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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Sign in to saveAlso known as Blackbird, SR71 Blackbird, RS-71 Blackbird, SR-71 Blackbird
1964 reconnaissance aircraft family by Lockheed
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed in 1964 that was designed to gather intelligence by flying over enemy territory and taking photographs. It was an important military tool during the Cold War because its exceptional speed and altitude capabilities made it difficult for adversaries to intercept or shoot down.
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Encyclopedic overview
The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. Its nicknames include "Blackbird" and "Habu".
The SR-71 was developed in the 1960s as a black project by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the SR-71's innovative concepts. Its shape was based on the Lockheed A-12, a pioneer in stealth technology with its reduced radar cross section, but the SR-71 was longer and heavier to carry more fuel and a crew of two in tandem cockpits. The SR-71 was revealed to the public in July 1964 and entered service in the United States Air Force (USAF) in January 1966.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.