: On July 28, 1976, it set absolute records for speed (2,193.167 mph) and altitude (85,068.997 feet).
: It could survey 100,000 square miles of territory per hour from its cruising altitude. Engineering & Design Innovations LockheedSR71Blackbird.rar
: The aircraft used its fuel as a heat sink to cool the air-conditioning system and internal components before the fuel was burned. Legacy and Successors Aircraft Report: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird : On July 28, 1976, it set absolute records for speed (2,193
To survive the extreme heat generated by friction at Mach 3+, the aircraft required radical design solutions: Key Performance Specifications
: Its Pratt & Whitney J58 engines acted as a turbojet-ramjet hybrid, becoming most efficient at speeds above Mach 3.
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" remains one of the most remarkable feats of aerospace engineering, designed during the Cold War to fly faster and higher than any other manned aircraft. Developed by the secretive Lockheed Skunk Works division, it served as a strategic reconnaissance platform for the USAF and NASA from 1964 until its final retirement in 1999. Key Performance Specifications