Of 11 successive designs drafted in a span of 10 months, "A-10" was the front-runner. The work on project Archangel began in the second quarter of 1958, with aim of flying higher and faster than the U-2. The project, named Archangel, was led by Kelly Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works unit in Burbank, California. In late 1957, the CIA approached the defense contractor Lockheed to build an undetectable spy plane. Lockheed's previous reconnaissance aircraft was the relatively slow U-2, designed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). As of 2021 the SR-71 continues to hold the official world record it set in 1976 for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12.
The SR-71 has been given several nicknames, including " Blackbird" and " Habu". Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72 is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. NASA was the final operator of the type, retiring their examples in 1999. During 1988, the USAF retired the SR-71 largely for political reasons several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. A total of 32 aircraft were built 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action. On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The aircraft was introduced to operational service in January 1966.ĭuring aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters) to allow it to outrace threats.
The SR-71 designation has been attributed to lobbying efforts by USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay, who preferred the SR ( Strategic Reconnaissance) designation over simply RS ( Reconnaissance, Strategic). Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, a side-looking airborne radar, and a photo 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. At one point, a bomber variant of the aircraft was under consideration, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. 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. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. 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. It was operated by both the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA. 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. The raised second cockpit is for the instructor. For other uses, see SR-71 (disambiguation).Īn SR-71B trainer over the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California in 1994.
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