And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
When Kelly Johnson designed this plane he realized that you had to build it from titanium. We didn't have any titanium. Know who did? Russia. We bought it all from them in small quantities and they had no idea what we were doing with it. I'll bet they were pissed when they figured that out.
With that being a British Jaguar, that photo was probably shot over East Anglia. There were 2 SR-71s at Mildenhall AB. In the early 1980s, when I went on C-130 rotations to Mildenhall, I had the pleasure of watching a few takeoff ahead of me. It was amazing to watch.
The takeoff is...interesting. The rear gear on the -71 is in the middle of that delta wing area. Which means they have to eaaaaaaase up slowly until they get a hundred feet off the ground before they pull pitch on the stick and go vertical.
The F-15 jocks at Kadena AFB would do unlimited takeoff regularly to get above the civilian housing for noise control, and they all probably thought they were ballistic badasses pulling maybe 60° of pitch (and closer to 45° most days).
Until a Habu did one, and it looked like a moon launch, pulling an 85° or more pull-up, and accelerating the whole time. 0-40,000' in a few seconds. Level out, tank up at the refuel bird, blitz through China, Siberia, Vietnam, and/or Norkistan at 3000+MPH at Angels 100, tank up again on the way out, and back a couple of hours later, untouchable the entire time over restricted airspace.
And parked, it sits so low to the ground even a short guy has to duck to get under it. It's a flying fuel tank with a small recon pod, and a cockpit, strapped to these stubby wings with monster engines. A sky dragster, in every way.
Nice try, chief. That one's mounted on 14' stilts: https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=dvlvuvUM&id=CB426DBD6524290A7FC9A1C53E2EC4DD46C1F4D8&thid=OIP.dvlvuvUMbEjUV9GSQcl76AHaEF&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.richard-seaman.com%2fAircraft%2fMuseums%2fSanDiego%2fSr71Blackbird.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.76f96fbaf50c6c48d457d19241c97be8%3frik%3d2PTBRt3ELj7FoQ%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=497&expw=900&q=SR-71+San+Diego&simid=608016401397787986&FORM=IRPRST&ck=21BB5D7F4A303A25F94FFA5C14B75DCE&selectedIndex=3&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
Saw that thing flying out there on low approach to Beale during a college road trip back in the '80's. Closest I've come to spotting a UFO.
ReplyDeleteWhen Kelly Johnson designed this plane he realized that you had to build it from titanium. We didn't have any titanium. Know who did? Russia. We bought it all from them in small quantities and they had no idea what we were doing with it. I'll bet they were pissed when they figured that out.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're doing something similar with our uranium that P.I.A.P.S. and 0 sold them.
DeleteIf that's a Phantom that blackbird's a big'n innit?
ReplyDeleteJaguar. it’s F-16 ish in size, but the Blackbird’s a long sumbitch regardless
DeleteWith that being a British Jaguar, that photo was probably shot over East Anglia. There were 2 SR-71s at Mildenhall AB. In the early 1980s, when I went on C-130 rotations to Mildenhall, I had the pleasure of watching a few takeoff ahead of me. It was amazing to watch.
ReplyDeleteThe takeoff is...interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe rear gear on the -71 is in the middle of that delta wing area. Which means they have to eaaaaaaase up slowly until they get a hundred feet off the ground before they pull pitch on the stick and go vertical.
The F-15 jocks at Kadena AFB would do unlimited takeoff regularly to get above the civilian housing for noise control, and they all probably thought they were ballistic badasses pulling maybe 60° of pitch (and closer to 45° most days).
Until a Habu did one, and it looked like a moon launch, pulling an 85° or more pull-up, and accelerating the whole time. 0-40,000' in a few seconds. Level out, tank up at the refuel bird, blitz through China, Siberia, Vietnam, and/or Norkistan at 3000+MPH at Angels 100, tank up again on the way out, and back a couple of hours later, untouchable the entire time over restricted airspace.
And parked, it sits so low to the ground even a short guy has to duck to get under it. It's a flying fuel tank with a small recon pod, and a cockpit, strapped to these stubby wings with monster engines. A sky dragster, in every way.
no, there is one outside the aviation museum in Balboa Park, No ducking required
ReplyDeleteNice try, chief. That one's mounted on 14' stilts:
Deletehttps://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=dvlvuvUM&id=CB426DBD6524290A7FC9A1C53E2EC4DD46C1F4D8&thid=OIP.dvlvuvUMbEjUV9GSQcl76AHaEF&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.richard-seaman.com%2fAircraft%2fMuseums%2fSanDiego%2fSr71Blackbird.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.76f96fbaf50c6c48d457d19241c97be8%3frik%3d2PTBRt3ELj7FoQ%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=497&expw=900&q=SR-71+San+Diego&simid=608016401397787986&FORM=IRPRST&ck=21BB5D7F4A303A25F94FFA5C14B75DCE&selectedIndex=3&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
Here's what they look like on the deck:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=r1JwlC2m&id=C37694E5CD28F5BA4FD47C51FBE861F3432B7DBB&thid=OIP.r1JwlC2mpBo4dqaI0e6qDAHaE9&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.af5270942da6a41a3876a688d1eeaa0c%3frik%3du30rQ%252fNh6PtRfA%26riu%3dhttp%253a%252f%252fheroicrelics.org%252fmuseum-of-aviation%252f896x600%252fdsc64131.jpg%26ehk%3dLBj1%252fBW53XlnOj9%252bPun1ksbWalTqV%252bTdBRWnLhl9GDc%253d%26risl%3d%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=600&expw=896&q=SR-71+San+Diego&simid=608007364781540752&FORM=IRPRST&ck=A337A166655CB8105D1B0D631C7E7912&selectedIndex=7&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0
I award you no points. ;)