SR-71 Blackbird Fact Sheet
Total Sorties Flown............................................17,300
Flight Hours (Operation)...................................11,008
Flight Hours (Total)...........................................53,490
Mach 3 Time (Operation)....................................2,752
Mach 3 Time (Total)..........................................11,675
Crew Members to Mach 3 Speed............................284
VIPs to Mach 3 Speed............................................105
Total Persons to Mach 3 Speed...............................385
YF-12A...........................3
SR-71A.........................30 *
SR-71B...........................2
* This figure includes: 1 SR-71C (SN 61-7981) Trainer created from salvaged YF-12A and functional mockup, and 1 YF-12C (SN 61-7951) built as SR-71 but given YF-12 designation for service as NASA vehicle.
CHRONOLOGY
LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD
26 April 1962................First A-12 Flight
07 August 1963.............First YF-12A Flight
29 February 1964..........President Johnson announces YF-12A program
25 July 1964.................President Johnson announces SR-71 (RS-71) program
22 December 1964........First SR-71 Flight at Palmdale..Pilot: Robert J. Gilliland
01 May 1965.................YF-12 sets world speed and altitude records
18 November 1965........SR-71B first flight
10 May 1966.................Air Force takes delivery of first SR-71A
21 march 1968..............First USAF Operational Flight
14 March 1969..............SR-71C (Trainer) first flight
11 December 1969.........First YF-12 flight of NASA/USAF flight test program
26 April 1971.................SR-71A 15,000 mile non-stop flight in 10 hours 30 minutes
01 September 1974.........SR-71A sets New York to London world speed record
13 September 1974.........SR-71A sets London to Los Angeles world speed record
28 July 1976...................SR-71's complete seven world speed and altitude records
31 October 1979.............NASA YF-12 flight test program ends
07 November 1979..........Final flight of YF-12 when #6935 is delivered to USAF Museum
01 October 1989.............USAF SR-71 operations suspended (except for proficiency flights)
22 November 1989..........All USAF SR-71 operations terminated
26 January 1990..............SR-71 is decommissioned in ceremony at Beale AFB
06 March 1990................SR-71 SN# 61-7972 sets four world speed records enroute to Smithsonian Institute, on last official USAF flight.
25 Jul 1991 SR-71B #956(NASA #831) Officially delivered to NASA Dryden, Edwards AFB, CA
28 Sep 1994 Congress votes to allocate $100 million for USAF reactivation of 3 SR-71s
28 Jun 1995 First reactivated SR-71 returns to USAF inventory
15 Apr 1996 Deputy Defense Secretary John White, directed the Air Force to ground the Air Force's SR-71s due to conflicting language in section 304 of the National Security Act of 1947
1 Jan 1997 SR-71 and crews are operational at Det 2, Edwards AFB, CA
15 Oct 1997 President Clinton Kills SR-71 Funding with Line Item Veto
30 Oct 1998 Hq USAF directs termination of all SR-71 operations and subsequent disposal of the fleet
18 Nov 1998 Nasa terminates Linear Aerospike SR-71 Experiment (LASRE)
Editors Note:
There is no funding at NASA Dryden to fly the SR-71 in FY99. There are some projects in the works for 2000, but what will happen in the meantime? Will we still have anyone qualified to fly and maintain a Blackbird by then?
For a precise and comprehensive Timeline of Events for the A-12, YF-12, M-21,and the SR-71 be sure to visit John Stone's Lockheed Blackbird Page at this URL:
March 6, 1990
SR-71A #61-7972
Los Angeles to Washington, DC.....1 hr 04 min 19.89 sec (2,144.83 statute mph)
St. Louis to Cincinnati................... 8 min 31.97 sec (2,189.94 statute mph)
Kansas City to Washington, DC.....25 mins 58.53 sec (2176.08 statute mph)
Crew: Col. Edward Yeilding, Col. Joseph T. Vida
(Above data verified by Ed Yeilding on November 22, 2002)
SR-71A #61-7958
Crew: Capt. Eldon W. Joersz, Maj. George T. Morgan, Jr.
World Absolute and World Class Speed Record over a 15/25 Kilometer Straight Course - 2,193.167 MPH surpassing the previous record set by a Lockheed YF12A Interceptor prototype in June 1965. SR-71 Flown by Capt. Eldon W. Joersz. Pilot and Major George T. Morgan Jr., RSO
85,069 feet (25,929.03 m)
Crew: Capt. Robert C. Helt, Maj. Larry A. Elliott
World Absolute and World Class Altitude Record for Horizontal Flight - 85,069 feet, surpassing the previous record of 80,258 feet set by a Lockheed YF12A in May of 1965. SR-71 flown by Capt. Robert C. Helt, Pilot and Major Larry A. Elliott, RSO.
SR-71A
WORLD ABSOLUTE AND CLASS RECORDS FOR SPEED
Crew: Maj. Adolphus H. Bledsoe, Jr., Maj. John T. Fuller
World Absolute Closed Circuit Speed Record over a 1000 Kilometer Course (The SR-71 is a Class C-1 Group III jet engine aircraft, same as the Mig-25 Foxbat) - 2,092.29 MPH, surpassing the previous Absolute Speed Record of 1853 MPH and the World Class Speed Record of 1815 MPH set by a Russian Mig-25 Foxbat in October, 1967. SR-71 flown by Major Adolphus H. Bledsoe, Jr., Pilot and Major John T. Fuller, RSO.
SR-71A #61-7972
London to Los Angeles . . .3 hrs. 47 min. 35.8 sec. Speed 1,435.59 statute MPH
Crew: Capt. Harold B. Adams, Maj. William C. Machorek
SR-71A #61-7972
New York to London . . . . . . . 1 hr. 54 min. 56.4 sec. Speed 1,806.95 statute MPH
Crew: Maj. James V. Sullivan, Maj. Noel Widdifield
SR-71A #61-7968
ENDURANCE DEMONSTRATION
Crew: Maj. Thomas B. Estes, Maj. Dewain C. Vick
Awards: 1971 Mackay Trophy and 1972 Harmon Trophy
YF-12A #61-6936
Crew: Col. Robert L. Stephens, Lt. Col. Daniel Andre
YF-12A #61-6934
WORLD ABSOLUTE AND CLASS RECORDS FOR SPEED
500 km closed circuit . . . . . . 1,643.042 mph (2,644 kph)
Crew: Maj. Walter F. Daniel, Maj. Noel T. Warner
YF-12A #61-6934
WORLD ABSOLUTE AND CLASS RECORDS FOR SPEED
1,000 km Closed Circuit . . . . . 1,688.891 mph (2,718 kph)
Crew: Maj. Walter F. Daniel, Capt. James P. Cooney
YF-12A #61-6936
WORLD ABSOLUTE AND CLASS RECORDS FOR SUSTAINED ALTITUDE
Group III Sustained Altitude (Absolute). . . . . . . 80,258 ft. (24,462.59 m)
Crew: Col. Robert L. Stephens, Lt. Col. Daniel Andre
Note: All record flights were accomplished
with operational SR-71A or YF-12A aircraft flying at normal operating speeds.
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