The "design" speed of the Blackbird is Mach 3.2 and speeds up to mach 3.3 may be flown if the Commander okays itif the CIT of 427 is not exceeded. So Can the Blackbird fly mach 3.2 or 2113 Mph routinely since that was the speed it was designed to fly at 80000 ft or a little higher? Since the air below is more dense which would raise the CIT to high and the pilots would be in the hands of god, but was it possible for the Blackbird to fly at mach 3.2 or a little higher the entire recon leg of the mission where greater speeds for increased survivability were required?
SR-71 Blackbird Help
- Thread starter Mustang65
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I'm on the distrib list for the SR-71 and DragonLady community, so I can post this to a number of SR-71 drivers and see what comes back. Some of the data on the habu is still classified though.
Are you happy with me posting this to that community?
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- #3
Yes Thanks.
I recommend "Flying the SR71 " by COL.Richard Graham,USAF ret. Good book, explains a complete phase of a mission. Real interesting, actually, outside temperature was really important, missions flying northern routes i.e. Soviet Union could be flown a bit faster than Middle East missions,if I recall correctly. Seems even a few degrees made a huge difference especially on fuel consumption.
"Skunk Works" by Ben Rich also has a decent amount of information on the Blackbird, along with some pilot testimonials. Might not find the exact answer to your question but for someone interested in the aircraft it's a book I'd highly recommend regardless. Good information and the story of the aircraft's design is just incredible.
have you downloaded the flight manuals yet ?
SR-71 Online - The Blackbird Archive
SR-71 Online - The Blackbird Archive
They were (and still are) an amazing aircraft, I have read numerous bits of info on the Blackbird and also remember watching a doco some years ago about it. One thing that stood out to me, and I can't remember the exact reason for this, was that as a part of the design of her it actually leaks fuel while on the ground and below a certain altitude.
Would have loved to see one fly in real life, but maybe a trip to the Smithsonian will be the only way to see one in the flesh at least, I will just make sure I don't have any cube slivers with me
Ah yeah I remember the same thing, if I recall correctly it had to do with making allowances for the fuselage to warp due to friction at high speeds. So yeah, it leaks everywhere until you start hammering it, then it tightens up. Hell of an aircraft!They were (and still are) an amazing aircraft, I have read numerous bits of info on the Blackbird and also remember watching a doco some years ago about it. One thing that stood out to me, and I can't remember the exact reason for this, was that as a part of the design of her it actually leaks fuel while on the ground and below a certain altitude.
Would have loved to see one fly in real life, but maybe a trip to the Smithsonian will be the only way to see one in the flesh at least, I will just make sure I don't have any cube slivers with me
The pace at which the aircraft was developed for the capability it offered is amazing too, a very good reason to read the book because when you compare it to modern development the differences are like day and night. I'm in the same boat re seeing one, it'll have to be the Smithsonian... maybe try to organise a holiday to the States where I can catch the air show at Nellis in the same trip.
There are several SR-71’s on display, one of them is at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson Arizona right off interstate HI-way 10, if I remember correctly and there is another one at the big Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, six miles northeast of Dayton, Ohio. That museum has everything that the Air Force has ever flown including the monster B-36. They are fantastic to see firsthand. The stuff that dreams are made of.They were (and still are) an amazing aircraft, I have read numerous bits of info on the Blackbird and also remember watching a doco some years ago about it. One thing that stood out to me, and I can't remember the exact reason for this, was that as a part of the design of her it actually leaks fuel while on the ground and below a certain altitude.
Would have loved to see one fly in real life, but maybe a trip to the Smithsonian will be the only way to see one in the flesh at least, I will just make sure I don't have any cube slivers with me
The second reason the SR-71 could never seal its fuel tanks is that they never found an elastic material that could take the heat of flight to seal the stretching fuel tanks. As far as I know they still haven’t found anything to do it even though it was designed a long time ago.
I was lucky enough to see one a few years back. Even standing still they look the biz. They just have this controlled malevolence about them....Would have loved to see one fly in real life, but maybe a trip to the Smithsonian will be the only way to see one in the flesh at least, I will just make sure I don't have any cube slivers with me
sent. now its just a matter of waiting,
they can be a slow lot with email - unlike their rides...
Lucky bugger
I will one day, the Smithsonian is on the list. Do you know if they still fly them every now and then for special occasions ? or are they now purely a museum piece now ?Found a reference for the fuel leaks
"In order for the SR-71 to fly the worldwide missions, it has a special fleet of modified KC-135Q tankers for refueling. SR-71s run on JP-7 fuel, that fills the six large tanks in the fuselage. The component parts of the Blackbird fit very loosely together to allow for expansion at high temperatures. At rest on the ground, fuel leaks out constantly, since the tanks in the fuselage and wings only seal at operating temperatures. There is little danger of fire since the JP-7 fuel is very stable with an extremely high flash point"
SR-71 Online - SR-71 Blackbird
Not sure how accurate the info is on the site but looks pretty good, also just read in there about how the engines work on this beast, was not aware of it before, but up to 2,000mph they operate as a normal jet engine does, but over 2,000mph they switch to ramjets
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locutus
New Member
How fast?
I recall reading in a book some time ago (can't remember the title), a question posed to the commander of the SR-71 squadron at Beale AFB. He was asked what would happen if anyone broke the speed and altitude records of the Blackbird. His response, "We'd take one up and step down on the gas a little harder."
I recall reading in a book some time ago (can't remember the title), a question posed to the commander of the SR-71 squadron at Beale AFB. He was asked what would happen if anyone broke the speed and altitude records of the Blackbird. His response, "We'd take one up and step down on the gas a little harder."
The Blackbird was pretty stealthy anyway wasn't it? Certainly the fuselage looks somewhat akin to a B-2 (albeit one which had been produced by an unholy union with a Concorde).
I remember hearing that while a lot of radar installations had trouble tracking the plane itself they could follow the turbulence it created at speed just fine. How true that is I don't know but there's plenty like it out there.
at a frame RCS emission level, the SR-71 is the grand daddy of all because it presented the first deliberately designed feature which dropped its RCS by a massive 90%
I've seen the Blackbird the Smithsonian has on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles, it is the centerpiece of the place and it is easily the most impressive plane they have on display. Considering what else they have on display that is saying something.The pace at which the aircraft was developed for the capability it offered is amazing too, a very good reason to read the book because when you compare it to modern development the differences are like day and night. I'm in the same boat re seeing one, it'll have to be the Smithsonian... maybe try to organise a holiday to the States where I can catch the air show at Nellis in the same trip.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #18
Yeah but it was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2, and the temperature stays pretty constant barley moving a couple degrees each way above 36000ft so how is it that there are hotter spots? At 80000ft. the air is less dense and colder so the Blackbird should be able to cruise no problem at Mach 3.2 regardless of where it was flying. All of that said the CIT of 427 degrees C should not be exceeded since that was the speed the plane was built to fly.
90% of all flight hours were apparently spent at Mach 3+. compare that to the Mig25 which could only surge and not maintain that speed and needed a major pulldown after.
PeterCrisp
Member
They are beautiful in the flesh and I'm lucky enough to live near the Imperial War Museum in Duxford where they have one on display. The museum is well worth a visit for anyone in the area as it has all the forces covered.
http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/