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.
After puzzling for a bit, this is not the Blackbird as mention in other comments, but an A-12 Oxcart, which is the CIA variant in the family. The A-12 was in the air two years before the SR-71 and was even more off-the-books than the Blackbird. Not many built (15 in the Oxcart program).
The extra assembly at the rear of the plane is a head scratcher.
The A-12 did have three planes delivered to the USAF as YF-12/-12As, one trainer version, and two M-21 drone-carriers. Whether the Airforce ones were included in the 15 ? Some say yes, some say no.
Pretty sure that is an earlier blackbird, the A-12. Slightly smaller, lighter, faster. No backseat for an RSO. This may be early testing of an A-12 Archangel prototype?? I have never seen the tanks above the wings inboard of the engines, are they part of the test? ART
If you haven't heard the story of the SR71 ground speed check or buzz the tower stories, they are here. https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/ Honestly, if I could do one thing before I pass, it would be a ride in one of those. Guess it's out of the question now.
While it’s not a ride, I lived in Tucson and went to Pima Air and Space museum a few times. About 15 years ago I was there on the day that the docents set up the ladders next to the Blackbird and let us climb into the cockpit and play make believe. At the time, I understood that they do that once or twice a year. I don’t know if that’s still the case or not. Really a spectacular aircraft.
Whether it is a Blackbird or not, my first introduction to the Blackbird was when I was in the field on Okinawa with my tank platoon deployed on a hilltop.
It was a very overcast day. I heard the noise of an approaching jet. I looked up and, very low and coming out of the overcast, the strangest aircraft that I had ever seen appeared, probably on final approach to Kadena AFB on the southern part of the island. I stood there, slack-jawed, asking, "What the hell is THAT?"
At Kadena in the '80s, the F-15s would take off in pairs at about a 30° to 45° angle-of-attack, and think they were the base badasses.
Until the SR-71s would come out for their weekly intel runs over Russia, China, anywhere in Asia, and the Norks. And they'd take off at about an 85° angle of attack, starting backed up to the very end of the runway, with APs blocking traffic on the road on the other side of the fence, because they'd generate about 20' flame tails, punch up through the clouds in a few seconds, and sound like a space shuttle launch on their way to top off, then head for that 100K' cruising altitude. 2-3 hours later, having flown to the Indian Ocean, Mongolia, or halfway to the Urals, they'd ease back in, and quietly grease a landing from way out over the ocean. With binos, you could occasionally spot the occasional Russian trawler tooling along off the coast of Oki outside the 12-mile limit.
How the fuck did we go from that to Joe Biden? I'm sorry. I'm almost 77. When I think of all the great stuff this country did in my lifetime and to have it the way it is now just depresses the hell out of me. Had a doctor's appointment last Monday morning. Nurse that took my blood pressure (110/62 btw) asked me if I was depressed. So i said "sure I'm depressed, have you seen the idiots running this country?"
How many minorities were on the teams that ended up getting us to the moon and back? From the end of WW2 up until the early 70's, third world immigrants were a tiny fraction of US population. Excuse me if I don't buy the whole "hidden figures" Hollywood BS, either. I believe there were a few blacks in the space program, but I don't buy the story that they were the smartest folks in the room. If immigration was all it's cracked up to be, by now we ought to be colonizing Mars. Instead, we're regressing.
My favorite Blackbird story was the time they called an ATC controller and requested an alt. change to 80,000 ft. The controller sneered and asked "and just how do you plan on getting up to 80,000 ft.?" "Negative sir - we would like to DESCEND to 80,000ft."
If you hadn't put the word "the" in the title I'd have looked for something yellow... :-)
ReplyDeleteamazing what one can do without "equity", DEI, and the rest of the whiners.
ReplyDeleteSR71 aka Blackbird, very impressive to see at the air and space museum in Sterling Va.
ReplyDeleteThe above the wing tanks perhaps are for static testing, given the main tankage needs to be heated to flight conditions to seal?
