The SR-71 known as the "Blackbird,"
is a long-range, advanced, strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed
from the Lockheed A-12 and YF-12A
aircraft. The first flight of an SR-71 took place on Dec. 22, 1964, and
the first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later
9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., in
January 1966. The U.S. Air Force retired its fleet of SR-71s on Jan. 26,
1990, because of a decreasing defense budget and high costs of
operation.
Faster than a speeding bullet, the retired SR-71 Blackbird can still
turn heads as a Cold War spy plane designed for flying high and fast
beyond danger. The ultimate flying speed demon not only served the U.S.
military's needs for decades, but also shattered speed and altitude
records for manned air-breathing jet aircraft.
The SR-71 regularly flew missions at speeds beyond 2,000 mph (Mach 3)
and could survey more than 100,000 square miles of the Earth's surface
per hour from a height of 80,000 feet (15 miles). Such extreme operating
conditions allowed the aircraft to safely avoid interceptor fighter
jets or missiles, but also forced the two-person crew to wear astronaut-style suits in case of loss of cabin pressure.
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