![]() With over 170 images, including tail artwork and commemorative badges, this book details the aircraft themselves, the bases that supported operations, and the types of missions flown and their destinations. Following the loss of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960, Lockheed needed to build the impossibleand do it fast. Notice the dual cockpit to allow the instructor to fly the airplane. It was built by Lockheeds Skunk Works in the 1960s for the United States Air Force (USAF). Numerous surface-to-air missiles were fired at Blackbirds, and many interceptors were launched to try and shoot them down, but none ever found their target.ĭespite being shrouded in secrecy throughout their entire service lives, some details have subsequently been made available, ensuring the Blackbirds remain as fascinating today as they were during the height of their career. SR-71B was the trainer version of the SR-71. The SR-71 Blackbird is a supersonic reconnaissance aircraft. The A-12 and SR-71 overflew some hostile nations, including North Korea, North Vietnam, and Cuba, but only flew peripheral reconnaissance adjacent to the traditional foes of China and the Soviet Union. Routinely flying more than 15 miles above the earth, at three times the speed of sound, the extraordinary black jets only flew operationally from three locations worldwide. ![]() The Lockheed A-12 was produced from 1962 to 1964, and was in operation from 1963 until 1968. The Lockheed Blackbird family – the A-12, YF-12, and SR-71 – were the most remarkable reconnaissance and evaluation aircraft ever designed. The Lockheed SR-71 'Blackbird' was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance airplane that served in the U.S. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird - Historic Military Aircraft Series, Vol 17
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