you should watch James May(top gear)as he goes to the edge of space in one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6cZLfK4Zjk
That's a U-2, not an SR-71
SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
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Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#12This plane never ceases to astound me. It was so fast the standard evasive maneuver when it was shot at was simply to increase speed. There was just no missile that could catch it. During flight, the plane would heat up so much from friction that it would expand significantly–as a consequence, the plane leaked fuel on the ground, since the fuel transfer system only fit together right at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Truly…
I've been reading "Skunk Works" (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316743003), which talks about the development of the SR-71 and other planes (such as the U-2 and the stealth bomber) at Lockheed's Skunk Works facility. It's a good read. I think it may have been suggested by another HNer.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#13Hoping to find a model for X-Plane to try this out on...
X-Plane comes with the SR-71 by default.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#14Hm, frustration, none of the pages work for me, they come up with a blank image.
It uses PHP to serve the images from a database - e.g. http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/3/display.php?file=3-8.... Going to the image manually shows this:
The Database Must Be Down.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#15I take it the parts that remain classified contain the max speed and altitude?
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#16Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#17This plane never ceases to astound me. It was so fast the standard evasive maneuver when it was shot at was simply to increase speed. There was just no missile that could catch it. During flight, the plane would heat up so much from friction that it would expand significantly–as a consequence, the plane leaked fuel on the ground, since the fuel transfer system only fit together right at 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Truly…
I've been reading "Skunk Works" ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316743003 ), which talks about the development of the SR-71 and other planes (such as the U-2 and the stealth bomber) at Lockheed's Skunk Works facility. It's a good read. I think it may have been suggested by another HNer.
I read this a few years ago. Quite a few years ago, come to think of it. It makes you wistful for those time when such a small group of skilled engineers came together to make incredible, physical things.
What we all do with code doesn't even come close.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've been reading "Skunk Works" ( http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316743003 ), which talks about the development of the SR-71 and other planes (such as the U-2 and the stealth bomber) at Lockheed's Skunk Works facility. It's a good read. I think it may have been suggested by another HNer.
I read this a few years ago. Quite a few years ago, come to think of it. It makes you wistful for those time when such a small group of skilled engineers came together to make incredible, physical things. What we all do with code doesn't even come close.
It really puts things into perspective. We get excited when we come up with a different way to display a form and these guys were building planes that traveled at Mach 3 at 80,000 feet nearly 50 years ago. The amount of technical problems you have to solve to get such a plane into the air is simply staggering. Unbelievable.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#19Now I really want to watch The Right Stuff again.
Re: SR-71 Blackbird Flight Manual
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's a U-2, not an SR-71
thank you for correcting. I thought they were from the same 'family'. too late to delete my comment.
Both come from Lockheed's 'Skunk Works' and they applied a lot of what they learned on the U2 to the SR71, so you're not so far off.