The SR-71 Blackbird was conceptualized at the height of the Cold War and still has no equal. The brainchild of a need to go beyond the limitations brought about by the spy plane U-2, the Blackbird was designed to evade Soviet detection and missiles as it carried out its strategic reconnaissance missions with unmatched speed and altitude capabilities. With speeds of over Mach 3, the SR-71 intelligence-gathering aircraft outperformed enemy defenses and missiles so much so that it holds the record for the world’s fastest manned jet ever built.
The genius in engineering belonged to the Skunk Works of Lockheed Martin, which customarily has worked on top-secret projects. From its namesake after a comic strip’s Li’l Abner “Skonk Oil” factory, the division has produced several of the most advanced aircraft in the US military arsenal. But among the many jets, the SR-71 stands out as its most incredible achievement. This project was led by the genius of engineering, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who previously engineered the P-80 Shooting Star and the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane.
This predecessor of the SR-71, the A-12, underwent initial flight tests in 1962. The A-12 was called “Archangel” and would be undetectable to Soviet radars and outrun any missiles shot at it. The clandestine prototype test in Area 51 led to the production of fifteen A-12s. These took to the skies, flying 29 spy missions over North Korea and Vietnam, gathering intelligence on the North Vietnamese air defenses, and helping track down the U.S.S. Pueblo once North Korea hijacked the ship.
It was followed by the Air Force with the SR-71, a two-seat version of the A-12, featuring advanced sensors and long-range capability. The SR-71 carried a side-looking airborne radar that mapped the ground below, plus two cameras capturing images to either side. It also had an Electro-Magnetic Reconnaissance system to detect and record signal traffic. In all, a total of 32 SR-71s were produced, including two trainers and a single prototype.
This was an unprecedented speed unbroken manned-flight record of Mach 3.3 had been set by the Blackbird. This speed is even more amazing considering that, while Soviet MiG-25 and MiG-31 fighters were able to reach Mach 3, they could only do so for extremely short lengths of time. The SR-71 was able to sustain Mach 3 flight for 1 hour and 30 minutes, requiring in-flight refueling. A Blackbird once set the record for flying from New York to London in a scant 1 hour and 54 minutes.
It didn’t rely exclusively on speed to beat hostile missiles. The Blackbird was the first operational airplane designed with a reduced radar cross-section to minimize detection chances, whose chines-the knife-like, tapered edges of the fuselage-were coated with early radar-absorbent iron-ferrite paint to help lower radar detection ranges. On its belly, the Blackbird carried a radar jammer and other electronic countermeasures to confuse enemy missiles.
The SR-71 was a product of its high technology. The crewmen wore pressure suits much like the ones astronauts wore because of the high altitude. The J58s powered the SR-71 required vehicle-mounted V8 starter engines just to start the operation, then switched over to a partial ramjet mode at high speeds, which made the aircraft more fuel-efficient as it went faster. It was constructed of a heat-resistant metal, titanium, 85% of it was, and its windshields were fashioned of pure quartz. Special JP-8 high-density jet fuel had such a high combustion temperature in the aircraft that it was said you could safely put out a match in it.
Activated in 1968, the first operational SR-71 unit was at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. Locals named the recon birds Habu, a name that attached itself to Blackbird pilots. Throughout the war, the SR-71 flew many successful reconnaissance missions over Vietnam, as it proved itself valuable even through increasing enemy radar capabilities.
Although it was retired in the 1990s after a host of spy satellites and reconnaissance drones replaced the SR-71 Blackbird still symbolizes achievement in aircraft-related technology. Success, which it saw in operations spanning two decades without any losses to enemy fire, speaks volumes of its contribution to aerial reconnaissance. The legacy of the Blackbird remains alive, considering the innovative design of the aircraft and its unparalleled performance.