The Lockheed Blackbirds hold a unique place in the development of aeronautics. In their day; the A-12; YF-12; M-21; D-21; and SR-71 variants outperformed all other jet airplanes in terms of altitude and speed. Now retired; they remain the only production aircraft capable of sustained Mach 3 cruise and operational altitudes above 80;000 feet.This is the first book to address the technical aspects of these incredible aircraft. The author describes the design evolution of the Blackbird; from the Archangel to the Senior Crown (the Air ForceÃs SR-71.) He describes in detail the construction and materials challenges faced by Lockheed; as well as the BlackbirdÃs performance characteristics and capabilities.A NASA historian; the author describes NASAÃs role in using the aircraft as a flying laboratory to collect data on materials; structures; loads; heating; aerodynamics; and performance for high-speed aircraft. The reader will benefit from the bookÃs discussion of the technical and programmatic lessons learned. This volume was produced in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
#203009 in Books Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press 2000-01-17 2000-01-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x 1.34 x 6.00l; 1.59 #File Name: 1560983957442 pages
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