The SR-71 could cruise at speeds exceeding Mach 3 and at altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet—both of which represent performance extremes. At such extremes, the airframe generated heat, which posed ...
The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever built, was ultimately done in by the Air Force’s most notorious and intractable enemy: budget cuts. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains one of the most ...