November 15, 201411 yr This is a short story but fun to read..... The SR-71 is a tough act to follow... http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/favorite-sr-71-story-1079127041 John
November 15, 201411 yr Thanks for that heads-up, Brilliant read and comments too. Will there ever be another like it, I wonder? Rick Almeida
November 15, 201411 yr I would be very surprised if there wasn't an SR71 replacement in operation - it's just not in the public domain yet.
November 15, 201411 yr Ha! Ha! Just like I said the first time I saw the parachute above me in the daylight, "Beautiful, JFB!" Thanks for a great laugh, Chuck Nance Chuck Nance
November 15, 201411 yr That was a great story! My computer: ABS Gladiator Gaming PC featuring an Intel 10700F CPU, EVGA CLC-240 AIO cooler (dead fans replaced with Noctua fans), Asus Tuf Gaming B460M Plus motherboard, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM, 1 TB NVMe SSD, EVGA RTX3070 FTW3 video card, dead EVGA 750 watt power supply replaced with Antec 900 watt PSU.
November 15, 201411 yr Great story! Here's one from AVweb's "Short Final": While a young second lieutenant at nav school at Mather Air Force Base in 1983, I was trundling along in a T-37 in the high teens on a training mission. I overheard the following conversation between an Air Force pilot and a controller who was apparently unfamiliar with the Northern California air space and the SR-71s and U-2s that routinely flew from Beale AFB. Air Force Pilot:"Oakland Approach, Air Force XX for FL600." Oakland Approach:"AF XX, Oakland Approach. If you can reach it, it's yours. Cleared for FL600." Air Force Pilot:"Roger that, Oakland Approach. Descending to FL600." The pilot and I just looked at each other and laughed! Only in America! Joe Brown
November 16, 201411 yr The SR-71 is a tough act to follow... Thanks John. Fun story to read and even the comment section was worth a smile and a laugh. The SR-71 is still a amazing aircraft no matter how you slice it. If that is outdated, it me wonder what could possibly have replaced it! Regards,
November 16, 201411 yr Just as ballistic missles ended further development of all those great bombers of the 50s and 60s, sattelite technology ended the SR-71. I'm not sure we'll ever see such a magnificent aircraft ever again. Development of new aircraft has been pretty slow since the 1980s, and all the cool stuff from the past seems to be retireing. Now it's all about drones, and where's the fun in that? As exciting to me as cars that drive by themselves. Simmerhead - Making the virtual skies unsafe since 1987!
November 17, 201411 yr Thanks John. Fun story to read and even the comment section was worth a smile and a laugh. The SR-71 is still a amazing aircraft no matter how you slice it. If that is outdated, it me wonder what could possibly have replaced it! Regards, One interesting fact about the SR-71 is it has expansion joints--it flies so fast the titanium skin heats up so I guess they can only give an approx. length figure in stats about the aircraft LOL. The other thing interesting is it flies so fast that it takes some distance to execute a turn. So for instance, if you want to make a right when you reach California and you're crossing Arizona, you better start the turn in New Mexico.... John
November 18, 201411 yr That skin expansion probaly explains why it dripped fuel/oils/mositure when parked as I have seen in some videos and also depicted in JF's SR-71 Rick Almeida
November 18, 201411 yr That skin expansion probaly explains why it dripped fuel/oils/mositure when parked as I have seen in some videos and also depicted in JF's SR-71 Yep. When on the ground the SR-71 leaks fluid. The skin of the aircraft feels very strange when you touch it - more paper like than metal. Was lucky to see one at my home base in the 1980s when it was operational. Landed at our base because of an engine problem. The pilots were kind enought to put on a show for the locals when they left. They took off, did a 180, came back for a low pass, then went straight up until they dissapperaed into the blue sky. One amazing experience. Simmerhead - Making the virtual skies unsafe since 1987!
November 18, 201411 yr Thanks for confirming that. I was begiining to think I was losing it, as I distinctly remember the SR-71 I bought from Just Flight for FS2004 did feature drips, asides from video footage seen elsewhere. I recall it once appeared at the Royal Farnborough Airshow and it had to brake over Belgium just to make the turn in ala that earlier post about New Mexico. Pity we may never see the likes of it again. Rick Almeida
November 18, 201411 yr I lived at Beale AFB for a few years, unfortunately that was just before the SR-71, when it was still a SAC base with B-52s. I did finally get to see a Blackbird at the Abbotsford BC airshow back around 1989 or so. Awesome. I have the Virtavia FSX SR-71 and it's a blast.
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