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Fifty Years Later, the SR-71 Blackbird Is Still the Fastest Plane Ever Built
The SR-71 could fly at Mach 3.2 (around 2,100 miles per hour)—lightyears faster than anything the Soviet Union could throw at it.
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The SR-71 Blackbird Is Remembered for More Than Speed and Stealth
As the Cold War between the United States and USSR was heating up, U.S. policymakers desired new aerial platforms that could circumvent the Soviets’ advanced air defense systems. The resulting ...
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B-71: How the SR-71 Blackbird Could Have Become a Bomber
High-Flying SR-71 Meant High Prices The “SR” stands for Strategic Reconnaissance and that was the main mission. It was a record-setter in speed - flying MACH 3.2, and in altitude - hitting a ...
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The SR-71 Blackbird's Fuel Was So Special That the Air Force Built a New Tanker for It
With a top speed of Mach 3, a service ceiling of 85,000 feet, and an 11,820-foot-per-minute rate of climb, the SR-71 could fly so fast, and so high, that the supersonic jet was capable of simply ...