Le SR-71 Blackbird, l'Avion le Plus Rapide du Monde
Video from the channel aTech about Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 7:39. Language: French. Video type: Documentary.
What it covers
A French-language informational video that presents the SR-71 Blackbird as a United States Air Force spy plane holding altitude and speed records. It covers its operational history, its retirement and its mark on culture and design.
Historical context
The SR-71 was developed by Lockheed Corporation, which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin. It was derived from the A-12 OXCART and added reconnaissance sensors intended for the Air Force. It first flew on 22 December 1964. From March 1968 it was deployed to Kadena (Okinawa) to replace the A-12s, where it earned the nickname Habu, after a snake native to the island; its first mission was on 21 March over Vietnam. It also operated from Beale (California).
Key facts
About 30 were built, flying more than 3,500 operational sorties over the Soviet Union, North Korea and Libya. Its J58 engines, producing nearly 15 tons of thrust each, used the dedicated JP-7 fuel, which required a dedicated tanker fleet. In 1974 it crossed from New York to London in under two hours. It was retired in January 1990, but in 1994 Congress approved $100 million to return three aircraft to service between 1995 and 1998. Final retirement came in October 1999, with a last flight for NASA. The video mentions the never-confirmed rumor of the Aurora as its successor and the aircraft's influence on McLaren designs and on an electric motorcycle.