dsc32265.jpg

The sign accompanying the SR-71. It reads

Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird

No reconnaissance aircraft in history has operated globally in more hostile airspace or with such complete impunity than the SR-71, the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft. The Blackbird's performance and operational achievements placed it at the pinnacle of aviation technology developments during the Cold War.

This Blackbird accrued about 2,800 hours of flying time during 24 years of active service with the U.S. Air Force. On its last flight, March 6, 1990, Lt. Col. Ed Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph Vida set a speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging 3,418 kilometers (2,124 miles) per hour. At the flight's conclusion, they landed at Washington Dulles International Airport and turned the airplane over to the Smithsonian.

Transferred from the U.S. Air Force

Wingspan:	16.9 m (55 ft 7 in)
Length:	32.7 m (107 ft 5 in)
Height:	5.6 m (18 ft 6 in)
Weight, empty:	27,216 kg (60,000 lb)
Weight, gross:	63,504 kg (140,000 lb)
Top Speed:	3,620 km/h (2,250 mph), Mach 3.3
Engines:	2 Pratt & Whitney J58 (JT11D-20B), 15,422 kg (34,000 lb) thrust
Crew:	2
Manufacturer:	Lockheed Aircraft Corp., Palmdale, Calif., 1967
	A19920072000