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Atmosphotography — Sightings
Published: 2005-01-14 07:15:47 +0000 UTC; Views: 940; Favourites: 20; Downloads: 74
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Description
It's like a close encounter of the Mach 3 kind. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The greatest single instance of the legacy of designer Kelly Johnson's work. This craft must've been responsible for hundreds of UFO sightings in it's early days, prior to acknowledgement of it's existence.Thirty years ago, this picture would have gotten me shot. I have had the honour of working on this particular aircraft at the MArch Field air museum. In fact, on one particularly hot day (around 118 degrees.) I was standing on her back and hosing her down with the pressure washer. My shoes proceeded to melt to the surface of this all black aircraft, and I had a nasty sunburn on my legs from the heat reflecting up from it.
It is an absolute honour and blessing to photograph this aircraft.
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Comments: 24
I don't know too much about aircraft, but I've been around plenty of them. ^^ Very cool picture. ^^
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beautifull aerodynamics, sad that it is uses as a war machine... where better space shuttles could be built
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Well, this is a reconnaissance aircraft, so it was taking pictures. And as high and fast as this airplane flew, it might as well have been a space shuttle.
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what exactly is reconnaissance ? Yes it would have made a good shuttle 
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Reconnaissance means its a spy plane.
The pilots of the Blackbird had to wear pressure suits, because at the altitudes they were flying, Their blood would have boiled without it. They were also traveling at speeds well in excess of Mach 3 (3 times the speed of sound), so as far as being pinned to the seat, that would definitely have happened. [link]
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O.k , I see now
Oh, you would think they would seal the hull and keep the hull presurized ?
hmm
Interesting thanks
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The hull is sealed but not pressurized. saves weight on the aircraft. But even pressurized, the pressurization is only effective up to a certain altitude. The Blackbird goes WAAAAY higher than that.
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O.k hmm, interesting, well I wished they used it as a space shuttle, such a beautifully designed vehicle, but why does humaity design things in such detail to kill others?
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There's the tip of the Sword. What an amzing aircraft. I've always wanted to see another.
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Wow, a perfect description for this legendary aircraft. Nice work!
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What an incredible, powerful shot. Thank you so much for sharing this. What an incredible piece.
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Beautiful shot. Even 40+ years on, it's still a magnificent looking aircraft
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i think its funny how those things leak at ground level but they seal up at operational altitudes, thats probably part of why they cost so much to operate 
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Actually, What happens is that the Fuel cells are designed to expand with the intense heat of Mach 3+ flight. The aircraft actually grows approx. 10% overall during flight, and temperatures get up over 800 degrees F. That's pretty darn hot. Therefore, rather than have an issue with fuel cells that might explode at higher temps, they designed them to not close completely until up to temperature.
They would take off, fuel pouring down their fuselages. (This isn't as dangerous as it sounds. the fuel in question was so non-volatile that you could put out a campfire with it.) They would have to hook up with a special tanker within minutes of taking off. Then, they punch it, and those leaks disappear really quickly.
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yup, thats exactly what happens. My flight instructor has flown for many many years and i swear has flown damn near every plane in the world. Though i know he's never flown a 71, he's friends with people who have and has been around for many decades to know all about it. He's A&
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Nice. Love the aggressive look with the head on pic's. Habu's rule.
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Ah, the SR-71A, a beautiful piece of cold war wonders. Unfortunately so expensive to keep in air or in one piece, that concluded as a waste of time, money and lives in this age of satellites.
You should have taken a pic with the huge engines to give a new meaning to the word power.
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I've got a couple of those too. I may add some more shots of the Blackbird later.
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I LOVE this plane. It's my favorite of all the aircraft, which is saying a lot since it's a genre I'm not in to. --R.
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Nice shot dude, and welcome to DA!
looking forward to your weekly shoots ( if you can keep up with it lol )
cheers
Aran
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I appreciate your release of this picture. It's beautiful.
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