@ Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, VA
August 2018
Few aircraft have attained the mythical status the Blackbird has since its unveiling. First flown in 1964, the Lockheed SR-71 is the fastest aircraft propelled by air-breathing engines. In 1968, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara cancelled the F-12 interceptor program and ordered the destruction of the specialized tooling used to manufacture both the YF-12 and the SR-71. Production of the SR-71 totaled only 32 aircraft. This Blackbird (61-7972) accrued about 2,800 hours of flight time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, the crew set a speed record flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 2,124 mph. At the flight’s end, they landed at Washington-Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian. The SR-71 had a detachable nose, and could change between three different nose cones depending on the mission. This nose has two visible blisters that are part of the defensive electronics systems, housing receive antennae for a signal jamming system.
