BUMP ! Worth another look !!! Enjoy !

http://www.airshowbuzz.com/videos/view.php?v=13a675df

 

Truly amazing when you realize this plane first flew in the 1960s...

 

Fun Fact yhe SRT-71 actually used less fuell the faster it went do to the ram air effect on its engines. The biggest limiting factor for speed was heat build up do to friction.

 

Actually I think the limiting factor on speed was that before it would reach it's true top speed, it would already be at the reserve fuel level.

 

And I'm betting running out would be a bad idea. Can't imagine it being much of a glider with that short wingspan.

I love the one on display at the Huntsville Space and Rocket center. My favorite part of the place. You can see it as you drive past on 565.

Looking at the specs on that thing makes me not feel so fast in my srt6.

 

I've always loved seeing the one they have on the Intrepid in NY. That and the tomcat. I grew up watching TopGun. Funny thing about VHS tapes is your folks can edit out the bad parts. LOL Little snip snip here, scotch tape there... Rated-R to G in 5 minutes flat. LOL

 

I keep hearing about ram jets...how do they work...or was pulse jets...anyway..they leave the strange contrails...

 

Rarest of the Rare Static Displays: Blackbird, Oxcart, MD-21 - 12-01-2008

Rarest of the Rare Static Displays: Blackbird, Oxcart, MD-21 Check my posts #s 26, 29, and 30 for location of all static displays. The CIA model A-12 was faster but not acknowledged.
Oxcart was a hot prospect but didn't pass muster.
Imagine youself being strpped in the electric chair with a straight jacket on for 24 hours not being able to scratch your nose or other portions of your body and sucking on a straw for baby food or water. Anybody that flew in the "Suit" planes was a very special breed, all volunteers, hand picked and rigorously trained.
All Pilots are just a tad loose but then they have to be.

John P FTroopChief

 

Ramjet / Scramjet Thrust here ya go Doc !

The pulse jet engine is utilized by the newest generation of high speed, high altitude aircraft. I caught a glimpse of what I believe to be the " Aurora " pulse jet equipped air craft high above west Texas. The contrail following this thing was the typical "soap on a rope" image shot by other air craft sleuths around Area 51 ...

 

Cool fact about the Blackbird, it weeps fuel a lot! Until its airborn and going fast. Then all the leaks seal due to the heat expanding all the panels. A few other aircraft exibit this also, mostly the extreme high altitude fast ones.

 

Check out the skin temperature on this baby! I recall when recovering several Blackbirds, they were taxied into the hangar, engines left running, clean dip pans placed under the fuel vents and then engines shut down. When the recovery and turnaround crew arrived from Beale, the first thing done was to pour the dripped fuel into mason jars and it returned with them to home base.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/loc...-blackbird.htm

FTroopChief

 

Another interesting article.
The Thrill of Flying the SR-71 Blackbird - Blackbird - Gizmodo
or for lots of info go to;
SR-71 Online - The Blackbird Archive
If you thought the Xfire manual too large to read try the SR-71 Flight Manual, 1,050 pages and others still classified. You can read it on the above site.
You have two days and then there is a written test.