At Mach 3, friction with the atmosphere raised the SR-71’s skin temperatures to a searing 500 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to make the fuselage glow red. Despite being retired a generation ago, the ...

Sleek, black and evil in appearance, the SR-71 Blackbird was THE masterpiece of Cold War engineering. Flying faster and higher than any fighter, this stealthy reconnaissance aircraft could snoop where ...

What You Need to Know: The SR-71 Blackbird, known for being the fastest crewed jet in history, evaded over 4,000 missiles during its service. However, in training exercises, it faced simulated defeats ...

The SR-71 is perhaps the most iconic Cold War spy aircraft, famous for many record-setting flights. Seemingly impervious to loss by enemy defenses, a dozen Blackbirds were lost to accidents. On July ...

Is the SR-71 still the fastest plane ever in service? This question captivates aviation enthusiasts and historians alike because the aircraft flew three times the speed of sound and remained ...