The sleek SR-71 Blackbird spyplane reached an all new plateau in supersonic high-level flight for the Lockheed Corporation. Developed from the YF-12A interceptor program which spawned the A-12 program which in turn generated the basis for the SR-71 system, the Blackbird became the ultimate tool for the American Central Intelligence Agency throughout the Cold War.

The SR-71 "Blackbird" was so named in that fashion due to the specialized heat absorbing and radar dissipating color scheme applied to the series. The A model was crewed by two personnel that were required to wear astronaut-type flight suits due to the rigors of high altitude flight. Looking every bit the part of stealth plane, the SR-71 was instrumental in reconnaissance of enemy Cold War facilities of the Western Bloc.

The Blackbird was of a streamlined delta-type design featuring a smooth elongated fuselage housing instrumentation and fuel. The twin continuous-bleed turbojet engines were held out mid-wing and were the bread and butter of the series, helping the system achieve flight speeds in excess of Mach 3 at well over 70,000 feet. At the time of its inception, the SR-71 was the world's fastest conventionally-powered aircraft.

Country of Origin:United States
Manufacturer:Lockheed Skunkworks, Lockheed Corporation - USA
Initial Year of Service:1966
Production:32

Focus Model:Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird
Crew:2

Length:107.41ft (32.74m)
Width:55.58ft (16.94m)
Height:18.50ft (5.64m)
Weight (Empty):67,501lbs (30,618kg)
Weight (MTOW):172,005lbs (78,020kg)

Powerplant:2 x Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed, afterburning turbo-ramjets generating 32,500lbs of standard thrust.

Maximum Speed:2,275mph (3,661kmh; 1,977kts)
Maximum Range:3,355miles (5,400km)
Service Ceiling:85,000ft (25,908m; 16.1miles)
Rate-of-Climb:11,810 feet per minute (3,600m/min)

Hardpoints:0
Armament Suite:
None. Internal provisioning limited to reconnaissance and surveillance equipment.

Variants:
A-12 - Precursor Model to the SR-71

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M-21 - A-12 with DB-21 autonomous surveillance drone mounted atop fuselage.

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M/D-21 - Designation of M-21 when mated with the DB-21 drone.

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SR-71A - Base Production Model; 30 examples produced.

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SR-71B - Two-seat trainer conversions; 2 examples produced.

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SR-71C - Interesting conversion of a surviving aft-section of an ill-fated YF-12 with a SR-71 forward section. Only one of this type was produced.