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OT SR-71 LA Speed Check
- Thread starter maynah
- Start date
- Replies 29
- Views 3,162
sfriedberg
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2010
- Location
- Oregon, USA
I've read it before, but didn't realize Shul did a stand-up presentation. Most amusing!
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
I didn't realize the even spookier immediate predecessor to the SR-71 ..flew higher and .... FASTER, either.
Lighter. Couldn't carry as much "snoopy stuff", but one Helluva ride it must have been!
moonlight machine
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2007
- Location
- marysville ohio
I didn't realize the even spookier immediate predecessor to the SR-71 ..flew higher and .... FASTER, either.
Lighter. Couldn't carry as much "snoopy stuff", but one Helluva ride it must have been!
First I have heard of faster predecessor to the SR71, A12? care to elaborate?
Jeff_M_PA
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2008
- Location
- San Diego, CA
When I was a young beginning fighter pilot going through "lead-in" training, Brian Shul was assigned there as an instructor and spoke to all the classes about wearing your safety equipment. He crashed a T-28 in Vietnam (probably really in Cambodia) and was horribly burned. I can tell you, it was a sobering talk and from that day forward I learned to "play the piccolo" (the stick and throttles of the F-15 contained myriad buttons to control the weapons system) with gloves on even though a lot of my squadron mates felt they did it better bare-handed. He is a hell of a guy. Later, I was stationed at Kadena in Okinawa and got to know him a little better in the O-Club bar as he was often there on temporary assignment flying the SR-71. His AF career flamed out as the higher-ups generally wanted careerist drones rather than inspirational killers as senior leaders. His photography is really excellent too. If you ever have a chance to hear him speak, don't pass it up.
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Shul is also author of the book "Sled Driver" about the SR-71. The book is out of print, and sells at very high prices. I was able to borrow a copy from the regional library system. It came in a large envelope, and was the most battered, worn, and dog-eared book I have ever seen in library circulation. It required a special request to obtain since it was near impossible to replace and in poor condition.
Its a very good book.
Its a very good book.
Chuck Kiegh
Aluminum
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2011
- Location
- SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
After I saw that I was up most of the night binging on SR 71 videos. I am in Seattle quite often and try to always make time for the Boeing museum.
There is a cockpit section that you can sit in if its not full of kids. Thanks for the link.
There is a cockpit section that you can sit in if its not full of kids. Thanks for the link.
sfriedberg
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2010
- Location
- Oregon, USA
I was well aware of the SR71 published specs, but was still caught off guard by its sheer length when I finally saw one at the McMinnville, OR, museum a few years ago.
Also, while the top speed was not so well known, the classified operational speed was known by thousands, probably tens of thousands, of people world-wide during the 1970's and 1980's, as the plane is absolutely immistakable on regional air surveillance radar when at operational altitude and speed. Over Europe, multiple NATO centers, the Group of Soviet Forces Germany (based in East Germany, obviously), the Czechs and probably anybody else within line of sight kept eyes on that plane. Similar situation in other theaters, I am certain.
Also, while the top speed was not so well known, the classified operational speed was known by thousands, probably tens of thousands, of people world-wide during the 1970's and 1980's, as the plane is absolutely immistakable on regional air surveillance radar when at operational altitude and speed. Over Europe, multiple NATO centers, the Group of Soviet Forces Germany (based in East Germany, obviously), the Czechs and probably anybody else within line of sight kept eyes on that plane. Similar situation in other theaters, I am certain.
Ohio Mike
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Location
- Central Ohio, USA
If you want another good read look up Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver's story of being ejected from an SR-71 at Mach 3 over New Mexico. Just a miracle he lived, his back seat did not.
fish123
Cast Iron
- Joined
- May 4, 2008
- Location
- Deplorable Conditions, Fl.
This post motivated me to look for my copy of "Sled Driver" - found it, dusty & intact.
Time to read it again, it's been 20 years?
Time to read it again, it's been 20 years?
sfriedberg
Diamond
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2010
- Location
- Oregon, USA
This is by design, if undesirable. The skin sections were designed to fit properly given the thermal expansion at operational speed. At "room temperature", there are gaps.
Ohio Mike
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2008
- Location
- Central Ohio, USA
I would love to have been able to see a start using the original AG330 start carts. The AG330 was supposedly designed by some Lockheed engineers with racing experience. The cart originally contained two Buick big blocks (later with Chevrolets) with automatic transmissions belted in tandem via a 12 inch wide belt to a right angle gearbox to drive the probe. The probe was inserted in to the J58 from below and was used to spin the J58 up to over 3000 RPM at which time the starting accelerant was injected into the engine to light it off. To do this the Buicks were turning more like 4000 RPM with no mufflers just straight pipes out the bottom of the cart. It was important for the timing to be right as the J58 lit up it would idle at a speed beyond red line on the Buicks. Later the carts were replaced by air starter systems.
thermite
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2011
Damned Hot Rodders!
Visiting USAF "Base Fuels", Bien Hoa AFB, one afternoon to cadge a coupla 2-Ton cryotainers of LOX surplused off their big 5-Ton-per-day DELON-500-M, boil it off and pump for welding.
Youngish-looking USAF Major drives by in a shiney Chev "El Camino" SS 396 pick-em-up trick .. Uniroyal wide-oval "red stripe" tires, pipe-rack with nice carpet padding 'round the pipes..
I look at SR SGT MAJ P_____ and ask:
"WTF? I get a POS M-151, you get a fossiled Cornbinder civil P/U? How TF does that Major rate?"
He just smirks. "Be on the Bien Hoa strip at (time of day..)"
Sure' nuf. That El Camino is reving its mill right at the approach end of the runway.
Dead silent U2 glides in, he drops clutch, stinks a hundred yards or three of Uniroyal, CATCHES the sunnovabitch. U2 lays one wing over onto the padded pipe rack and they slow to a stop as if glued together. Ground krew roll up, grab wheels outta the bed of the P/U, attach 'em to the wings. Ordinary tug hauls the bird off the active.
U2 don't retract its wing-wheel landing gear on takeoff. DROPS them, rather.
Ground krew recover them, store 'em in the bed of the El Camino.
Curtis LeMay had been involved, store-bought El Camino wudda been a Titanium "go kart" with a P&W Wasp Major!
At each wheel.
You'd have had to know LeMay and go-karts?
ratbldr427
Titanium
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2006
- Location
- jacksonville,fl.
New mechanic at work and I were talking about the owners WW2 history. He said that a famous AF general used to visit his wife's uncle in Ohio whenever he was in the area. Didn't remember his name but had his wife send him his picture on his phone. That's Curtis LeMay! I gave him his biography to read.
triumph406
Diamond
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
- Location
- ca
Mike C.
Diamond
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2004
- Location
- Birmingham, AL
Talking with Bob Gilliland, one of the A-12/SR-71 test pilots, there was also an altitude version of that exchange... sort of. He was somewhere out west cruising along on the way back in and hit up ATC. Requested altitude clearance change to FL800 (80,000ft, which is technically uncontrolled airspace, as it's above 60,000ft). Controller laughed and said, "if you can get to it, you are cleared to FL800." Gilliland replied, "descending to FL800".
Have wondered about the SR/A12 replacement. Is it really just satellites, the mini space shuttle and unmanned drones? Used to fly frequently thru the arctic from NA to Europe or East at 45000’ and Mach 0.8 and occasionally see birds far above us and -way faster- than us.
L7
L7
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