FYI, it's early access:

https://blackbirdsims.com/flight/PG.php?id=80

Edited December 19, 2025Dec 19 by abrams_tank

Thanks, just picked it up! Today is turning out to be an expensive day 😄

The OTHER Study Level twin jet released today:

 

I have only the barest possible knowledge of how to fly it, but from just around 20 mins totally messing about, I think this is gonna be a GREAT addon: sounds, flight model, etc. 🙂

ETA: while it IS early access, it’s also half price.
BBS did the same thing with their C-130, and imho it’s gone very well. 

Edited December 19, 2025Dec 19 by UrgentSiesta

Just to let you know that for a complete experience a "retro" version of Beale AFB in late 80's configuraion is also available and can be bought as a bundle with the Blackbird:

https://blackbirdsims.com/flight/PG.php?id=93

 

7 minutes ago, Dimus said:

Just to let you know that for a complete experience a "retro" version of Beale AFB in late 80's configuraion is also available and can be bought as a bundle with the Blackbird:

https://blackbirdsims.com/flight/PG.php?id=93

 

I've been beta testing the SR-71 and Beale, that was a great combination. It is a very detailed scenery with instruments like a PAVE PAWS that were typical of the era and are not around anymore. The beta team included several people who were stationed at KBAB in the 80s and they contributed a lot of knowledge and old photographs. 

My favourite details of the scenery are a Cyrillic writing on one roof (something like greetings to the Soviets who are reading this) and one of the ATCs in the tower, who was stationed there in real life. I found it really immersive to start my SR-71 missions from a base that sets you back in the time of the actual missions.

To everyone who picks up the SR-71: I recommend starting in easy mode and read the manual. When you progress, there is a log file that tells you if and why a failure has been triggered. I found that very helpful during the multiple times I lost an engine because I forgot a step 🙂 . And remember, it is not a jetliner, you have to pay attention to other details like temperature, angle of attack, center of gravity. 

Peter

9 hours ago, Dimus said:

Just to let you know that for a complete experience a "retro" version of Beale AFB in late 80's configuraion is also available and can be bought as a bundle with the Blackbird:

https://blackbirdsims.com/flight/PG.php?id=93

 

Yep. I’ve already got the modern version and that’ll do for me 🤙

46 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

Yep. I’ve already got the modern version and that’ll do for me 🤙

Cool! Quite a few enhancements have been introduced in the retro (better apron hangar textures) that will be carried over to the modern version with a free update soon. Also in the modern version, if you start the Blackbird inside hangar No16, you are able to open the hangar doors using the "Walt's Wheel" open door option in the maintenance page. For the retro this function is in hangar No12.

From developer: (regarding take off issue)

We think we've found the problem, it's a change to the flight model in SU6 that affects some of the special features we put in to make the SR fly authentically. Exactly how to fix it will need some experimentation, but as soon as we have a workaround that doesn't negatively affect the rest of the flight model, we'll post a hoxfix for everyone.

Thanks for your patience as we deal with this. There's still too many unknowns to give a timeline at the moment.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by udidwht

32 minutes ago, udidwht said:

From developer: (regarding take off issue)

We think we've found the problem, it's a change to the flight model in SU6 that affects some of the special features we put in to make the SR fly authentically. Exactly how to fix it will need some experimentation, but as soon as we have a workaround that doesn't negatively affect the rest of the flight model, we'll post a hoxfix for everyone.

Thanks for your patience as we deal with this. There's still too many unknowns to give a timeline at the moment.

This kind of thing is so aggravating for developers. Thank you for looking into it so thoroughly