SR-72 Confirmed: Mach 6 Project Blackswift

Hopefully, everyone won't be too upset if I ask an SR-71 question, here. I was wondering if anyone knew how many A12's, SR-71's in museums are theoretically still capable of flying (not gutted or has had it's wings cut off for transport. I think the one in Dayton has been gutted, but not the one in DC.
Thanks!

a reply to: Pandadug

None. They all had their wings cut for transport.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Ouch. That's sad news. Always thought that the DC plane had been flown there, but they must have done the dirty deed sometime afterwards. On a side note, I got to see one of these beauties while they were in the experimental hanger at Dayton. They didn't have any barriers around them, so you could walk right up to them and under them; it was wonderful. Also got right up to the x15 . They had a step ladder and you could look down into the cockpit.

originally posted by: Pandadug
a reply to: Zaphod58

Ouch. That's sad news. Always thought that the DC plane had been flown there, but they must have done the dirty deed sometime afterwards. On a side note, I got to see one of these beauties while they were in the experimental hanger at Dayton. They didn't have any barriers around them, so you could walk right up to them and under them; it was wonderful. Also got right up to the x15 . They had a step ladder and you could look down into the cockpit.

I was mr mclucky with a licence to be lucky when I landed a supplier in Washington DC. Another story on what they made which is a first of its kind.

Anyway, we had a day to spare before heading home and obviously all being in aerospace we went to that museum.

Nothing will ever come close to those 4 hours, Concorde, shuttle, F14 and SR71.

Whilst personally the 4 mentioned above are my favourite aircraft, the 71 is my favourite. When form meets function meets absolute beauty you are talking the 71.

However, after years of discovery channel I get to see it in person, I thought it was small!! Went head on and it is amazing how it could dissapeared behind your finger but yeah, maybe it was its thinness I was just a bit, it's smaller than I thought!

10/10 still have an unopened balsa glider from the gift shop opposite the Emas cinema

i love catching up n these threads one of the reasons i joined ats. iv got a serious question to ask , if the sr71 was late 1950/ early 1960' s tec given the rate that technology evolves look at mobiles tvs etc from ten years ago to today is it not posiblethat in 50 years they have already evolved this tec? i no they say the military is usualy 25/30 years ahead of mainstream when the 71's were retired and sent to museums what happend to the engines? after all they are the fastest ever produced wouldnt it make sence to just upgrade them into a newr cost efective airframe? after all nothing else uses the jp7 fuel so whats the goverment using it al on?

a reply to: Pandadug

I believe you are referring to tail number #61-7972 National Air & Space Museum, Washington, DC. Set four new speed records on its retirement flight, 6 March 1990. Located at Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. If any were capable of being revived it would be this one.

Others located...
www.wvi.com...

Also, I believe the one at Beale is intact. As is probably the one at Dryden and several others. Does anyone know what the Air Force did with their fairly large surplus of J-58's (and other parts) as it was well documented that there was an abundance of such prior to the retirement in 1990? The reactivation in 95 couldn't have impacted this supply much...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Pandadug

None. They all had their wings cut for transport.

Talking of A12/SR-71 wings....

John Lear just did a podcast where he stated the US and USSR collaborated on the wings (stay with me) - due to the fact the US didn't have the required manufacturing equipment/Titanium.

www.jimmychurchradio.com...


He seemed a little....errr....under the weather.

Accordingly, a quick fact check reveals that although the bit about not having the manufacturing equipment is entirely made up, the bit about the Titanium has a hint of truth (like all good stories!).

"The airplane is 92% titanium inside and out. Back when they were building the airplane the United States didn't have the ore supplies - an ore called rutile ore. It's a very sandy soil and it's only found in very few parts of the world. The major supplier of the ore was the USSR. Working through Third World countries and bogus operations, they were able to get the rutile ore shipped to the United States to build the SR-71"

Source Colonel Rich Graham

Would love to hear how this happened if anyone has further info....

Although I doubt there was any state level collaboration, I wonder if a couple of enterprising Russians might have been in on it as a sudden order from Zaire would surely trigger an alert?

a reply to: Jukiodone

The CIA used fronts and companies willing to work with them to buy relatively small amounts and had it shipped from Russia. It eventually made it to Lockheed after a company in the US refined the ore into the sheets they needed.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Yep I wondered if there was any other stories outside the comments made??

