence gathered gave the United States the raw data needed to effectively counter real and potential threats. The aircraft is particularly significant as an example of American dominance in applied science and this aspect will be fully exhibited when the aircraft is installed in the planned multi-million dollar museum expansion. - David Hahn

Read SR-71 status reports from our own David Hahn!

Specifications & Further Information

Flying three times faster than the speed of sound and higher than 80,000 feet, the SR-71 is the most technologically significant aircraft built since WW II. She flew thousands of hazardous reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam, North Korea, the Middle East and many other hot spots throughout the world. The following information is provided more technical information on one of aviation’s most famous aircraft--the Black Bird:

Mission: High Speed, High Altitude Reconnaissance
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Reconnaissance System Officer)
Construction: Titanium monocoque with some super-high-temperature plastics
Length: 107 feet, 5 inches
Wingspan: 55 feet, 7 inches
Height: 16 feet, 6 inches
Landing Weight: 68,000 pounds
Maximum Gross Take-off Weight: 140,000 pounds
Maximum Speed: 3.2+ Mach
Maximum Altitude: over 85,000 feet
Maximum Unrefueled Range: 3,200 nautical miles
Armament: None
Powerplant: 2 Pratt & Whitney J-58 High-bypass-turbojets producing up to 34,000 pounds of thrust

SR-71 production: 29 A Models, two B Models (two-seat pilot trainers), one C Model (two-seat trainer built from two different airframes); Out of the total of 32 SR-71’s built, 21 are still in existence; Of the 12 SR-71s lost, no USAF pilots or RSOs lost their lives nor were any shot down by hostile fire.

Program Information (as of Jan 1990):

Total Flight Hours: 53,490
Total Mach 3+ Time: 11,675
Total Sorties: 17,300
Operational Sorties: 3,551
Operational Hours: 11,008
Total Air Refuelings: 25,862
Total Crew Members: 284 (8 aircrew had 1000 hours +, high time 1,392.7 hours)

Virginia Aviation Museum’s aircraft, USAF tail number 61-7968, set the endurance record on April 26, 1971. Majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick, flew 61-7968 over 15,000 miles in 10 hrs. 30 min. Non-Stop (Time includes aerial refueling at subsonic speeds). Awards for this flight include the 1971 Mackay Trophy for the "most meritorious flight of the year" and the 1972 Harmon Trophy for the "most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics".