Role: Long Range, High-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
Manufacturer: Lockheed Skunk Works
Designer: Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
First Flight: 22nd December 1964
Introduction: January 1966
Production:
Total Number Built:
Status: Out of Service CIA 1968, USAF 1998, NASA 1999.
Users:
CIA Central Intelligence Agency Historical User.
USAF United States Air Force Current User
NASA North American Space Agency Current User.
Role: Long Range, High-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
Manufacturer: Lockheed Skunk Works
Designer: Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
First Flight: Unofficial, unannounced Flight 25th April 1962, Official First Flight 30th April 1962.
Introduction: 1967
Production:
Engines: Pratt & Whitney J75, J58
Total Number Built: 18 = 13 A-12s one been a two-seat trainer, 3 YF-12A Interceptors 2 A-12/M-21 Drone carriers.
Status: Out of Service CIA 1968,
Users: CIA Central Intelligence Agency Historical User.
Production Numbers:
A-12 Built 13, Lost 5
M-21 Built 2, Lost 1
YF-12A Built 3, Lost 2
A-12 Serial Numbers:
Article 121 to 135
A-12
60-6924, 60-6925, 60-6926,
A-12 Trainer
60-6927
60-6928, 60-6929, 60-6930, 60-6931, 60-6932, 60-6933,
YF-12A
60-6934,60-6935,60-6936,
60-6937,60-6938,60-6939,
M-21 Drone carriers
60-6940,60-6941.
Green= Active
Red = Wrriten-Off
Purple = Preserved / Museum / Gate Guard
Orange = Storage
White = Unknown
Preserved A-12s
60-6924 On display at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Annex, Blackbird Airpark, at Plant 42, Palmdale, California
60-6925 On display at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, parked on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, New York City
A-12 Trainer
60-6927 On display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles, California
60-6930 On display at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama
60-6931 On display at CIA headquarters, Langley, Virginia
60-6933 On display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego, California.
YF-12A
60-6935 The only surviving YF-12A On Display at National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton - Wright-Patterson AFB / Wright AFB.
60-6937 On display at the Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, Alabama.
60-6938 On display at Battleship Memorial Park (USS Alabama), Mobile, Alabama.
M-21 Drone carriers
60-6940 On display at the Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington
A-12 Aircraft Losses
60-6926 Lost 24th May 1963 60-6926 (Article 123) crashed near Wendover, Utah. The aircraft was flying a subsonic engine test flight when it entered a cloud, pitched up, and went out of control; the CIA pilot ejected successfully. The investigation found that cloud vapor had formed ice in the pitot tube, causing the airspeed indicator to show an erroneous reading. The aircraft pitched up sharply and entered an unrecoverable stall.
60-6928 Lost 5th January 1967 60-6928 (Article 125) was lost during a training flight. The pilot, Walter Ray, ejected but failed to separate from his seat and was killed Due to a faulty fuel gauge, Article 125 ran out of fuel 70 miles from Groom Dry Lake. The pilot glided to a lower altitude to perform a controlled bailout but could not separate his parachute from his ejection seat. He was the first Cygnus pilot to be killed in an A-12 accident.
60-6929 Lost 28th December 1965 60-6929 (Article 126) was lost on take-off from Groom Lake due to incorrect installation of the Stability Augmentation System (SAS).
60-6932 Lost 5th June 1968 60-6932 (Article 129) was lost off the Philippines during a functional check flight. The pilot, Jack Weeks, was killed.
60-6939 Lost 9th July 1964 60-6939 (Article 133) was lost on approach to Groom Dry Lake due to a complete hydraulic failure.
M-21/60-6941 Lost 30th July 1966 60-6941 (Article 135), one of the two drone carriers, was lost during a test flight off the California coast. The pilot, Bill Parks, and launch control engineer Ray Torrick ejected safely, but Torrick drowned. Article 135 was operating 300 miles from the California coast to carry out a test launch of a D-21. The aircraft was flying at Mach 3.2+ when the crew made sure that the Marquardt engine on the D-21 had the required airflow. The drone was launched but the D-21 engine failed to start and it slammed down on the launch pylon causing the mother ship to pitch up. The pressure from the Mach-3.2 airflow "ripped the fuselage forebody from the wing planform". The crew were unable to escape at this high speed but managed to eject as the forebody tumbled towards the sea. The pilot was picked up by helicopter from the sea but the LCO drowned.
YF-12A Losses
60-6934 Lost 14 August 1966 aircraft damaged beyond repair by fire at Edwards during a landing mishap on 14 August 1966; its rear half was salvaged and combined with the front half of a Lockheed static test airframe to create the one and only SR-71C 64-17981.
60-6936 Lost 24th June 1971 On approach to Edwards Air Force Base, a fire broke out from a ruptured fuel line and quickly engulfed the entire left engine. Pilot Lt.Col. Jack Layton and Systems Operator Billy Curtis ejected safely.
SR-71 Blackbird
Role: Long Range, High-altitude strategic reconnaissance aircraft.
Manufacturer: Lockheed Skunk Works
Designer: Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
First Flight: 22 December 1964
Introduction: January 1966
Production:
Total Number Built:
Status: Out of Service United States Airforce USAF
Users: United States Airforce USAF
SR-71 Details
Crew: 2; Pilot and reconnaissance systems officer (RSO)
Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)
Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)
Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Wheel track: 16 ft 8 in (5 m)
Wheelbase: 37 ft 10 in (12 m)
Wing area: 1,800 sq ft (170 m2)
Aspect ratio: 1.7
Empty weight: 67,500 lb (30,617 kg)
Gross weight: 152,000 lb (68,946 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 172,000 lb (78,018 kg)
Fuel capacity: 12,219.2 US gal (10,174.6 imp gal; 46,255 L) in 6 tankgroups (9 tanks)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58 (JT11D-20J or JT11D-20K) afterburning turbojets, 25,000 lbf (110 kN) thrust each
JT11D-20J 32,500 lbf (144.57 kN) wet (fixed inlet guidevanes)
JT11D-20K 34,000 lbf (151.24 kN) wet (2-position inlet guidevanes)
Performance
Maximum speed: 1,910 kn (2,200 mph, 3,540 km/h) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m)
Maximum speed: Mach 3.3[N 6]
Ferry range: 2,824 nmi (3,250 mi, 5,230 km)
Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (26,000 m)
Rate of climb: 11,820 ft/min (60.0 m/s)
Wing loading: 84 lb/sq ft (410 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.44
Avionics
3,500 lb (1,588 kg) of mission equipment Itek KA-102A 36–48 in (910–1,220 mm) camera
Signals and Electronic Intelligence equipment in the following compartments
A - nose radar
D - right chine bay
E - electronics bay
K - left forward mission bay
L - right forward mission bay
M - left forward mission bay
N - right forward mission bay
P - left aft mission bay
Q - right aft mission bay
R - radio equipment bay
S - left aft mission bay
T - right aft mission bay
United States Air Force SR-71 Operators
Air Force Systems Command
Air Force Flight Test Center – Edwards AFB, California
4786th Test Squadron 1965–1970
SR-71 Flight Test Group 1970–1990
Strategic Air Command
9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing – Beale AFB, California
1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 1966–1990
99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 1966–1971
Detachment 1, Kadena Air Base, Japan 1968–1990
Detachment 4, RAF Mildenhall. England 1976–1990
Air Combat Command
Detachment 2, 9th Reconnaissance Wing – Edwards AFB, California 1995–1997
(Forward Operating Locations at Eielson AFB, Alaska; Griffis AFB, New York; Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Diego Garcia and Bodo, Norway 1973–1990)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Dryden Flight Research Center – Edwards AFB, California 1991–1999
SR-71 Variants
SR-71A
Main production variant
SR-71B
Trainer variant
SR-71C
Hybrid trainer aircraft composed of the rear fuselage of YF-12A Serial Number: 60-6934 which was wrecked in a landing accident in 1966 and the forward fuselage from a SR-71 static test unit. Nicknamed as "The Bastard"
SR-71A/B Production Numbers
SR-71A Built 29, Lost 11
SR-71B Built 2, Lost 1
SR-71 Serial Numbers
SR-71A
61-7950/MSN 2001 - 61-7955/MSN 2006
61-7950, 61-7951, 61-7952, 61-7953, 61-7954, 61-7955
61-7958/MSN 2009 - 61-7980/MSN 2031
61-7958, 61-7959, 61-7960, 61-7961, 61-7962, 61-7963, 61-7964, 61-7965, 61-7966, 61-7967, 61-7968, 61-7969, 61-7970, 61-7971, 61-7972, 61-7973, 61-7974, 61-7975, 61-7976, 61-7977, 61-7978, 61-7979, 61-7980
