Key Points and Summary - The SR-71 Blackbird’s Mach 3 speed, altitude, and modest radar-reduction tempted some to imagine a fighter-bomber variant—outrunning interceptors, dodging SAMs, and trucking ...

Key Point and Summary - Born from the need to replace the vulnerable U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 Blackbird was an engineering marvel of the Cold War. We have spent a considerable amount of time with the ...

Sleek, black and evil in appearance, the SR-71 Blackbird was THE masterpiece of Cold War engineering. Flying faster and higher than any fighter, this stealthy reconnaissance aircraft could snoop where ...

When the Blackbird entered service with the Air Force in 1966, it was simply too advanced for existing fuel and navigation systems. Few machines have captured the public’s imagination like the SR-71 ...

The SR-71 Blackbird was the world's fastest jet. Capable of of flying as high as 85,000 feet at Mach 3.3 (2,193.2 mph), the Blackbird was used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. It ...

Watch the impressive engineering in this in-depth tour of the SR-71 Blackbird's jet engine and you'll see an extraordinary reconnaissance aircraft that still impresses despite taking its first flight ...

The SR-71 is perhaps the most iconic Cold War spy aircraft, famous for many record-setting flights. Seemingly impervious to loss by enemy defenses, a dozen Blackbirds were lost to accidents. On July ...

Leaving the airspace above New York City at 2,455 miles per hour, SR-71 tail number 64-17972 would set a transatlantic speed record on Sept. 1, 1974. Stationed at Beale Air Force Base (AFB) California ...

The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever built, was ultimately done in by the Air Force’s most notorious and intractable enemy: budget cuts. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains one of the most ...