ReplyDeleteAfter puzzling for a bit, this is not the Blackbird as mention in other comments, but an A-12 Oxcart, which is the CIA variant in the family. The A-12 was in the air two years before the SR-71 and was even more off-the-books than the Blackbird. Not many built (15 in the Oxcart program).
ReplyDeleteThe extra assembly at the rear of the plane is a head scratcher.
The A-12 did have three planes delivered to the USAF as YF-12/-12As, one trainer version, and two M-21 drone-carriers. Whether the Airforce ones were included in the 15 ? Some say yes, some say no.
Pretty sure that is an earlier blackbird, the A-12. Slightly smaller, lighter, faster. No backseat for an RSO. This may be early testing of an A-12 Archangel prototype?? I have never seen the tanks above the wings inboard of the engines, are they part of the test?
ReplyDeleteART
If you haven't heard the story of the SR71 ground speed check or buzz the tower stories, they are here. https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/ Honestly, if I could do one thing before I pass, it would be a ride in one of those. Guess it's out of the question now.
ReplyDeleteWhile it’s not a ride, I lived in Tucson and went to Pima Air and Space museum a few times. About 15 years ago I was there on the day that the docents set up the ladders next to the Blackbird and let us climb into the cockpit and play make believe. At the time, I understood that they do that once or twice a year. I don’t know if that’s still the case or not. Really a spectacular aircraft.
DeleteA-12 Oxcart series - a helpful guide is the visuals at: https://www.cia.gov/stories/story/oxcart-vs-blackbird-do-you-know-the-difference/
ReplyDeleteBig Bird?!? Where are Elmo and Cookie Monster?
ReplyDeleteWhether it is a Blackbird or not, my first introduction to the Blackbird was when I was in the field on Okinawa with my tank platoon deployed on a hilltop.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very overcast day. I heard the noise of an approaching jet. I looked up and, very low and coming out of the overcast, the strangest aircraft that I had ever seen appeared, probably on final approach to Kadena AFB on the southern part of the island. I stood there, slack-jawed, asking, "What the hell is THAT?"
At Kadena in the '80s, the F-15s would take off in pairs at about a 30° to 45° angle-of-attack, and think they were the base badasses.
DeleteUntil the SR-71s would come out for their weekly intel runs over Russia, China, anywhere in Asia, and the Norks.
And they'd take off at about an 85° angle of attack, starting backed up to the very end of the runway, with APs blocking traffic on the road on the other side of the fence, because they'd generate about 20' flame tails, punch up through the clouds in a few seconds, and sound like a space shuttle launch on their way to top off, then head for that 100K' cruising altitude.
2-3 hours later, having flown to the Indian Ocean, Mongolia, or halfway to the Urals, they'd ease back in, and quietly grease a landing from way out over the ocean.
With binos, you could occasionally spot the occasional Russian trawler tooling along off the coast of Oki outside the 12-mile limit.
How the fuck did we go from that to Joe Biden? I'm sorry. I'm almost 77. When I think of all the great stuff this country did in my lifetime and to have it the way it is now just depresses the hell out of me. Had a doctor's appointment last Monday morning. Nurse that took my blood pressure (110/62 btw) asked me if I was depressed. So i said "sure I'm depressed, have you seen the idiots running this country?"
ReplyDeleteHow many minorities were on the teams that ended up getting us to the moon and back? From the end of WW2 up until the early 70's, third world immigrants were a tiny fraction of US population. Excuse me if I don't buy the whole "hidden figures" Hollywood BS, either. I believe there were a few blacks in the space program, but I don't buy the story that they were the smartest folks in the room. If immigration was all it's cracked up to be, by now we ought to be colonizing Mars. Instead, we're regressing.
DeleteThe tanks are ground run testers; perhaps the integral fuel system isn’t complete. Either way, it’s the same photo, just reveresed in the second one.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Blackbird story was the time they called an ATC controller and requested an alt. change to 80,000 ft. The controller sneered and asked "and just how do you plan on getting up to 80,000 ft.?" "Negative sir - we would like to DESCEND to 80,000ft."
ReplyDelete