LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD^89
Above left: Flying at 80,000ft (24,000m) meant
that crews had to wear specialised pressurised
suits, which also acted as a protective cocoon in
the event of their being forced to ‘bang out’.
Above: Blackbird crews were used to ‘travelling
like a bullet... only faster!’ To more fully
understand the concept of Mach 3, imagine the
speed of a bullet coming from a high-powered
hunting rifle. It is travelling at 3,100ft per second
as it leaves the muzzle. The Blackbird would
cruise easily at 3,200ft per second, with plenty of
power to spare.
Above right: The incredible Lockheed SR-71
Blackbird, still the subject of awe and
admiration. No-one who ever saw a Blackbird
flying will forget the awesome sight and sound
of this spectacular aircraft, now lost from the
skies forever...
Right: The pilot’s cockpit was an analogue affair
with a preponderance of round dials. Behind him
in the SR-71A sat the reconnaissance systems
operator (RSO). Individual rocket-propelled
ejection seats were fitted.