The only other snippet I could find was a comment on a forum where someone said Lockheed refused most due to low quality....

I didn't go so far to check worldwide consumption of rutile ore at the time of development but I (maybe wrongly) assumed it would be something that would be monitored (by materially adept) Russians given the intel they would be receiving??

If not ..gaff and a half.

a reply to: Jukiodone

That's about all you'll find and that was from Skunk Works. Even now they don't talk about it.

a reply to: intelgurl

I wasn't sure where to come with this post but maybe someone here can help. I live in middle Tennessee kind of in the middle of no where and alnost every single day I see some type of military aircraft fly over. I live about 20-30 miles from Fort Cambell. I don't know anything about this base but that is the only place I could think these aircraft are based. It's very strange how low they fly and sometimes I have heard helicopters at 9 or 10 PM. These aircraft are really loud and it's kind of ridiculous but I really wish I knew why they fly so much.
I've seen all different types of helicopters, if I saw a picture I could tell you if its flown over haha. Also HUGE planes they look like AC130 things(sorry not very educated on military craft)
The scariest thing I've seen was a few months ago. Me and my brother were watching tv and it sounded like a tornado hit or a train was right outside our house(we don't live close to a hwy or anything) we looked outside and 2 fighter jets flew over. Like RIGHT over our house. And they looked LOW, I mean like barely above the tree line it was crazy! I still don't know what to think about it because I was sure our windows might break when they flew over it was so loud.
This is a long post and kind of ignorant on my part but I was wondering if anyone knew anything about a base in Clarksville Tennesee called Fort Cambell and whether or not they fly aircraft like everyday? I'm tempted to visit this base and rant at them because they cause a lot of ruckus hahaha.

Thanks

a reply to: OpenMindedPhilosopher

Tennessee is home to a big part of the high speed corridor. They used to test F-22s out of Marietta as they were being built, and still test C-130s from there as well as aircraft from other locations coming down to use it.

Although I doubt there was any state level collaboration, I wonder if a couple of enterprising Russians might have been in on it as a sudden order from Zaire would surely trigger an alert?

It's used in power plants of 3rd world countries to lengthen lifespan:

In power generating plants, where saline, brackish or polluted waters are used as the cooling medium, titanium thin wall condenser tubing will last for the life of the condenser (with a 40-year warranty against failure under proper conditions) and eliminate the need for a corrosion allowance

So, as long as they spread it out enough over time and quantity, wouldn't have raised many red flags. Especially since back then, they likely didn't know what to look for, to piece it together. Buying this through a shell company for power plant construction, for example, would have been easy to hide the true purpose.

Look for more 'combined cycle' approaches in the future (propulsion systems using the same inlet(s) / exhaust nozzle(s) / ejector(s))

Here's the really interesting question: what will replace the jet engine?

Here's the really interesting question: what will replace the jet engine?

EMDrive?

EMDrive if it truly works and even if it does, would it have enough power (practically) to propel something through the air?

A 'lifter' coupled with a 'flight-ready' fusion reactor? Can Lockheed make such a power plant in the next 20 years for aircraft?

a reply to: JMH61

EMD for propulsion.

Vacuum-cell technology to provide "neutral buoyancy"/lift

If you don't need your engines to help translate thrust into lift, your engines can be more efficient. And maybe more "exotic"?

originally posted by: Bhadhidar
a reply to: JMH61

EMD for propulsion.

Vacuum-cell technology to provide "neutral buoyancy"/lift

If you don't need your engines to help translate thrust into lift, your engines can be more efficient. And maybe more "exotic"?

Not sure that the surface area required to make Vaccum cells a viable aerospace application in our atmosphere would fit with an SR71 replacement....

Given what people have already said in this thread, it is entirely more likely that a relatively conventional hyper cruise vehicle would be a most likely replacement a la Black Swift /X41.

Have any rumours been floated that the test SR72 was flying by 89? and that it was equipped with a liquid nitrogen cooled/shock absorbing cockpit?That it used a methane based fuel that required special tanks and bypass valves to be installed in test support tankers?If the public version is a drone I would assume such a cockpit was either too expensive or didn`t work well.Just curious if this stuff has ever been discussed...It`s been a while and I really expect theres at a replacement already in the works for the 72,tech always goes public years after it actually exists.