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. The aircraft was under the command and control of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base and flew out of a renovated hangar at Edwards Air Force Base. On landing, the canopy temperature was over 572F (300C). Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air and Space, October/November 1990, p. 35. During the Cold War, pilots of the Concorde were asking air traffic control to move the SR-71 out of its way so it could proceed to New York's JF as well as other destinations. A MiG-25 had locked a missile on the damaged SR-71, but as the aircraft was under escort, no missiles were fired. Of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, "A-10" was the front-runner. SR-71s first arrived at the 9th SRW's Operating Location (OL-8) at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan on 8 March 1968. [97] These deployments were code-named "Glowing Heat", while the program as a whole was code-named "Senior Crown". Designed at Lockheeds Skunk Works by Clarence Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 performed reconnaissance for the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years and played a key role in Cold War intelligence gathering. We do not know whether they then went on to move across that bridge. The event had been classified for over 30 years, and when the report was unsealed, data from the NSA showed that multiple MiG-25s with the order to shoot down the SR-71 or force it to land, had started right after the engine failure. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. Donald, David, ed. Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President Bill Clinton attempted to use the line-item veto to cancel the $39million allocated for the SR-71. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Air Vanguard) by Crickmore, Paul F. (paperback) at the best online prices at eBay! Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air & Space, October/November 1990, p. 31. a list of stars used for celestial navigation, 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, National Museum of the United States Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aircraft in fiction Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, List of military aircraft of the United States, List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, "The SR-71 Blackbird: The Super Spy Plane That Outran Missiles", "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: SR-71 Blackbird", "U.S. Pushes Hard To Build SR-72 Hypersonic Fighter", "Records: Sub-class: C-1 (Landplanes) Group 3: turbo-jet. As space-based surveillance systems became more sophisticated and air defense systems became more effective, the Air Force chose to end the expensive program. Kloesel, Kurt J., Nalin A. Ratnayake and Casie M. Clark. In 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird broke the worlds record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight at 25,929 meters (85,069 feet).
