These SR-71 Blackbirds

[Hooli]

splodge s4 said:

I often wonder when the enemy launched the missiles they chanted....

Where be that Blackbird to? I know where he be,
He be up yon in da sky , And he be after me!
Now I sees he, And he sees I,
Buggered if I don’t get ‘en
With a gurt big missile I’ll knock ‘im down
Blackbird I’ll ‘ave he!
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
‘Ow’s ‘E Father?
Alright!

But in an Iraq accent of course

Wearing a smock?

[Hugo a Gogo]

I saw the Duxford one too recently, is it just me or does the nose area look a bit different, a bit more bulbous and not such a sharp edge?

also, does anyone know if the Duxford one is the one that was painted with flowers and peace symbols at Greenham?

Edited by Hugo a Gogo on Tuesday 8th October 13:27

[Mave]

j4ckos mate said:

Ive the SR-71 at Mildenhall airshow quite a few times
(age 43) they were incredible, and the B1 bombers as well

I remember going to RIAT as a kid. My mum doesn't like loud noises. We got out of the car just as a B1 went over and she started crying :-)

[NDT]

Hooli said:

Wearing a smock?

you make oi larf, har har!

[zetec]

The SR71 is at the top of my want list, closely followed by an AC-130 Spectre and then Concorde.

I think I would need a megs Euromillions rollover and a rather large piece of land first though

[Seight_Returns]

aeropilot said:

??

I'd be gosmacked if that was true given that the Spey engined UK F-4K/M was rubbish at higher altitudes compared with the US J-79 engined version, and even those couldn't get anywhere near the altitudes a Lightning could get to.
I do recall a RAF F-4 pilot claiming the only non-Lightning partially successful intercept against a Concorde, but IIRC, that was in one of the J-79 engined F-4J versions flown by 74 Sqn...??

All true - but the poster refers to the Phantoms as being RN assets at the time - and the RN of course operated neither Lightnings nor F4-Js.

If the Navy was working up high altitude intercept procedures during the early/mid 70s, which would seem a sensible thing to be doing given the evolving threat - then they'd surely be working up procedures to do the best they could with the asset they had in spite of its limitations.

Edited by Seight_Returns on Tuesday 8th October 21:47

[Lefty]

Though I walk through the valley of darkness, I shall fear no evil. For I am at 80,000ft and still climbing

[GALLARDOGUY]

http://www.mainewomensrugby.com/cwaltham/143352475...

Sled Driver PDF for those who haven't already seen it.

[c7xlg]

seight,
that is just how I interpreted it. Trying to do the best job with the assets they had. Which might have been worse than the light blue boys could have done with the Lightning, but the best available at the time. Plus the F4 would at least fly for more than 15 mins without running out of fuel!

Add in the natural 'boys with toys' aspect as well....

[aeropilot]

Seight_Returns said:

aeropilot said:

??

I'd be gosmacked if that was true given that the Spey engined UK F-4K/M was rubbish at higher altitudes compared with the US J-79 engined version, and even those couldn't get anywhere near the altitudes a Lightning could get to.
I do recall a RAF F-4 pilot claiming the only non-Lightning partially successful intercept against a Concorde, but IIRC, that was in one of the J-79 engined F-4J versions flown by 74 Sqn...??

All true - but the poster refers to the Phantoms as being RN assets at the time - and the RN of course operated neither Lightnings nor F4-Js.

If the Navy was working up high altitude intercept procedures during the early/mid 70s, which would seem a sensible thing to be doing given the evolving threat - then they'd surely be working up procedures to do the best they could with the asset they had in spite of its limitations.

My point was in reference to the wearing of pressure suits, not high altitude intercept training, given that the Spey engined UK F-4 used by the RN (and the RAF) were less capable of attaining the altitudes where pressure suits were needed than the J-79 engined versions or the Lightning where pressure suits were not needed to be worn by aircrew.
The few Lightnings pilots that 'claimed' brief extreme altitudes in high speed zoom climbs in certain tropical conditions (FL80+) were aware that they were very much in pressure suit territory for those brief moments and that's certainley not anywhere a Spey engined F-4 could go........

[Oakey]

c7xlg said:

or that people outside of the 'need to know' group knew before hand and so were able to line the perimeter fence.

Doesn't the author of Sled Driver basically say this is true?

[Hooli]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I saw the Duxford one too recently, is it just me or does the nose area look a bit different, a bit more bulbous and not such a sharp edge?

also, does anyone know if the Duxford one is the one that was painted with flowers and peace symbols at Greenham?

Isn't the one at Duxford an A-12 rather than a SR-71? If I'm right that'l explain the different shape.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Hooli said:

Hugo a Gogo said:

I saw the Duxford one too recently, is it just me or does the nose area look a bit different, a bit more bulbous and not such a sharp edge?

also, does anyone know if the Duxford one is the one that was painted with flowers and peace symbols at Greenham?

Isn't the one at Duxford an A-12 rather than a SR-71? If I'm right that'l explain the different shape.

my pic from Duxford (click it twice for bigger)
it almost looks like it's got a 'false nose' over the original

[Davey S2]

GALLARDOGUY said:

http://www.mainewomensrugby.com/cwaltham/143352475...

Sled Driver PDF for those who haven't already seen it.

Thanks for that!

[Mutts]

Does look a bit like its got a different nose on it.


SR71 by spg_mutts, on Flickr

[Davey S2]

Davey S2 said:

GALLARDOGUY said:

http://www.mainewomensrugby.com/cwaltham/143352475...

Sled Driver PDF for those who haven't already seen it.

Thanks for that!

Just jammed the work colour printer 6 times printing that off

[RDMcG]

There is one at Pima museum in Tucson (great museum), and you can tour the nearby Davis-Monthan aircraft graveyerd nearby

[knight]

Hooli said:

Isn't the one at Duxford an A-12 rather than a SR-71? If I'm right that'l explain the different shape.

I'm pretty sure the Duxford one is a genuine SR-71A.

It is also 14 years ago today when the SR-71 last flew.

[Odie]

Hooli said:

Isn't the one at Duxford an A-12 rather than a SR-71? If I'm right that'l explain the different shape.

The shape I personally always think is the SR-71 is from a poster I had on my wall when I was 9 or 10 the poster said on it SR71 blackbird, but I think it may have actually been an A-12 or perhaps the trainer, the picture on Wikipedia does kinda remind me of the poster.

The distance between the end of the nose and the cockpit does look a little long on the photos of the one in duxford.

Apparently the SR-71 also had an interchangeable nose, it may be a mock nose with no sensor package in it.

[Hugo a Gogo]

that pic of the Pima one, is that the second nose next to it on the ground?