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| The SR-71 Blackbird, unofficially known as The World's Most Beautiful Airplane. |
I traveled to Edwards Air Force Base because I wanted to see
examples of the X-series rocket planes that, had our national leaders decided
otherwise, might have led to the development of America’s first space planes. I also wanted to see some of the heavy
lifting bodies, such as the HL-10, that NASA experimented with before they built the space shuttle. Yet the plane that impressed me most was the SR-71 Blackbird.
The SR in the designation stands for Strategic
Reconnaissance, and as the Blackbird was a Black project, a pall of secrecy
still surrounds the plane. I spotted one
parked outside the base museum, and its sheer size and shape took my breath away. I wanted to know more about it. Unlike the other planes and helicopters, no signage
accompanied the SR-71. When I
purchased the toy in the museum, the clerk said, “They’re
amazing aircraft, aren’t they?” With a
hushed voice, she also told me that her father had worked on their
development.
After our lunch at the cafeteria adjacent to the NASA Dryden
Visitor center, we walked around several more planes, including another of
these long, sleek planes. When the bus
arrived, we lined up, and as we climbed aboard, I asked Don, our fact-filled
tour guide, what the plane was. “Oh,
that’s a SR-71 Blackbird,” he said off-hand, and seemed inclined to say nothing
more. “It looks bigger than the one
outside the museum,” I pursued. “Oh,
maybe it’s the A-model trainer,” he responded.
As others were boarding, I didn’t want to halt those behind me. I just hoped he’d say something more about
them. He never did.
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| Try as I might, I couldn't capture the entire side of the plane with my camera. |
I’ve always thought of fighter jets as the most sleek and
beautiful of aircraft. Yet seeing
the SR-71 was akin to a person who grows up thinking of the Chevy Camero or the
Ford Mustang as the ultimate sports car, and suddenly encounters a Ferrari or
Lamborghini.
Given their sheer size, at first I thought the Blackbirds
carried a whole team of people inside monitoring specialized equipment. Yet the planes just carried a pilot, and even
the cockit was cramped. The speeds at
which they shot through the air (in excess of Mach 3, or 2000 miles per hour), the
engines that propelled them that fast, and the amount of fuel they needed to
stay aloft dictated the size and shape of the plane.
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| One of the Bypass Turbo (or Turbo-ramjet) engines. (Despite its size, the SR-71 didn't even carry a starter motor). |
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| This J58 Starter Motor needed two Chevy 454 cubic inch engines to power it! |
After glimpsing these amazing planes at Edwards Air Force
Base, we extended our stay in the area to visit the Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale. I spoke with a former pilot, and a wiring
specialist who worked on both the SR-71 and the space shuttle. According to the wiring specialist, the
cockpit and control panels were more compact than those in the space shuttle!
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| So much plane, so little cockpit. |
I’d like to return to Blackbird Airpark after I’ve
learned a little more about them, and can conduct an intelligent conversation
with the volunteers. But even if I never learn anything more about these
magnificent planes, I’d just like to see them again.
Did I mention that I thought they were beautiful?
Dragon Dave
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