The Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird” is a retired long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. The SR-71 designation is a continuation of the pre-1962 bomber series; the last aircraft built using the series was the XB-70 Valkyrie. However, a bomber variant of the Blackbird was briefly given the B-71 designator, which was retained when the type was changed to SR-71.
source.image: Found And Explained
During the later stages of its testing, the B-70 was proposed for a reconnaissance/strike role, with an “RS-70” designation. When the A-12’s performance potential was clearly found to be much greater, the USAF ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962, which was originally named R-12 by Lockheed.
In 1968, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara canceled the F-12 interceptor program. The specialized tooling used to manufacture both the YF-12 and the SR-71 was also ordered destroyed. Production of the SR-71 totaled 32 aircraft: 29 SR-71As, two SR-71Bs, and one SR-71C. Two Pratt and Whitney J58 axial-flow turbo- jets with afterburners, each producing 32,500 pounds of thrust, powered the Blackbirds.
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The SR-71 was designed for flight at over Mach 3 with tandem cockpits for a crew of two: a pilot; and a reconnaissance systems officer who navigated and operated the surveillance systems. The SR-71 was designed with the smallest radar cross-section that Lockheed could achieve, an early attempt at stealth design. Aircraft were painted black. This color radiated heat from the surface more effectively than the bare metal, reducing the temperature of the skin and thermal stresses on the airframe. The appearance of the painted aircraft gave it the nickname “Blackbird”.
