SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird cover

Description

Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most iconic and famous jets ever built. Assembled in secret at Lockheed's Skunk Works, the Blackbird's vital statistics remain phenomenal, decades later. It holds the airspeed record for a manned jet aircraft, operated at an altitude other aircraft could barely touch, and was a marvel of technical engineering. Drawing on declassified material, leading SR-71 expert Paul Crickmore reveals the history of this fascinating aircraft, accompanied by a range of fantastic illustrations, photographs, and facts about the world's most secret spy plane.

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Chronology

A-12 Design and Manufacture
A-12 Oxcart Operations
Tagboard and Senio Bowl, the M-21 and D-21
Kedlock, the YF-12A
Senior Crown, the SR-71
Flying the SR-71
NASA Operations
Surviving Aircraft Histories

Appendices
Index

Product details

Published May 24 2016
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 160
ISBN 9781472813152
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 16col, 76b/w
Dimensions Not specified
Series General Aviation
Short code GNA
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Paul F. Crickmore

Paul F. Crickmore is the author of the much-acclai…

Resources

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