Terry
Line Up and Wait
Hi everyone,
I typed this up for my American Legion Chapter. Interesting read.
Enjoy,
Terry
Fun facts given by Buz Carpenter, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center Docent and former SR-71 Instructor Pilot.
I typed this up for my American Legion Chapter. Interesting read.
Enjoy,
Terry
World’s Fastest Spy Plane
Lockheed SR-71A, Blackbird
- Length – 107’5”
- Height – 18’6”
- Wing Span – 55’7”
- Weight, empty – 60,000 lbs.
- Weight, maximum take off – 145,000 lbs.
- Maximum Speed – Top speed 3.3 mach, 2,200 mph, 36 miles/minute or 3,200 feet per second. Faster than a standard 30.06 hunting rifle bullet when fired.
- Maximum altitude – In excess of 85,000 feet.
- Fuel consumed – 8,000 gallons per hour at maximum speed.
- Range without in-flight refueling – 3,200 miles.
- Flying time – At top speed, the SR-71A Blackbird, could fly over the state of Kansas, east to west, in about 10 minutes.
- Lindbergh Comparison – In 1927, Charles Lindbergh’s record setting flight from New York to Paris was flown in 33 hours and 29 minutes. In 1974, the SR-71A Blackbird flew from New York to London, relatively the same distance, in 1 hour and 54 minutes and 56 seconds.
- SR-71A - 29 Built, 11 Lost
- SR-71B, trainer – 2 built and 1 lost.
- SR-71C – 1 built.
- The SR-71A first flew December 22, 1964. The U.S. Air Force Blackbird flew combat flight March 1968. The SR-71s were decommissioned by the Air Force in 1990.
- Historical – 54,000 flying hours, 17,000 sorties, 3,500 ops missions, and 26,000 refuelings.
- Structure – 93% Titanium. America’s first stealthy aircraft and last designed with a slide rule.
- Why black? – Protects mostly titanium surfaces. Bet heat radiating color to help remove heat from the aircraft during flight and pass heat into extremely cold upper atmospheres. (-55*C/-70*F)
- Average temperature – At cruise, skin temperatures were about 600*F, which caused the aircraft to grow 3-4 inches in length and 1-2 inches width. The exterior of the pilot’s window could reach 620*F.
- Engine Chemical Ignition System – TEB (triethylborane). A pyrophoric, burns on contact with air, and burn temperature up to 3,000*F.
- Fuel – JP-7 Kerosene based with additives. Tanks inerted with nitrogen to prevent auto detonation. Engine oil: 70-550*F, normal temperature range. Consistency at 60*F is that of honey, 40*F Jell-O, 32*F solid. Preheat engine to 70*F before starting.
- Tires – BF Goodrich, aluminum powder impregnated to reject airframe heat. 425 p.s.i. filled with nitrogen. 22 ply rating, 3 ply tread.
- Glass – Laminated Quartz glass about 2” thick.
- Flight duration – Most training and ops flight are 2.5 hours to 4.5 hours. (Required one or two in-flight refuelings.)
- Aerial Refueling – Aircraft carries up to 80,000 lbs. of fuel, 12,000+ gallons. Refueling normally last about 12 – 15 minutes with 70,000 to 80,000 lbs. of fuel transferred. Normally flown around 25,000 feet with KC-135Q Tanker. It would accelerate to 350 knots, indicated air speed, its limit. Max distance between refueling would be about 3,200 statue miles.
- Pressure suits – Derived from Gemni designed used through the mid 1970’s. Late 70’s replacement 1030 pressure suits would later serve as the initial Space Shuttle suits for Shuttle test flights.
- View at altitude – At 80,000 feet you can see the curvature of the earth about 360 miles in all directions. The sky is a deep blue-black because most of the atmosphere, which gives the blue color is below.
- Performance points – Most take offs are at 40,000 lbs. of fuel load. Lift off at 210 knots or about 240 mph. Rapid climb passed through 20,000 feet in about 2 minutes.
- Landing speed approach – 175 knots, about 200 mph with landing at 150 – 155 knots, or 170 mph. With large orange drag chute the aircraft would stop in about 5,000 feet. If the drag chute is not deployed, landing would be approximately 10,000 feet.
Fun facts given by Buz Carpenter, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum’s Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center Docent and former SR-71 Instructor Pilot.
