The SR-71 Blackbird one look at this aircraft and it would remind you of spacecrafts from science fiction movies like Star Wars or Star Trek. Sleek made of titanium this aircraft looked like a flattened out snake. The Japanese called it the 'Habu' a pit viper indigenous to Okinawa. Made from Titanium sourced from America's favorite 'Friend' the USSR through the actions of CIA and third world countries. It truly gives a new meaning to "keep your friends close enemies closer". The SR-71 was built from titanium so that it can travel at high speed a it was coated with a radar absorbing paint containing iron which virtually made it undetectable a true marvel for it's time.
1. A special fuel was created by Kelly for the SR-71 JP-7 or Jet propellant 7 was synthesized for the blackbird. It had a high flash point (The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at which vapors of the material will ignite, given an ignition source.) and a good thermal Stability. This was done due to the fact that at high speed Mach 3+ the surface of the aircraft's skin would in contact with the atmosphere would create a lot of friction and result in high temperature. It was said that engineers threw cigarette butts, matchstick and even zippos in a bucket of JP-7 and still it wouldn't flame up. 2. Explosions were done to start the engine Due to the propellant's high flash point controlled explosion were to be done to start the engine. In normal Jet engines with normal aviation fuel a small ignition is enough to start the engine but in the Blackbird controlled explosions were done using Triethylborane (TEB) in order to start the engines and activate afterburners. They were pumped into the engines in the form of shots with each engines storing 16 shots. 3. Rain and JP-7 didn't do well together The SR-71's propellant the JP-7 when mixed with a little bit of water it would create extremely slippery situations. According to the Author when the blackbird was posted in Okinawa where it was very common to have uncalled rainstorms the SR-71 came back from it's routine flight and was in the hangar. Suddenly the people in the hangar noticed that the aircraft was slowly sliding on it's own the brakes were jammed and the engines were obviously turned off. The JP-7 was the main culprit. It took a whole lot of people to stop the plane from sliding itself and causing self harm. 4. The SR-71 flew during the Yom Kippur War and bought it to an end The Blackbird under the President's order flew over the Israeli peninsula and caught both the leaders of Israel and Syria lying about their decision of retreating from the warzones. Thanks to the Blackbird the President of the USA had proof. Also during that time the peninsula saw the first flight of Mig-25 one of the fastest jet on earth after the blackbird 5. The Mig-25 Foxbat The western aircraft designers were fairly surprised and at least shocked to see the Mig-25 the aircraft Victor Belenko defected with in Japan. This aircraft was built keeping in mind that it had the job to intercept the Blackbird or at least try. It was able to reach high speeds of upto Mach 3 but the engines were rendered useless after such a high speed flight. Swedish air defence had a vantage view of these aerial manoeuvres. On their radar screens they could see the much older but faster MiG-25 screaming in towards the Blackbird. Shortly after the MiG-31s had harried the SR-71 in the Arctic area, a lone MiG-25 Foxbat stationed at Finow-Eberswalde in the former GDR would intercept it over the Baltic. The Swedes observed the SR-71 would always fly at 72,000 ft and the MiG-25 would reach 63,000 ft before completing its stern attack 2.9 km behind the Blackbird. “We were always impressed by this precision, it was always 63,000 ft and 2.9 km behind the SR-71," a retired Swedish Air Force flight controller told Crickmore. The Blackbird is an aircraft that would always remain in the books of history as a piece of art a potent machine a spaceship sexier than any model. A true queen in the hearts of those who flew it or those aviation enthusiast like us who can only imagine what it felt like flying at the edge of the stratosphere high enough to see the earth's curvature and your 'friend's missiles at the same time. The SR-71 was replaced by drones and satellites cheaper to manufacture and maintain but they don't carry the Aura or the intimidation of the 'Habu' . Written By - Sarthak Das Image courtesy - Click on the image links ( none of the images are mine) |
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