very very nice
but i've flown it
Enthusiast
but i've flown it
THIS IS A SIGNATURE
(UCP'S biggest Zonda fan)
Stand up next to a mountain, chop it down with the edge of my hand. Pick up all the peices make an island over there
Jimi H...
Fanatic
Originally Posted by johnnynumfiv
Wonders of modern fuelcell......
Apparently throughout SR-71's operating life it is estimated that 60,000 missiles were fire at it during all the missions, none hit....
Super Moderator
Lockheed Martin SR-71 Blackbird #16
'64
I like how everyone believes the hype.
Looking at the stats;
A-12, YF-12A, M-12
Built = 18
Crashed = 8
SR-71A, B, C
Built = 32
Crashed = 12
Total built = 50
Total crashed =20
Strike rate = 40%
Not a great plane then...
Thanks for all the fish
Rookie
Who cares about how many crashed? The plane went over Mach 3.3 at over 85,000ft! It had TWO 32,500lb thrust engines! No other plane can claim any of those stats. It was built as a spy plane and in over 30 years of service NONE WERE SHOT DOWN, EVER. A feat unparalled by any plane. Meaning most all the crashes were a result of the pilot, tests or the engines. The SR-71 Blackbird is a stunning testament to what people can achieve.
PS: I cant seem to remember ever asking anyone what they thought of the SR-71 and getting anything but a "Beautiful" or "Incredible".
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
OBSESSED is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED!
Super Moderator
"a feat unparalleled" ??
Where is your rerference ?
AS far as I am aware NO Bucaneers were downed during service.
Started 1953, flew carrier, ground attack , saw action in South Africa and GW1 !!!! 46 years of faithful service. No flying higher and faster to avoid it , these babies ground pounded their way in and out
The 'buc was renowned for defeating the "red engagements" with the US forces and regularly managed to complete attacks against overwhelming fighter and protection aircraft inc the best of the Fs
This explains why .....
Will confirm the zero numbers with an ex-RAF in the coming month - we meet in the pub regularly, he used to be stationed out of Lossimouth.
Last edited by Matra et Alpine; 02-21-2006 at 03:14 PM.
"A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'
Enthusiast
i've found a bunch of blackbirds on google earth... if anyone wants the locations...
THIS IS A SIGNATURE
(UCP'S biggest Zonda fan)
Stand up next to a mountain, chop it down with the edge of my hand. Pick up all the peices make an island over there
Jimi H...
Super Moderator
of course we do, just post them up
"A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'
Novice
i beg to differ
the XB-70 Valkyrie was twice the size of the Blackbird, had three times the number of engines and was still going at over mach 3.1 at 77,000 feet......unfortunaly, a GE phtoto shoot resulted in the fatal crash of ship #2 and ended the planes testing for long range, high altitude, high speed bomber........(i have some high res photos of it....1190x1024 pixels each, but i cant start a thread for some reason...)
also dont forget the MiG-25 Foxbat...its the worlds fastest combat aircraft.....was actually designed to intercept the XB-70 should it have become operational, but that threat never materialized....however, the Russians had other secret plans not reveiled until much laterThe XB-70A Valkyrie was the largest experimental aircraft, measuring 190 feet in length, with a wing span of 105 feet and standing 33 feet in height. The aircraft had a delta wing and hinged wing tip that could be folded down to a 65 degree angle to improve stability at the aircraft's supersonic speeds of up to Mach 3. At this speed the Valkyrie was designed to ride its own shock wave
Last edited by FWA2500; 02-21-2006 at 07:43 PM.
Rookie
The XB-70 was an experimental plane in competition with the A-12, but the SR-71 was produced, the XB-70 wasn't AND the SR-71 has been tested to just over Mach 3.2 and just over 85,000ft. I think the Mach 3 russian interceptor your talking about had a claimed ceiling of just over 74,000ft(correct me if I'm wrong I haven't heard much about it) still incredible for a fighter but not enough to match the SR-71.i beg to differ
the XB-70 Valkyrie was twice the size of the Blackbird, had three times the number of engines and was still going at over mach 3.1 at 77,000 feet......unfortunaly, a GE phtoto shoot resulted in the fatal crash of ship #2 and ended the planes testing for long range, high altitude, high speed bomber........(i have some high res photos of it....1190x1024 pixels each, but i cant start a thread for some reason...)
also dont forget the MiG-25 Foxbat...its the worlds fastest combat aircraft.....was actually designed to intercept the XB-70 should it have become operational, but that threat never materialized....however, the Russians had other secret plans not reveiled until much later
The buccaneer saw little combat and even then only with some african country I think, until the gulf war in 1991 but that was over and done with so quickly and the coalition armada was so insane, with something like 2500 aircraft and so incredibly successful that fighters really didn't have much to do after a few days besides patrol and do ground attacks.
