SR-71 Blackbird / A-12 OXCART and U-2 Dragon Lady | The two Spy Iconic Planes Built By Skunk works
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 гру 2022
- The SR-71 Blackbird (also known as the A-12 OXCART) and the U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Planes. They are the brainchild of Skunk Works (Lockheed) and they are, perhaps, two most famous Spy Planes in history.
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA.
The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. Initially, a bomber variant of the A-12 was requested by Curtis LeMay, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side looking airborne radar, and a camera;the SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. The SR-71 entered service in January 1966.
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is an American single-jet engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It provides day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet, 21,300 meters), all-weather intelligence gathering.
Lockheed Corporation originally proposed it in 1953, it was approved in 1954, and its first test flight was in 1955. It was flown during the Cold War over the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, and Cuba. In 1960, Gary Powers was shot down in a CIA U-2C over the Soviet Union by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). Major Rudolf Anderson Jr. was shot down in a U-2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
U-2s have taken part in post-Cold War conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and supported several multinational NATO operations. The U-2 has also been used for electronic sensor research, satellite calibration, scientific research, and communications purposes. The U-2 is one of a handful of aircraft types to have served the USAF for over 50 years, along with the Boeing B-52, Boeing KC-135, Lockheed C-130 and Lockheed C-5. The newest models (TR-1, U-2R, U-2S) entered service in the 1980s, and the latest model, the U-2S, had a technical upgrade in 2012.
SR-71 General characteristics
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 tank groups (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
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
U-2 General characteristics
Crew: 1
Capacity: 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) payload
Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.20 m)
Wingspan: 103 ft (31 m)
Height: 16 ft 0 in (4.88 m)
Wing area: 1,000 sq ft (93 m2)
Airfoil: root: NACA 63A409; tip: NACA 63A406
Empty weight: 16,000 lb (7,257 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 40,000 lb (18,144 kg)
Fuel capacity: 2,950 US gal (2,460 imp gal; 11,200 l)
Powerplant: 1 × General Electric F118-101 turbofan engine, 17,000 lbf (76 kN) thrust
Performance
Cruise speed: Mach 0.715 (412 kn; 470 mph; 760 km/h) at 72,000 ft (22,000 m)
Cruise speed: 413 kn (475 mph, 765 km/h) at 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
Stall speed: 65 kn (75 mph, 120 km/h)
Range: 6,090 nmi (7,010 mi, 11,280 km) plus
Endurance: 12 hours
Service ceiling: 80,000 ft (24,000 m) plus
Rate of climb: 9,000 ft/min (46 m/s)
Time to altitude: 60,000 ft (18,000 m) in 12 minutes 30 seconds
Lift-to-drag: 25.6
Wing loading: 40 lb/sq ft (200 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 0.425
Fuel consumption: 910 lb/h (410 kg/h) in cruise
#sr71 #u2 #aircraft
Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions:
My grandpa helped design ECM on the U2 and SR-71 and boy is that stuff cool to hear about
I was in the Air Force during the service of the SR-71, One of the aircraft came to my base, a SAC base with nuclear weapons there. I already had a secret clearance to work around these weapons. I was assigned to guard the aircraft and was permitted to have my best friend with me. Two Security Police as we were had to to present while guarding the SR-71. We were like two kids in a candy store with money to spend. Our classifications were temporarily moved to top secret during our assignment. We were told some information by the crew that was way above our classification and pay grades, we knew to take this information to our graves and as for me I have not talked much about the aircraft. In retirement it still holds records for height and speed. Nothing can compare to this wonderful aircraft, both of us counted it one of the highest privileges to even be near it.
The coolest thing I've ever seen in the sky, no contest.
There's a Blackbird at the bottom of the Marianas trench . It was flying over the south China sea when a bearing in one of the engines froze up and the engine exploded sending shrapnel through the hydraulic lines and there was no saving it from crashing into the sea . The big problem was it was in Chinas back yard . We quickly recovered what was left of the once proud bird and brought it to an American base in Japan . It was not in a repairable so it was then brought to the trench and buried at sea with full military honors . I think that would be something to see if you could get an ROV down there and see a Blackbird on the sea bottom . Both of the crew safely ejected once they slowed down enough that ejecting wouldn't kill them . Man what a machine .
An order for 12 examples was placed 30th of January 1860. Incredible. I guess the SR-71 was truly ahead of it's time.
I was stationed at Beale AFB with the SR71 and the U2 during the 1980's. I serviced the equipment used to refuel both aircraft. I have a few photos taken of me in the cockpit. Awesome planes to watch take off and land. We lived on base and our windows rattled all the time when they broke the sound barrier.
One of the great engineering feats of the 20th century hands down.
Amazing video...almost 70 years ago...imagine now....where did u find this video? It must be declassified.
They probably only built 50 Blackbirds in total. That includes 18 A-12 types and its direct derivatives broken as twelve A-12 single-seaters plus the A-12T trainer, 3 YF-12A interceptor prototypes, and two MD-21 drone carrier-launchers. Add in 32 SR-71s consisting of 29 fully-operational front-line deployed planes plus 3 trainers, 2 SR-71B + 1 SR-71C which was a partial recycle of a damaged YF-12A.
That's an impressive bird.
Keep in mind titanium reacts with almost Everything! So just the fact they were able to work it as an alloy was unfathomable for the time
Awesome bird!!!!!
" What we needed was an interceptor and we didn't get one". IMO we got something much better than a simple interceptor and much more valuable. Nothing else, including satellites, could go anywhere in the world, at anytime no matter how contested the area was
Looks like new footage released by Lockheed?
The A-12 trainer couldn’t go to Mach 3 because it didn’t have the J58 engine, which wasn’t ready, it used a J75. If it had the engine it was designed for it would have been 3.2
I really liked the U2 docu at the end. The narrative for the SR/YF12 almost seemed computer generated by a non-english speaker. Understandable, but just, weird. Thanks for posting these though!
Gone are the days.
I worked on every part of the SR-71's, U-2's, KC-135's, and T-38's for nearly ten years as a Machinist / Metals Technology Supervisor and Section Chief. The SR-71's titanium was amazing to work with. Decades after it's retirement I was able to purchase some original mission flown titanium parts. I now make rings and collectables using this material.
Spaceships 🚀