Overview
Designed by Kelly Johnson's Skunk Works, the SR-71 flew strategic reconnaissance missions at more than three times the speed of sound and above 24 km altitude. Its defence against missiles was simply to accelerate away.
It still holds the absolute speed record for an air-breathing manned aircraft, set in 1976.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length | 32.74 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 16.94 m |
| Height | 5.64 m |
| Wing area | 170.0 m² |
Weights & fuel
| Empty weight | 30,600 kg |
|---|---|
| Max. take-off weight | 78,000 kg |
Performance
| Max. speed | 3,540 km/h |
|---|---|
| Max. Mach | Mach 3.30 |
| Range | 5,400 km |
| Service ceiling | 25,900 m |
| Rate of climb | 59.4 m/s |
Crew & capacity
| Crew | 2 |
|---|
Powerplant
| Engines | 2 |
|---|---|
| Engine model | Pratt & Whitney J58 |
| Thrust (each) | 111.2 kN |
| Thrust with afterburner (each) | 151.0 kN |
Figures are compiled from public sources and may be approximate; they can vary by variant and configuration.
Did you know?
The titanium airframe was so hot in flight that the aircraft leaked fuel on the ground; the panels only sealed once heated.
Photos
Photo 1: Unknown authorUnknown author (Father of Konstance E. Keever) / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Some text and images come from Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA licences.