Last edited by "Clevor" Angel; 02-21-2006 at 09:46 PM.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
OBSESSED is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED!
'64
The dead crew's family perhaps?
Not really.
I know its fast, and it is amazing.
It's also a crap plane, because they managed to crash 40% of them.
That isn't just bad luck, that's an inherant design flaw, that people are more than willing to over look, just because it was fast.
Thanks for all the fish
Super Moderator
Using yoru analogy "Clevor" the SR071 saw even LESS combat as it was designed to fly HIGHER nad FASTER than any air defense system in place at the time. So making claims about it's ability arent' really that valid either.
You clearly show how young you were when GW1 was on.
The USAF didi the nightime "safe" runs with the F117.
The Brits and Itlaians did the ground pounding attack runs flying in at 60-100feet and dropping airfield denial weapons at close range ON the airstrips.
Hence why we lost more aircraft as they had to TAKE beign hit as there was no other option.
Please TRY to use education before making comments.
"Some african country" was South Africa fightint it's borders with guerillas mostly armed by Russia and Cuba and in some cases with "embeded advisors".
Stupid kids !!!
The Sr-71 was a great achievement in technology and will power btu don't confuse it with a great plane. It was used in service long before normal planes would have been. It bypassed many sensible precautions in flight testign and it was NOT changed to improve some of the problems - they just rewrote the flight manual
Last edited by Matra et Alpine; 02-22-2006 at 06:20 AM.
"A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'
Novice
the SR-71 has yet to meet a MiG-25 in flight so there isnt really a real life comparison...just statistics........
yes, the XB-70 was only in the experimental stages when it was canceled, but it was designed as a bomber, the SR-71 was not......thus, they were not competing with eachother........if you ever go to the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio, you can see the A-12 next to the XB-70 in the experimental hanger......there is a HUGE size difference there....and the A-12 isnt exactly a small plane its selfThe MiG-25 was capable of exceptional performance, including a maximum speed of Mach 3.0 and a ceiling of 90,000 ft (27,000 m). Some believed that the MiG-25 was designed against the SR-71 Blackbird, made to deter, or at least threaten the high altitude, high speed aircraft. However, its maneuverability, range, and close combat potential were extremely limited. Even its tremendous speed was problematic: although the available thrust was sufficient to reach Mach 3.2, a limit of Mach 2.8 had to be imposed to prevent total destruction of the engines. Even with that, it took a large degree of piloting skill to even throttle the engines to Mach 2.8 without overspinning the turbines.
im an aviation nut btw, im assuming you are too, lol
Rookie
I am a huge fan of aviation too. The XB-70 and the A-12 were in competition for speed and altitude capabilities not as competing designs in a contract competition, I should've been more clear, but Lockheed Martin got more government attention and the extremely expensive XB-70 fell by the wayside along with a nuclear powered bomber idea in favor of much cheaper ICBM's.the SR-71 has yet to meet a MiG-25 in flight so there isnt really a real life comparison...just statistics........
yes, the XB-70 was only in the experimental stages when it was canceled, but it was designed as a bomber, the SR-71 was not......thus, they were not competing with eachother........if you ever go to the USAF museum in Dayton Ohio, you can see the A-12 next to the XB-70 in the experimental hanger......there is a HUGE size difference there....and the A-12 isnt exactly a small plane its self
im an aviation nut btw, im assuming you are too, lol
Btw the SR-71 has been tested to Mach 3.31 and it IS a great plane.
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
OBSESSED is a word the lazy use to describe the DEDICATED!
Super Moderator
What height ? Do you have a reference for that ?Btw the SR-71 has been tested to Mach 3.31 and it IS a great plane.
MACH varies by height. Sometimes the speed is taken and the GROUND speed MACH calculation is used -- this is wrong
Use this http://www.bad-boy.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mach
There are MANY errors reported over the years in SR-71 speeds and the internet has accelerated the errors
Last edited by Matra et Alpine; 02-22-2006 at 02:14 PM.
"A woman without curves is like a road without bends, you might get to your destination quicker but the ride is boring as hell'
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