Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird)

High-Altitude, High-Speed Reconnaissance Aircraft

United States | 1966

"The SR-71 maintained an excellent operational service record during its Cold War tenure, though a dozen were lost to accidents."

Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Lockheed SR-71A High-Altitude, High-Speed Reconnaissance Aircraft.

2 x Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed, afterburning turbo-ramjets developing 32,500 lb of thrust with reheat.
Propulsion

2,274 mph
3,660 kph | 1,976 kts
Max Speed

85,007 ft
25,910 m | 16 miles
Service Ceiling

3,682 miles
5,925 km | 3,199 nm
Operational Range

11,820 ft/min
3,603 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Lockheed SR-71A High-Altitude, High-Speed Reconnaissance Aircraft.

2
(MANNED)
Crew

107.4 ft
32.74 m
O/A Length

55.6 ft
(16.94 m)
O/A Width

18.5 ft
(5.64 m)
O/A Height

67,506 lb
(30,620 kg)
Empty Weight

172,005 lb
(78,020 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird) High-Altitude, High-Speed Reconnaissance Aircraft .

None. Internal provisioning limited to reconnaissance and surveillance equipment.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird) family line.

SR-71 - Base Series Designation, "Blackbird" name being unofficial.

A-12 - Precursor reconnaissance platform to the SR-71.

M-21 - A-12 with DB-21 autonomous surveillance drone mounted atop SR-71 fuselage.

M/D-21 - Designation of M-21 when mated with the DB-21 drone.

SR-71A - Base Production Model; 30 examples produced.

SR-71B - Two-seat trainer conversions with elevated instructor's cockpit; 2 examples produced.

SR-71C - Conversion involving surviving aft-section of an ill-fated YF-12 with SR-71 forward section; single example completed.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/27/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The sleek SR-71 Blackbird spyplane reached an all new plateau in supersonic high-level flight for the Lockheed Corporation. Developed from the YF-12A interceptor program which spawned the A-12 program which in turn generated the basis for the SR-71 system, the Blackbird became the ultimate tool for the American Central Intelligence Agency throughout the Cold War.

The SR-71 "Blackbird" was so named in that fashion due to the specialized heat absorbing and radar dissipating color scheme applied to the series. The A model was crewed by two personnel that were required to wear astronaut-type flight suits due to the rigors of high altitude flight. Looking every bit the part of stealth plane, the SR-71 was instrumental in reconnaissance of enemy Cold War facilities of the Western Bloc.

The Blackbird was of a streamlined delta-type design featuring a smooth elongated fuselage housing instrumentation and fuel. The twin continuous-bleed turbojet engines were held out mid-wing and were the bread and butter of the series, helping the system achieve flight speeds in excess of Mach 3 at well over 70,000 feet. At the time of its inception, the SR-71 was the world's fastest conventionally-powered aircraft.

The initial SR-71 series was developed from experimental YF-121-A interceptor aircraft. From that development, the A-12 series produced 15 of its type which became a favorite of the CIA for its Mach 3.6 capability and useful in the launching of the D-21 reconnaissance drone. The ultimate version became the well-known SR-71 and achieved full operational status in 1966 with a total of 30 aircraft being produced.

Training for SR-71 pilots was handled via a single SR-71B series model and a single SR-71C series model, the latter based highly on a converted A-series model. The SR-71 faced full retirement status in 1989. Two SR-71's were activated out of retirement in in the middle of the 1990's with the whole series once again seeing full retirement in April of 1998.

For a more in-depth look into the SR-71 including performance figures, imagery, and fleet history, visit SR71blackbird.org.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 32 Units
Contractor(s): Lockheed Skunkworks, Lockheed Corporation - USA