11 Photos That Show Why The SR-71 'Blackbird' Is One Of The Greatest Planes Ever Flown

When it comes to curb appeal, few airplanes can match the look of the SR-71 “Blackbird.” And nothing in the Air Force’s inventory — past or present — can beat its signature performance characteristics. 

Here are 11 photos that show why the Blackbird remains the standard of aviation cool.

The SR-71 Blackbird was a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed’s legendary “Skunk Works” team in the 1960s.

A NASA SR-71 on its first flight on Oct 31, 1997 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The Blackbird was capable of speeds exceeding Mach 3 (2,200 mph). The fuselage was designed to expand at high speeds, which caused the plane to leak fuel on the ground because the panels fit very loosely when the jet was parked.

The Blackbird’s service ceiling (max altitude) was 85,000 feet, which forced crews to wear pressure suits and astronaut-type helmets.

SR-71 pilot Col. ‘Buz’ Carpenter.

SR-71s were manned by two aviators: a pilot and a reconnaissance systems officer, who monitored systems from the rear cockpit.

US Air Force

Only 32 Blackbirds were manufactured, and they were in service from 1964 to 1998. Despite over 4,000 combat sorties, none of the planes were lost because of enemy fire. But 12 were destroyed in accidents.

Claustrophobic types need not apply. The narrow space between canopy rails didn’t give crews much room to move around. The outer windscreen of the cockpit was made of quartz and was fused ultrasonically to the titanium frame. The temperature of the exterior of the windscreen reached 600 F during a mission.

A pilot mans the brakes as the SR-71 is towed out of the hangar.

There's nothing glass about the Blackbird's cockpit. The SR-71 presented the pilot with a dizzying array of steam gauges and switches. And visibility out the front wasn’t the greatest.

spot because it was designed with a low radar cross section in mind.

runway after touchdown.

missions.

US Air Force

The Blackbird still holds the record for fastest air-breathing manned aircraft (a record it broke in 1976).

Although the SR-71 is no longer in service, the legend lives on.