61-7982 - 61-7985 Cancelled Contract
SR-71B
61-7956/MSN 2007 - 61-7957/MSN 2008
61-7956 NASA 831, 61-7957
SR-71C
61-7981/YF-12A 60-6934
Green= Active
Red = Wrriten-Off / Lost in Accidents
Purple = Preserved / Museum / Gate Guard
Orange = Storage
White = Unknown
Preserved SR-71 A/B/C
61-7951 Pima Air & Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Tucson, Arizona. Loaned to NASA as "YF-12C #06937"
61-7955 Air Force Flight Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California.
61-7958 Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia.
61-7959 Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
61-7960 Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base, Atwater, California.
61-7961Cosmosphere, Hutchinson, Kansas.
61-7962 American Air Museum in Britain, Imperial War Museum Duxford, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
61-7963 Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, California.
61-7964 Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum, Ashland, Nebraska.
61-7967 Barksdale Air Force Base, Bossier City, Louisiana.
61-7968 Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
61-7971 Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon.
61-7972 Smithsonian Institution Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia.
61-7973 Blackbird Airpark, Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California.
61-7975 March Field Air Museum, March Air Reserve Base (former March AFB), Riverside, California.
61-7976 National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio.
61-7979 Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
61-7980 Armstrong Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California
SR-71B
61-7956 Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan (ex-NASA831)
SR-71C
61-7981/YF-12A 60-6934 Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah (formerly YF-12A 60–6934.
SR-71 Blackbird Accidents / Losses
61-7950 The prototype SR-71 was lost on 10 January 1967 at Edwards during an anti-skid braking system evaluation. The main undercarriage tires blew out and the resulting fire in the magnesium wheels spread to the rest of the aircraft as it ran off the end of the runway. Lockheed test pilot Art Peterson survived.
61-7952 This aircraft disintegrated on 25 January 1966 during a high-speed, high-altitude test flight when it developed a severe case of engine unstart. Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver survived although his ejection seat never left the plane! Reconnaissance System Officer (RSO) Jim Zwayer died in a high-G bailout. The incident occurred near Tucumcari, New Mexico.
61-7953 This aircraft was lost on 18 December 1969 after an in-flight explosion and succeeding high-speed stall. Col. Joe Rogers and RSO Maj. Gary Heidelbaugh ejected safely. The specific cause of the explosion has never be determined. The loss occurred near Shoshone, California.
61-7954 This aircraft crashed on 11 April 1969 under conditions similar to 61-7950. New aluminum wheels and stronger tires with a beefed up compound were retrofitted to all SR-71s because of the crash. Lt. Col. William "Bill" Skliar and his RSO Maj. Noel Warner managed to escape uninjured.
61-7957 SR-71B This aircraft was the second SR-71B built and only B model to crash. It crashed on approach to Beale AFB on 11 January 1968 when instructor pilot Lt. Col. Robert G. Sowers and his "student" Capt. David E. Fruehauf were forced to eject about seven miles from Beale after all control was lost. The aircraft had suffered a double generator failure followed by a double flameout (caused by fuel cavitations) and impacted upside down in a farmer's field.
61-7965 This aircraft was lost on 25 October 1967 after an INS platform failed, leading to incorrect attitude information being displayed in the cockpit during a night flight. There were no warning lights to alert pilot Maj. Roy L. St. Martin and RSO Capt. John F. Carnochan. In total darkness, with a steep dive and no external visual references available, the crew had little alternative. They were able to eject safely. The loss occurred near Lovelock, Nevada.
