SR71 event at Duxford , 25th and 26th July
Discussion
https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/legends-of-the-sr-71...
This weekend is such a great opportunity to meet and chat with so many of the former pilots and crews of the SR71. The combination of informal chats and structured talks by so many important figures of the Blackbird community makes this a unique event to the UK and will never be repeated.
I can imagine this will sell out quite quickly.
This weekend is such a great opportunity to meet and chat with so many of the former pilots and crews of the SR71. The combination of informal chats and structured talks by so many important figures of the Blackbird community makes this a unique event to the UK and will never be repeated.
I can imagine this will sell out quite quickly.
stevemcs said:
Something popped up on YouTube yesterday about how nothing could catch or get missile lock on the sr71, until the raf tried and succeeded with the English electric lightening- I presume it s true.
From what I remember, the Lightning could climb above the SR-71 then drop down on it from behind, getting a missile lock in the process. The Lightning could not catch it in level flight, I'm not sure anything could, but it got the RAF invited to take part in US exercises each year until the Lightnings started to suffer metal fatigue and had to be retired. Gave the Americans a shock though.BiggestVern said:
From what I remember, the Lightning could climb above the SR-71 then drop down on it from behind, getting a missile lock in the process. The Lightning could not catch it in level flight, I'm not sure anything could, but it got the RAF invited to take part in US exercises each year until the Lightnings started to suffer metal fatigue and had to be retired. Gave the Americans a shock though.
Yes that’s pretty much what it said, they had to know exactly where the sr71was going to be then climb above it then get missile lock.stevemcs said:
BiggestVern said:
From what I remember, the Lightning could climb above the SR-71 then drop down on it from behind, getting a missile lock in the process. The Lightning could not catch it in level flight, I'm not sure anything could, but it got the RAF invited to take part in US exercises each year until the Lightnings started to suffer metal fatigue and had to be retired. Gave the Americans a shock though.
Yes that s pretty much what it said, they had to know exactly where the sr71was going to be then climb above it then get missile lock.All the usual suspects Spitfires, Harrier, F4E, Tomcat...
The Lightning was my favourite - yes flawed but what a machine.
Reminds me - I need to go back to Hendon this summer.
stevemcs said:
Super Sonic said:
I had read that the only plane that did that was the Viggen, using two planes a distance apart whose radars were somehow coordinated.
ETA
@Stevemcs, is this the video you saw?
Yes that s the one.ETA
@Stevemcs, is this the video you saw?
Edited by Super Sonic on Friday 5th June 18:52
Richie Slow said:
There's a lot of nonsense in that article. The lightning could not operate above 60k and the SR had a comprehensive ECM suite including deception jamming, so a missile lock was unlikely and not a real threat.
Apparently a Lighting (XR749) managed a zoom climb to a height of 88,000 ft in 1984 during a NATO exercise. The service ceiling was 60k but the zoom ceiling was higher. And yes, in order to 'hit' an SR-71 from a Lightning the timing would have to be verging on miraculous.Frimley111R said:
Greenmantle said:
Airfix models galore when I was growing up.
All the usual suspects Spitfires, Harrier, F4E, Tomcat...
.
I wonder how many of us had the same ones. IIRC the Tomcat had 'swing wings'? All the usual suspects Spitfires, Harrier, F4E, Tomcat...
.
All mine were hung on my ceiled with cotton thread and drawing pins. Great days.
You weren't looking hard enough 
Revell had an X-15 and B-52 combined kit back in the early 1960s. It's actually been re-released recently with the original box art.
Revell also had a stand alone X-15 kit (much bigger than the one in the above boxing). They re-issued it in the early 1980s as part of their "History Makers" series -
None of these kits were to standard scales as early Revell kits were produced in scales that allowed the kit to fit in one of their standard boxes. It's sometime referred to as "box scale".
As for the SR-71, Revell also issued one of these, this time in more normal 1/72 scale -
They even brought out a YF-12, which was revealed to the public before the SR-71 so this kit appeared before the SR-71 kit did -
Revell had an X-15 and B-52 combined kit back in the early 1960s. It's actually been re-released recently with the original box art.
Revell also had a stand alone X-15 kit (much bigger than the one in the above boxing). They re-issued it in the early 1980s as part of their "History Makers" series -
None of these kits were to standard scales as early Revell kits were produced in scales that allowed the kit to fit in one of their standard boxes. It's sometime referred to as "box scale".
As for the SR-71, Revell also issued one of these, this time in more normal 1/72 scale -
They even brought out a YF-12, which was revealed to the public before the SR-71 so this kit appeared before the SR-71 kit did -
This would have been around 1980 and the local model shop only sold Airfix kits. To the best of my knowledge I don't think Airfix ever made kits for the SR-71 or X-15. Revel kits weren't available locally.
Knowing you Eric, you're going to find some obscure website with an Airfix catalogue from 1982 which shows either the SR-71 or X-15
Knowing you Eric, you're going to find some obscure website with an Airfix catalogue from 1982 which shows either the SR-71 or X-15
No - you're right about Airfix. They never issued an SR-71 (or its cousins, the A-11 or YF-12). Neither did they ever issue an X-15. As far as I am aware, other producers of the Lockheed Blackbird family are Hasegawa and Italeri.
In the 1970s Monogram issued a really good kit of the X-15 and they also issued it as a combined kit with their B-52. Monogram were later bought by Revell so Revell has also issued this B-52/X-15 combo -
I've built the X-15 and it's really rather a nice kit.
In the 1970s Monogram issued a really good kit of the X-15 and they also issued it as a combined kit with their B-52. Monogram were later bought by Revell so Revell has also issued this B-52/X-15 combo -
I've built the X-15 and it's really rather a nice kit.
Eric Mc said:
No - you're right about Airfix. They never issued an SR-71 (or its cousins, the A-11 or YF-12). Neither did they ever issue an X-15. As far as I am aware, other producers of the Lockheed Blackbird family are Hasegawa and Italeri.
In the 1970s Monogram issued a really good kit of the X-15 and they also issued it as a combined kit with their B-52. Monogram were later bought by Revell so Revell has also issued this B-52/X-15 combo -
I've built the X-15 and it's really rather a nice kit.
I think I need an X15 model to go alongside my picture signed by Scott Crossfield. I'm off to do some googling..........In the 1970s Monogram issued a really good kit of the X-15 and they also issued it as a combined kit with their B-52. Monogram were later bought by Revell so Revell has also issued this B-52/X-15 combo -
I've built the X-15 and it's really rather a nice kit.
My Dad bought me (I think) the Monogram B-52 kit. Wisely, he decided to make and paint it himself and did a beautiful job in the silver and white SAC livery. It hung from the ceiling of my bedroom for years and was one of the few model kits I owned that didn’t end up being shot to pieces at the end of our garden by my air rifle. In contrast, the models I assembled and painted myself were usually pretty ropey. I particularly remember glueing both sides of a B-17 fuselage together, only to have to pull them apart again a few minutes later when I realised that I had forgotten to insert the cockpit and crew. That created a right mess of congealed, stringy glue!
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff