This looks like a good flying machine to me

[lgurley]

I don't know a lot about airplanes but this looks like it could still give you a good ride.
http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/SR-71/index.htm

 

[slippery_biscuit]

I worked at Palmdale, CA in the late 80's. It was quite common to observe TR's (U2 derivatives) taking off for God know's where. Every now and then a Blackbird would come or go. One afternoon I stepped outside and watched one doing touch and goes. It was quite a thing.

 

[lgurley]

I love watching the good ones go

I worked at Palmdale, CA in the late 80's. It was quite common to observe TR's (U2 derivatives) taking off for God know's where. Every now and then a Blackbird would come or go. One afternoon I stepped outside and watched one doing touch and goes. It was quite a thing.

I was a teen age air traffic controller on a S.A.C. base in 1964. We had one U2 land take off again while I was on duty. Amazing!!
One day we had a Navy plane come in and when he left my boss told me not to ask him to do anything but if I wanted to see a show, just give him permission and he will likely do it.
I gave him his take off instructions stating that he was cleared for his maximum altitude on take off and I requested that he report passing 20,000 feet. He became airborne, his landing gear was raised, he turned a spiral heading straight up and apologized because he hadn't had enough time and was already past 20,000 and would reach maximum within 40 seconds. I wish I could remember what kind of plane it was but I do remember looking up his maximum altitude only to find that it was classified

 

[Nickodell]

That was an impressive slide show! What a triumph for American engineering knowhow, and Lockheed's in particular. They were always a b*llsy company.

I've flown Mach 2, but would give anything for a trip at Mach 3+. New York to London in 3 hours was impressive but how about in the time it takes to watch one episode of 24!

 

[skywords]

Hard to believe it's been that long since it's retirement. Those were the days when it was done the hard way with concepts emerging on napkins at the local coffee shop and then brought to life on drafting tables with slide rules. The men that designed airplanes like that were amazing. I like to think that we have some of that right stuff today. Were waiting, where are you?

 

[Bill Blue]

Hard to believe it's been that long since it's retirement. Those were the days when it was done the hard way with concepts emerging on napkins at the local coffee shop and then brought to life on drafting tables with slide rules. The men that designed airplanes like that were amazing. I like to think that we have some of that right stuff today. Were waiting, where are you?

Rick, what you say makes me wonder if perhaps the UFO people are largely correct when they talk about Area 51 and the possibility that a lot of reported objects are USAF. It does not seem logical that USAF flying technology peaked in the 1960's. There is a lot of tech talk about stealth, but that is entirely different than the Blackbird type of technology.

Bill

 

[MikeH]

Several years ago Readers Digest had an article on the SR-71. It said that the special fuel it used was like a gell as it would leak until the titanium body heated up to seal itself. Also that the skin would get so hot it was like being heat treated every time it flew. Most cases, as soon as they cleared the deck they had to refuel. They couldn't be shot down, because as soon as they were detected and a missle fired, they were gone.

 

[MikeH]

Interesting stuff on it here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird

 

[Series6]

Rick, what you say makes me wonder if perhaps a lot of the stuff the UFO people are largely correct when they talk about Area 51 and the possibility that a lot of reported objects are USAF. It does not seem logical that USAF flying technology peaked in the 1960's. There is a lot of tech talk about stealth, but that is entirely different than the Blackbird type of technology.

Bill

Rachel Nevada is near Area 51-Interesting place. Only place I know that's so remote, has one road in and out and the gas price is lower there than at either end of that road. Leads me to believe that the by-product of alien's vehicles is a gas easily converted to petroleum based fuel. To get rid on the evidence that it's hiding the TRUTH about UFO's, the Government pumps it into the fuel tanks at the stations and the stations disperse it from there as cheap gas. It's a conspiracy.... I filled up there once on the way to Vegas and my truck ran better, got better mileage and my radio got better reception...

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for my medication....

 

[weaselkeeper]

I still have a yellow "Alien Crossing" sign in my garage that I bought in the small store in Rachel NV. We had just come off the Nellis ranges and it was a perfect spot for a pit stop. Strange place. It's really not in the middle of nowhere, because you can actually see NOwhere from there.

The used JP-7. It was more gell like than runny. Kept it from leaking out as fast.... among other reasons.