SR-71 Cockpit Explained

[Firewa11]

[youtubell]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj9UwKQKE3A[/youtubell]

It's a bit long but it's pretty bad ass.

[Stardog]

Another good one.

[youtubell]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3tvBRs8_qU[/youtubell]

Apparently one crew did 3.5 running from a missile over Libya. That is moving.

[DarcShadow]

And 3.5 is what they'll tell you, the top speed is still classified. There's a really good book called Sled Driver that is a compilation of stories from pilots that is a really good read. There's another book called Skunk Works that talks quite a bit about the Blackbird as well as the U-2, the F-117, and a few other projects that never made it out of design. Pretty interesting read as well, Kelly Johnson was an interesting character, people either loved him or hated him, but they all respected him.

[milesmiles]

Maybe a dumb question, but i'm not an airplane/jet guy, is this still the fastest jet?

[DarcShadow]

As far as you know.

[milesmiles]

Gotcha

[fixxervi6]

TR3B is faster and TR3B is old as hell.

[milesmiles]

no evidence that i can find

[fixxervi6]

[Firewa11]

The X-51A is a drone concept under development for Scramjet technology. The SR-71 was limited by ramjets. The X-51A's latest disclosed flight test took it up to Mach 5.1, after being brought up to Mach 4.8 by rockets.

This is leading up to the SR-72.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_SR-72" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mach 6.

[DarcShadow]

One of several interesting notes about the blackbird. They had a problem with the engines stalling out and were never actually able to fix the problem. Instead they devised an automated restart system that worked so well the pilot hardly noticed that an engine cut out.

[Firewa11]

Yeah that's some cool stuff. Also, how the thing was designed for the heat friction generated during flight, so while at subsonic speeds and on the ground, the thing had cracks and leaked, but once it got up to operating speed, all of the panels expanded and sealed up.

I have a lot of respect for the SR-71 and the pilots that flew it. It is a heck of an engineering marvel.

[DarcShadow]

Another great story. The Blackbird was built to spy on Russia and Russia unknowingly supplied the titanium used to build it.

[sckego]

One of several interesting notes about the blackbird. They had a problem with the engines stalling out and were never actually able to fix the problem. Instead they devised an automated restart system that worked so well the pilot hardly noticed that an engine cut out.

Yeah, but until they got the restart workaround working right, it was apparently quite a wild ride... in some cases, a bit too wild: http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/we ... ilout.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. I learned later the time from event onset to catastrophic departure from controlled flight was only 2-3 sec. Still trying to communicate with Jim, I blacked out, succumbing to extremely high g-forces. The SR-71 then literally disintegrated around us. From that point, I was just along for the ride.

Also, +1 to the recommendation of Skunk Works. Really a cool book.

[Stardog]

Looking down, I was startled to see a fairly large animal--perhaps an antelope--directly under me. Evidently, it was just as startled as I was because it literally took off in a cloud of dust.

[Stardog]

I have a lot of respect for the SR-71 and the pilots that flew it. It is a heck of an engineering marvel.

The truly amazing thing to me is that this is where we were 61 years and a few days prior.



So some Americans saw us first slip the bonds of earth with fabric and hand carved propellers and then later in life saw us build mach 3+ aircraft. A few years later we put a dude on the moon and brought him back again. Also amazing is that we built this SR71 at a time when computers looked like this.

[fixxervi6]

Now we just buy stuff from China

[shilka99]

Heres a video of the Drone system launched from the SR-71. It didn't go smoothly.

[youtube]http://youtu.be/GMyC2urCl_4[/youtube]

[LonestarCBR]

Another good one.

[youtubell]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3tvBRs8_qU[/youtubell]

Apparently one crew did 3.5 running from a missile over Libya. That is moving.

Yep, Triumph powered, makes sense.

[fixxervi6]

X15 hit above mach 6

[Stardog]

Tahts a rokut.

[fixxervi6]

X43 - mach 10

[shilka99]

Good timing - Air and Space magazine just came out with an article on the SR-71. Some of the titanium forgings in that design are enormous.
It just blows my mind that this aircraft first flew in 1964 - back when a cadillac looked like this:



Yet it still looks like an advanced design now.

And look what just appeared on my facebook feed:

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for- ... 2Feb12.pdf

[DarcShadow]

Kelly Johnson had plans to make a attack variant of the blackbird that carried kinetic bombs but was never able to sell it to the gov. The high up didn't like him or the blackbird and they hated the fact that they kept coming back to it as the only tool that could do the job they needed and they hated Johnson because he was usually right when ever he didn't agree with them, and they hated being wrong.

When the F-16 was originally put out for bid Johnson designed a fighter that went above and beyond the spec requirements and was a great aircraft. They didn't win the contract though because it didn't meet the specs. they gave. The catch, though, during the development of the 16, requirements kept changing and evolving that the final design was almost identical to what Johnson originally proposed and his would of been cheaper since it wouldn't of involved so many redesigns.

Johnson was also a great with budgets and in at least one case the project came in so far under budget he felt bad about having estimated the price so high he refunded the extra back to the Gov. He also kept the gov out of his shop, which helped a lot, no one questioning every thing along the way.

[milesmiles]

So i just happened to stumble on this short story about flying in an SR-71, that was just an excellent read and funny...worth taking the time to read:

> There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.
> It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.
> I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury.
> Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.
> We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed. Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."
> Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the " Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that, and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.
> Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed. "I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed." Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. "Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check". Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: "Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."
> And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn.
> Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: "Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?" There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. "Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."
> I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: "Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."
> For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A.came back with, "Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."
> It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work. We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
> For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there.