Mach 3 Speed - Home Cold War-era Blackbirds officially had a top speed of Mach 3.2, but the SR-71 was much faster than that, says former Skunk Works engineer
"The Blackbird's top speed was officially Mach 3.2, but the SR-71 was much faster," says the former Skunk Works engineer.
Mach 3 Speed
"Shul's story of flying at Mach 3.5 or more is the most detailed evidence yet of the SR-71's top speed." - Tim Yarrow, electrical engineer at Lockheed's Skunk Works 1974-1994
Nasa Armstrong Fact Sheet: Sr 71 Blackbird
The SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft was the world's fastest jet aircraft and the most advanced member of the Blackbird family, developed by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's secret "Skunk Works". During 24 years in the US Air Force, the SR-71 has flown nearly 2,800 hours. The aircraft was designed to fly deep into hostile territory, avoiding interception thanks to its tremendous speed and high altitude.
During its service life, the SR-71 provided intelligence on the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the 1986 US airstrike on Libya, and the 1987 unveiling of Iran's Silkworm Missile Battery 71 in January 1990.
The Blackbird was designed to fly at "Mach 3+," just over three times the speed of sound, or more than 2,200 miles per hour, and at altitudes of up to 85,000 feet.
As we explained earlier, probably the most frequently asked Blackbird question when talking about the SR-71 is how high and how fast does it actually fly?
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"Blackbird pilot Brian Shul reported on a surveillance mission over Tripoli, Libya in April 1986 [CLICK HERE to read how Brian Shul's SR-71 passed Gaddafi SAMs on BDA's famous flight over Libya in support of Operation El Dorado Canyon]. Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA) photographic evidence was needed after the US bombing in retaliation for the Gaddafi-sponsored terrorist attack on a Berlin disco. The satellites were not available for immediate assignment to BDA in Tripoli. This was the surveillance mission the SR-71 was designed for, albeit a quarter of a century ago.
"The difference was that by 1986 the missile capability had improved significantly. And Libya had them. As the Blackbird crossed the "Death Line" into Libyan territory, co-pilot Shula warned of surface-to-surface missiles, which are Russian SAMs that can fly at Mach 5. The Blackbird pilot was probably the only thing scared of those scary little asses.
"Shul reports that he and his co-pilot calculated that they could *just* overfly Libya to achieve their tracking goals, but only if they increased their speed. Since the Blackbird's tracking missions are timed second in terms of speed, altitude, and fuel load, there were 3, 2 Exceeding Mach 2 Pilot's safety decision that exceeded pre-flight planning.
"The aircraft responded with smooth and confident power, delivering speeds that had previously been the subject of much theory and conjecture."
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“Shul says in his book Sled Driver that when more rounds were detected at Mach 3.5, he pushed the throttles all the way forward, all the way to the stops.
"The Shul continued to climb at 500 feet per minute (one-sixth of a degree up … do the math) while accelerating to the turn point. The engines were running 'relatively cool.'
Here's an excerpt from Major Brian Shul's book Sled Driver: "After a few agonizingly long seconds, Walter the co-pilot suggested, 'You might want to take it back.'" Then I noticed… I still had the throttle fully forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, which is well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest flight we've ever flown."
This print is available in several sizes at AircraftProfilePrints.com - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 "Skunkworks"
How Fast Could The Sr 71 Blackbird Really Fly?
“They took pictures, turned around and only when the Mediterranean blue was safely outside their window did they back off the gas.
"Obviously it wasn't a hopped-up SR-71. It was a regular Blackbird, maintained and flying in tip-top shape.
“So I think the debate about how fast the plane can go is still going on… and if it was much faster than Mach 3.5, it's a well-kept secret, probably for national security reasons.
"Shula's narrative of flying at Mach 3.5 or higher is the most detailed evidence yet of the SR-71's top speeds."
Breakup Of The Sr 71 Blackbird At Mach 3+
"At high speed, the J58's engines act more like RAM jets than turbojets. It works more efficiently the faster it flies.
"The catch is that the intake and exhaust temperatures must be carefully monitored to stay within the engine's design. In this mode, the engine was ingesting over 100,000 cubic feet of air per second.
“The engine spikes retract 26 inches into the nacelle and all engine inlet doors are closed except for the main inlet and outlet.
“J58 engine inlet and nacelle showing prop pin fully forward, position for engine start, take off and 1.5 Machin flying. At speeds above Mach 1.5, the spike was gradually retracted into the nacelle by 1.6 inches per 0.1 Mach, up to 26 inches retracted at Mach 3.2.
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This was done to intercept the "normal" shock wave at the engine nacelle inlet and decelerate the air to the engine compressor stages at subsonic speeds.
Dario Leone Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the founder and editor of The Aviation Geek Club, one of the most widely read military aviation blogs in the world. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other media. He reported from Europe and flew Swiss Air Force Super Puma and Cougar helicopters.
Cold War Era / Aircraft Damage & Safety / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird Blackbird pilots explain why flying the SR-71 with only one engine at full throttle was the most dangerous operation for the Blackbird crew December 18, 2022 By Linda Sheffield Miller Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR -71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed "The SR-71 can reach Mach 3.5, but at that speed it can take serious damage," says former Blackbird pilot April 17, 2022 By Dario LeoneAviation Humor / Cold War Era / Military Aviation / SR-71 Blackbird / SR-71 Top Speed The story of the SR-71 Blackbird crew that "caught the bird" of the French Air Force Mirage III pilot, ignited the afterburners and passed him on August 17, 2021. By Dario Leone
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