This Is An Awesome Short Read

[CJREX]

Excerpt from a book by an SR-71 Pilot.

A quick trip over Libya, with a few missiles giving chase.

http://gizmodo.com/5511236/the-thril...r+71-blackbird

[1MileCrash]

very kool. story worth bookmarking.

[Zapper2003]

simply amazing machine. good read

[ss~zoso~ss]

en route now, right up my alley!

[ss~zoso~ss]

AWESOME STORY!

I'd love to read that book, thanks for the post!

[KnightmareWS6]

I'm gonna have to go find this book at the library now. Thanks for the post!

[Spaz]

awesome!!! just think what we have now that we don't konw about...

[CJREX]

awesome!!! just think what we have now that we don't konw about...

Aurora?

[Spaz]

Aurora?

that would be cool if we could find out what wee got... mach 6 would be sexy...

[CJREX]

that would be cool if we could find out what wee got... mach 6 would be sexy...

Once when I was in southern CA (Dana Point)on a business trip, several of us were driving north on the Pacific Coast Highway in the evening. Sun was going down but still light out.

Out over the ocean, we saw something making a contrail of the "donuts-on-a-rope" type. (PDE anyone?)

Don't know what it was but it was EXTREMELY fast. Crossed the full width of the horizon in a few seconds heading North.

The local news that night said it was a missile test from Vandenberg.

Maybe?

[KnightmareWS6]

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I tried to find the book at both the library here at College of Charleston and the local libraries. Nobody had the book. So I looked it up on Amazon. New price for this book is $599.99. Used is $147.99. Why the HELL is this book so expensive?????

[ss~zoso~ss]

Hua Air Force!

[Cmdr Zero]

Bought that book when it was new and it is outstanding. Another good read on the SR-71 is a book by a Brit named Crickmore. I also got that one when it was new. Probably out of print and expensive as well, but it is very detailed and a must have for any Blackbird fan.

As an aside, I am a retired major airline pilot and once flew with a guy who alleged he was a backseater in one back in the 80`s. Well this guy was so strange and goofy, I thought no way in hell and just nodded and smiled. So I went into the addendum of Crickmores book which lists all, if not most of the missions flown and the crews on board. Sure as hell,there was this guys name listed for a Libyan mission in 82!

So after that, I would occaisionally ask him questions about the plane. Quite a few he could`nt discuss. But I did ask him what kind of ejection seats it had and how could you bail out at 90,000 ft at mach 3? His replay was it just had a standard fighter rocket chair, and that the air was so thin at that altitude there was virtually no air resistance, even at mach 3. But he did add that you free fell in the seat for several minutes and you would automatically separate and your chute would deploy. Still a strange cat though....

[ss~zoso~ss]

you gotta be a little crazy to fly that jet!

[2000LS1Bird]

Limited print books can become collectible.

Wouldn't mind having this one in my collection. I've always been an admirer of the Blackbird.

Thanks for the post.

[c5z28]

Now I though the sr-71 would leak when cold, took off warmed up and then refuel in mid flight. Not that I am knowledgeable enough to argue w/ the article.
Cool side note my uncle used to work for skunk works w/ the blackbirds and later the f-117's.

Edit still re-reading the whole leaking part if someone can clarify if I said what they said.

[ss~zoso~ss]

you are correct, there was no polymer available to seal fuel tanks & withstand the extreme temps at elevation & speed, they would expand when the aircraft went supersonic+ and not leak

They took off with very little fuel often