• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

SR71 Blackbird

Kloakndagr

New member
266
4
0
Location
On The Road/California
Well I was "lucky enough" to be stationed at Kadena AB, Japan, Detachment 1, 9th SRW., I got to see these planes up close and personal. The photo is of a "habu" at the end of a runway.image.jpg
Timeline, 1983-84.
 

dmetalmiki

Well-known member
5,523
2,028
113
Location
London England
WOW (so very) lucky you..I have flown some,not others..Just wish I had had the chance (and skill) to attain what you did. That must surley rate as a life time deam..
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,541
5,852
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
Wasn't sure;

- Thought it just might be the On-Off switch for weather. You know!? The Blackbird: not your ordinary airframe.


View attachment 535876

Once, while working in the Avionics & Electrical Engineering Department for Mitsubishi Aircraft International - I think it was around April Fools Day - we made a mock-up of a system control panel and stuck it into the cockpit of an airplane on the production floor.

Pilots for the Marketing and Flight Test departments were given all the "authentic" evaluation forms to review and approve the position, functionality, and appearance of the controller for new system....
the CLIMATE CONTOL (EXTERIOR).

We all got a good laugh out or that one.
 

camnite

New member
67
0
0
Location
Mobile, AL
if yall really want some good reading, check out roadrunnersinternationale.com . site is run by the crew chiefs and pilots of the oxcart and blackbird programs and will respond to you if you message them.
 

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,793
24,144
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
I have been carrying on a love affair with the SR-71 and A-12, forever. I started collecting pictures of the birds by tail number years ago. My son fell into it also. About 20 years ago, I had just got an 8X10 from Robbins AFB museum, of a SR-71, when my son asked what was with the A-12's, that the CIA had in storage. I explained that the birds were in storage, and the CIA wasn't real big on displaying them. Well I was wrong about that, but that's another story. I explained to my son that any American was allowed to ask the CIA for information under the F.O.I. act, (Freedom Of Information act.) and that if the CIA could release information on your subject, they would. My son wrote a very "basic" letter that a 10 year old would send off. Including a hand drawn picture of his interpretation of what an A-12 looked like. Months passed, and it was forgotten. On fine day I looked in the mail box, and found a huge brown paper envelope. Addressed to my son. I jokingly said, "It from the CIA, no return address, When my son came home, he opened it, and lo and behold, it was indeed from the CIA! The cover sheet explained that the CIA could not provide pictures of the A-12's', but would include the compleat history of the A-12 Ox Cart and SR-71 development and deployment. Complete with "Top Secret" stamps on the top of every page, crossed through with a magic marker! AND redacted portions! Simply incredible!! Fantastic reading. Since then we have seen the SR-71C, (Junk Yard Dog) in the ROY, UTAH air museum, and received other 8X10 from other sources. The SR-71C model is a combination of a wrecked SR-71, and a static display/non flight test example of a A-12. The Air Force hated this plane due to its "Mongrel" background and the fact that it seemed to ALWAYS have some kind of problem, making it Non-Op. It was mostly used as a hanger queen/repair parts source. SR-71, what an incredible bird.
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,541
5,852
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
I have been carrying on a love affair with the SR-71 and A-12, forever. I started collecting pictures of the birds by tail number years ago. My son fell into it also. About 20 years ago, I had just got an 8X10 from Robbins AFB museum, of a SR-71, when my son asked what was with the A-12's, that the CIA had in storage. I explained that the birds were in storage, and the CIA wasn't real big on displaying them. Well I was wrong about that, but that's another story. I explained to my son that any American was allowed to ask the CIA for information under the F.O.I. act, (Freedom Of Information act.) and that if the CIA could release information on your subject, they would. My son wrote a very "basic" letter that a 10 year old would send off. Including a hand drawn picture of his interpretation of what an A-12 looked like. Months passed, and it was forgotten. On fine day I looked in the mail box, and found a huge brown paper envelope. Addressed to my son. I jokingly said, "It from the CIA, no return address, When my son came home, he opened it, and lo and behold, it was indeed from the CIA! The cover sheet explained that the CIA could not provide pictures of the A-12's', but would include the compleat history of the A-12 Ox Cart and SR-71 development and deployment. Complete with "Top Secret" stamps on the top of every page, crossed through with a magic marker! AND redacted portions! Simply incredible!! Fantastic reading. Since then we have seen the SR-71C, (Junk Yard Dog) in the ROY, UTAH air museum, and received other 8X10 from other sources. The SR-71C model is a combination of a wrecked SR-71, and a static display/non flight test example of a A-12. The Air Force hated this plane due to its "Mongrel" background and the fact that it seemed to ALWAYS have some kind of problem, making it Non-Op. It was mostly used as a hanger queen/repair parts source. SR-71, what an incredible bird.
I presume then that you are also familiar with the D-21 Drone that road atop the SR-71's backbone ala 747/Space Shuttle piggybacking???
 

USAFSS-ColdWarrior

Chaplain
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
18,541
5,852
113
Location
San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas USA
Here's what WIKI has to say about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_D-21

I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you.
The Air Museum in Warner Robins Georgia did have a SR71 and a Drone sitting next to it. You could actually walk up and under this plane. There not as tall as you would think. If your in Macon it is a great place to kill some time.
http://www.museumofaviation.org/
http://www.museumofaviation.org/sr71.php
I don't recall now, but was there a pic in here posted of that?

Posts #63, 64 & others are a good start, Rocky.

That WIKI link is always good reading.

John
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
18,003
4,565
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
Thanks, John; I kind of thought that might have been covered but wasn't so sure.

And thanks for not killing me, because I didn't get the grocery shopping done yet this week. :mrgreen:
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks