Automotive

I know these aren't ground vehicles, but they're still in the transportation category . Just wanted to share what it looks like to get 'left in the dust' while piloting a fighter jet ........

in the book “Skunk Works”.  As I recall the Blackbird pilot may have shared an anti-social finger gesture with the fighter jet pilot before moving along 😉.

A couple of years ago I spent a couple of months reading through every single development step of the planes (both commissioned variants) on an online profile ran by a retired fighter pilot. I'm also planning on visiting the March Air Reserve Base in the coming weeks........

I’ve seen a couple of decommissioned Blackbirds and they’re truly a sight to behold. 

on permanent display in front of the California Science Center - the grounds of which I literally grew up on.... I never fail to take an image of it when I find myself roaming around the neighborhood........

This is a great video of Brian Shul speaking about photographing and flying the SR-71. Well worth spending the hour to watch! Towards the end, he tells the well known SR-71 ground speed check story. Maybe this is the same story in the Skunk Works book?

Author Brian Shul on piloting the SR-71

Much appreciated, I'll view the full interview....

The story I remember reading had to do with a French pilot (in a Dassault?). But it’s been awhile since I’ve read the book and my copy seems to be on permanent loan to my father.

Absolutely amazing, thanks for sharing the link.
Speed check story is great but not the anecdote I referred to.

Not only that, as Mr. Shul states toward the end of his speech in the video above, the plane broke 8 speed records on its last trip from Palmdale, California to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum in Virginia, a trip it made in a record 64 minutes........

Many cool sr71 stories, technology, innovation. I find the thermal load that was generated to be so fascinating. Things like there were gaps where fuel would leak pre launch because it operating speed and temperature there was expansion and seal to prevent further leaking.

Fired this off to a friend of mine who’s a pilot…then proceeded to re-re-re-read the comments.  Apparently, this is video game “footage”.  Makes sense; no HD video when these beautiful machines were flying.

That in itself proves that I haven't been playing any video games for almost 15 years now.... I truly had no clue this was the case, despite wondering myself how there could have conceivably been such hi-res footage of the plane! Really appreciate your input and research, it doesn't of course mean that the developers for the game couldn't have been nerds enough to actually mathematically program the footage to represent real-world speeds of these two aircraft types. I'm confident that they did so! Cheers, Filip

Fight jet=My Wallet.

Don't we all feel the same way. Frankly, unless you're a centi-millionaire or billionaire these prices are inevitably tangibly affecting your purchasing ability........

Kelly Johnson is the greatest aircraft designer this nation has ever had (and maybe in the world). You don't need modern computers to design the world's fastest aircraft.

About the whole program by Shul and his RSO Watson (Sled Driver & The Untouchables), I've already read extensively about everything pertaining to the program online, but having all of this information in large, high quality print with glorious images is a must for me despite the $600 price tag. On a side note - how interesting would it have been to have Kelly Johnson design a wristwatch!?!

All of the planes in March 1990. The footage I posted in the opening post turns out to be from a digital flight simulator program/game, which doesn't mean it isn't still impressive as the programmers likely calculated and programmed the accurate relative speeds of various airplane types into the software.... Here's an excellent brief documentary on the making of the planes all the way to their retirement at the turn of the decade........

My preference for the SR-71 (or was it RS-71 ) stems from the fact that it's peacekeeping reconnaissance purpose was of a higher-minded nature, as well as that it's a sleeker, prettier design in my perspective........

That's exactly why I have a plain and simple metal 1:72 kit of the Blackbird by Air Force 1. I'll see if I can snap a picture of it........

W O W.