61-7966 This aircraft was lost on the evening of 13 April 1967 after it entered a subsonic, high-speed stall. Pilot Capt. Earle M. Boone and RSO Capt. Richard E. "Butch" Sheffield ejected safely. The incident occurred near Las Vegas, New Mexico.
61-7969 This aircraft was lost on 10 May 1970 during an operational mission from Kadena AB, Okinawa against North Vietnam. Shortly after air-refueling, the pilot, Maj. William E. Lawson initiated a normal full power climb. Stretching before him was a solid bank of cloud containing heavy thunderstorm activity which reached above 45,000 feet. Heavy with fuel, the aircraft was unable to maintain a high rate of climb and as it entered turbulence both engines flamed out. The RPM dropped to a level too low for restarting the engines. Lawson and RSO, Maj. Gilbert Martinez ejected safely after the aircraft stalled. The plane crashed near Korat RTAFB, Thailand.
61-7970 This aircraft was lost on 17 June 1970 following a post-tanking collision with the KC-135Q (59-1474) tanker. Lt. Col. Buddy L. Brown and his RSO Maj. Mortimer J. Jarvis ejected safely although the pilot broke both legs. The SR-71 crashed 20 miles east of El Paso, Texas, but the KC-135 limped back to Beale AFB, California with a damaged refueling boom and aft fuselage.
61-7974 This aircraft was lost on 21 April 1989 over the South China Sea and is the last loss of any Blackbird. Pilot Maj. Daniel E. House said the left engine blew up and shrapnel from it hit the right-side hydraulic lines, causing a loss of flight controls. House and RSO Capt. Blair L. Bozek ejected and came down safely in the ocean. They had been able to broadcast their position before abandoning the Blackbird, and rescue forces were immediately on the way. However, the crew was rescued by native fisherman.
61-7977 This aircraft ended its career in flames by skidding 1000 feet off the end of runway 14 at Beale AFB, California on 10 October 1968. The takeoff was aborted when a wheel assembly failed. Capt. James A. Kogler was ordered to eject, but pilot Maj. Gabriel Kardong elected to stay with the aircraft. Both crew members survived.
61-7978 Nicknamed "Rapid Rabbit," this aircraft was written off on 20 July 1972 during the roll out phase of its landing at Kadena AB, Okinawa. The pilot, Capt. Dennis K. Bush, had practiced a rapid deploy-jettison of the braking parachute. A go-around was initiated after the chute was jettisoned. On the next landing attempt, the aircraft touched down slightly "hot," but had no chute to reduce the aircraft's speed. The pilot was unable to keep the plane on the runway. The aircraft suffered significant damage. The pilot and the RSO, Capt. James W. Fagg escaped without injury.
A-12 YF-12A SR-71A/B/C Records
The SR-71 was the world's fastest and highest-flying air-breathing operational manned aircraft throughout its career and it still holds that record.
On 28th July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7962, piloted by then Captain Robert Helt, broke the world record: an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m).
On 28th July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h), approximately Mach 3.3
On 1st September 1974 SR-71 Serial Number holds the "speed over a recognized course" record for flying from New York to London—distance 3,461.53 miles (5,570.79 km), 1,806.964 miles per hour (2,908.027 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds. This equates to an average speed of about Mach 2.72, including deceleration for in-flight refueling. Peak speeds during this flight were likely closer to the declassified top speed of over Mach 3.2.
On 6th March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond E. Yeilding and Lt. Col. Joseph T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61–7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process:
Los Angeles, California, to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles (3,701.0 km), average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds.
West Coast to East Coast, distance 2,404 miles (3,869 km), average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour (3,419.1 km/h), and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds.
Kansas City, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516 km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502 km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds.
St. Louis, Missouri, to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1 km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3 km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds.
These four speed records were accepted by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States. Additionally, Air & Space/Smithsonian reported that the USAF clocked the SR-71 at one point in its flight reaching 2,242.48 miles per hour (3,608.92 km/h).