Glad there is another release of the great Blackbird, but I hope the flight model is more accurate than the announcment: "Unfortunately these great planes that flew at nearly 3000 mph are now consigned to museums"Not even close, official SR-71 record is 2,193.167 mph though unofficialy it could do better than that, but not near 3000 mph."An accurate flight model reflects the SR-71's ability to approach MACH 3"SR-71 flew rutinely at mach 3, in fact there is more than ten thousand hours of mach 3 flight on the SR-71 flight logs.It would be nice to see a comparison of all the Blackbirds available.

Hi Paul,Blackbird, regurly flew at 'Mach 3+'.I have that information from an old freind of mine who actually flew and appeared in television documentries sat behind 'Dan House' and is Major Blair Bozek. Based at that time at R.A.F. Mildenhall.He told me that top speed of the SR-71 was classified information. So, who knows the top speed? Only the people that flew her.The boast of 3000mph is, I assume a sales drive pun, directed at P.C Pilots who don't really care?Dave T. .........On the Devon Riviera and active 'FlightSim User's Group' member at http://www.flightsimgrpuk.free-online.co.uk/

Hi Dave,Yes Mach 3+, (I have copies of all the flight logs including A/YF-12s) that's my point. On the one hand the blurb states "approaching mach 3" and then makes the insane "3000 mph" remark, which was totally out of reach for the airframe.As far as "PC pilots" go, I think most are somewhat educated enough on their favorite AC to know if it is being represented realistically. So I don't think stating something like the "great supersonic 707" would impress too many of us to purchase the flight model even though in fact a few 707s have come close to mach 1 in a shallow dive.Speaking of Mach 3, B-70 cruised at Mach 3 and was so much more massive than Sr-71...both are incredible achievements, let alone that they were both born from the slide rule.

I'd take a guess that someone mistakenly thinks Mach = 1,000 rather than intentionaly trying to mislead with the 3,000 mph comment.As for supersonic airliners, whilst the "great supersonic 707" may well have come close to the sound barrier, it was of course the DC-8 that actually went through it.........shocking I know!Dreamfleet Project ManagerGreatest Airliners - DC-8Greatest Airliners - 727 Whisperjethttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg

>I'd take a guess that someone mistakenly thinks Mach = 1,000>rather than intentionaly trying to mislead with the 3,000 mph>comment.>>As for supersonic airliners, whilst the "great supersonic 707">may well have come close to the sound barrier, it was of>course the DC-8 that actually went through it.........shocking>I know!>>Dreamfleet Project Manager>Greatest Airliners - DC-8>Greatest Airliners - 727 Whisperjet>Its the DC-8 SST!I think though for shear level speed from that generation we would have to put the Convair 880/990 as the speed leader, too bad it wasn't a success.

>>Not even close, official SR-71 record is 2,193.167 mph though >>unofficialy it could do better than that, but not near 3000 mph.By my calculations at or above FL350 (std ISA atmosphere), that is Mach 3.32! I reckon the speed of sound is 574kts at SR-71 type altitudes.