[Al Czervik]

Originally Posted by HollowHead

What would it actually be fighting up there? HH

MiG-25s to 123k, if you believe the Russkies.
We sold 104s and 4s to people with which we aren't necessarily now friends. IIRC, they went to 103k and 98k, respectively in a zoom climb.

[sappy13]

that was a really cool read. cant even imagine what it must feel like to be behind the stick of something with that kind of speed

[RWBlue]

Originally Posted by 686Owner

I think Dayton has all of that and more.

I don't remember all of them being in Dayton.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

Then again, Dayton has more than can be seen in a day so......I may have missed them or forgotten something I saw.

[glockdoc21]

thanks for the link! Great read.

[noway]

I was station at both Osan and Kadena and remember the classic in with both recon planes ( U2 and Habu ) and I remember the last flight when Kadena retired the Habu.

Great history and stories on both oh the days.


I agreed that satelites have replaced the tradition recon , a keyhole sat does it better and cheaper. It's chance of being shotdown is just about 0 also

[series1811]

One of my favorite SR-71 stories:

Many interesting (and unconfirmed) stories have come out regarding the SR-71. In one story, an SR-71 was flying over France, returning to its base at Mildenhall, England, when an error light illuminated in the cockpit, ostensibly, an oil pressure drop to just below nominal.

It wasn't an emergency situation, but just to be safe, the pilot throttled back and reduced altitude. The RSO contacted French air traffic control for permission to descend through 60,000 feet, into controlled airspace.

The French controller denied the request unless the aircraft could provide a reservation number. Not having a "reservation number," and out of options, the SR-71 descended into French controlled airspace.

France scrambled interceptors which came up to the "low and slow" SR-71. The French pilot flew along side and demanded a reservation number to fly in controlled airspace. The SR-71 RSO told the pilot he had just given the French pilot the number out of his window (the middle-finger sign). The SR-71 pilot throttled up and the Blackbird roared away from the French fighters, leaving the French pilots astonished at the acceleration and speed of the Blackbird.

http://www.barthworks.com/aviation/sr71france.htm

[ChinaCave]

I have long interest in the Sled / Blackbird et al. Many books - some signed. Never saw one in flight, sadly....

One of fascinating things for me is the epic technical hurdles that had to be overcome in designing & building the plane.

I believe the following is the case & true - pls feel free to correct or amplify...

1) Much of the structure was made of titanium to withstand the frictional heating anticipated. The US does not have any, nor apparently at the time did any of our foreign pals. So "they" set up several shell corporations & proprietaries, and bought the alloy from the USSR.

2) Machining Titanium, in the late 50's and early 60s, was a B*tch. Lots of it became brittle from contamination. They discovered relatively early that cadmium-plated tools had to go. It took them much longer to figure out that parts made in the summer failed when those made in the winter did not - the cause was the chlorine in the local water supply in the summer - so the Skunkworks had to make themselves a pure water plant...

(one of my) favorite quotes - "You've never been lost until you've been lost at mach 3"

[GVFlyer]

Originally Posted by professorpinki

Dont forget UAV's.

You have to own the airspace to use a drone or there has to be an unsophisticated A/A threat.

[JMS]

http://jalopnik.com/5951233/this-is-...not-on-purpose