Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: books - history and deployment

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Osprey)

The SR-71 represents the very pinnacle of Cold War aircraft design and it has become an aviation icon. Together with its predecessor, the A-12, the Blackbird was a giant leap into the technical unknown and the design employed many forms of new technology made necessary by the excesses of speed, altitude and temperature to which the aircraft was subjected.
Throughout its 34-year Air Force career, the SR-71 proved itself to be the world's fastest and highest flying operational manned aircraft. It set a number of world records for altitude and speed, including an absolute altitude record of 85,069ft on 28 July 1974, and an absolute speed record of 2,193.2mph the same day.
This truly was a unique and ground-breaking aircraft, whose fascinating design history is explored here in full and illuminated with photographs and detailed technical illustrations.

Contents: Introduction - Design and Development - Technical Specifications and Variants - Operational History - Conclusion - Bibliography and Further Reading.

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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Pilot's Flight Operation Instructions)

Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 was one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the "Skunk Works". Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet.

The Blackbird holds the coast-to-coast speed record of 64 minutes flown at over 2100 m.p.h. It was also one of the first aircraft to be shaped in such a way as to have a very low radar signature.
Originally created for the elite group of men who drove "the sled", this handbook provides a revealing look into the cockpit of one of history's great planes.

Just recently declassified, this book contains all the basic pilot's instructions for the SR-71 and two-seat training model. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, but care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text. Please note, some pages are still classified and have been omitted.

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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

Created by Lockheed's brilliant designer Kelly Johnson, the SR-71 was one of the most legendary aircraft to emerge from the "Skunk Works". Capable of Mach 3 flight, the SR-71 could survey 100,000 miles of the earth's surface from an altitude of 80,000 feet.
The Blackbird holds the coast-to-coast speed record of 64 minutes flown at over 2100 m.p.h. It was also one of the first aircraft to be shaped in such a way as to have a very low radar signature. Originally created for the elite group of men who drove "the sled", this handbook provides a revealing look into the cockpit of one of history's great planes.
Just recently declassified, this book contains all the basic pilot's instructions for the SR-71 and two-seat training model. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, but care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text. Please note, some pages are still classified and have been omitted.

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SR-71 Blackbird - Lockheed's Ultimate Spy Plane (Legends of Warfare)

As of 2023, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird holds the record as the fastest manned jet aircraft, a title it earned in 1976. Retired in the late 1990s, the Blackbird remains iconic for its unmatched speed and striking design.
Introduced in the 1960s, the SR-71 served as a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Only 32 units were built, with nearly half lost in accidents.
This book features nearly 300 images, offering a detailed look at the Blackbird's history and design.

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SR-71 Flight Manual : The Official Pilot's Handbook - Declassified and Expanded with Commentary

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a long-range, Mach 3 reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed's top-secret Skunk Works. One of the first aircraft designed to have a low radar signature, the SR-71 could map 100,000 square miles from an altitude of 80,000 feet.
Operational from 1964 to 1998, it is still the fastest jet-powered aircraft - a Blackbird once completed a Los Angeles-to-Washington, D.C. flight in 64 minutes.

Naturally, reigning in all that technology and performance required some know-how on the parts of the pilots and ground crews. This massive volume, the SR-71 Flight Manual, is a facsimile reprint of the official flight manual issued to SR-71 crew members augmented with anecdotes and and descriptions of flight procedures from former SR-71 pilot Col. Richard Graham (Ret.).

Divided into seven sections, the book covers in minute detail everything from the SR-71 trainer to normal and emergency operation procedures, navigation and sensor equipment, operating limitations, flight characteristics of the Blackbird, and all-weather operation.
Now the official SR-71 flight manual is not only declassified, it's (at least partially) demystified as well!

A veteran of fifteen years of assignments within the SR-71 community, Colonel Richard H. Graham is uniquely qualified to tell the Blackbird's story. Crew member, instructor pilot, chief of the standardization/evaluation division, Colonel Graham was named SR-71 Squadron Commander, 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, in January 1981.
A command pilot with more than 4,600 military flying hours, he has earned many military decorations and awards.

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