Speed across the ground

[finneyb]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0

enjoy

Brian

 

[MikeK]

When I was stationed in Okinawa in the 70's, we knew when the Habu would launch and tried to make it to Kadena AB in time to see it. The perimeter road at the end of the runway was usually the best spot because we could see it light the burners, lurch away from us, and then climb nearly vertical to reach altitude so it could heat up and find the tankers.

Here's a story from Major Brian Shul describing the slowest flight in the SR-71 while he was stationed in Mildenhall:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? ... ry_index=0

 

[AES]

Thanks for posting Brian. Fantastic machine. I remember seeing it one time when it visited the Farnborough Airshow sometime in the '70's.

AES

 

[novocaine]

I enjoyed this from the smithsonian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4KD5u-xkik

Duxford has one along with a cockpit mock up (or at least they did) once upon a time if you were but a nipper and talked nicely to the curator you could get a seat in it. hard to believe how big it actually is, especially when you stand next to a tornado or the like, from a distance it looks tiny.

for those that fancy a bit of bed time reading heres the flight manual.

https://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/manual/

 

[RogerS]

Is there an English version anywhere, Brian ? :-"

Maybe it's my sound system but I really struggled to understand him and so, sadly, gave up.

 

[finneyb]

Is there an English version anywhere, Brian ? :-"

Maybe it's my sound system but I really struggled to understand him and so, sadly, gave up.

There is an echo on the video and he does talk fast and with a US accent - perhaps they need sub-titles.
Try starting to watch at 2 mins when he gets to the tale.

Brian

 

[Rorschach]

He suffered major burns in Vietnam which makes his speech a little harder to understand.