SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest production aircraft in the world

The unmistakably recognizable US Air Force spy plane set two records during its career, one for altitude and another for speed. A look back at the history of this military aircraft that remained top secret for a very long time.

The history of the SR-71 Blackbird, “le Merle” in French, began in the early 1960s. Developed by the American Lockheed, the supersonic aircraft made its first flight on December 22, 1964. Used two years later by the American army for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, this strange bird had the particularity of flying at high altitude, and very quickly, at more than Mach 3 (3,500 km/h). The aircraft holds two world records for a production aircraft, one for altitude and another for speed. The SR-71 Blackbird has indeed reached 25,929 meters and 3,529 km/h. For the record, he also holds the record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic. In 1974, it took him less than two hours to reach London from New York.

Thanks to its exceptional performance, the device was able to escape the Soviet missiles which it was the target of during the Cold War. It simply went faster than them thanks to its aerodynamic shapes and its two powerful General Electric J58 turbojet engines which developed a unit power of nearly 15 tons. They were also powered by a specific fuel, JP-7, to prevent it from boiling. Its consumption was such that it was necessary to refuel it in flight several times per mission.

Its price was proportional to its capabilities, two billion dollars a unit. Built in 32 units, the SR-71 Blackbird aircraft has performed more than 3,500 operational sorties over the former Soviet Union, North Korea and Libya. It was permanently withdrawn from service in 1998.