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10 Things You Don’t Know About ‘Black bird’ ..!
- The SR-71 Blackbird aircraft was built by Lockheed Martin and took its first flight in 1964. It was retired by NASA in 1999. The SR-71 has been given several nicknames, including Blackbird and Habu. The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998.
2. It is the fastest planes that ever took flight. The official fastest record it holds is 2,193.13 mph on July 1976.
SR-71s first arrived at the 9th SRW’s Operating Location (OL-8) at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa on 8 March 1968. These deployments were code named “Glowing Heat”, while the program as a whole was code named “Senior Crown”. Reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam were code named “Giant Scale”
3. Over 4,000 missiles were fired at the Blackbird in the 25 years it was flown, but none ever hit it. The Blackbird was just too fast and its evasive tactic was just to speed up until the missile couldn’t keep up with it.
A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents and none lost to enemy action.Considering all accident , Only one crew member, Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight-test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, was killed in a flight accident. The rest of the crew members ejected safely or evacuated their aircraft on the ground.
4. The plane was covered in over 60 pounds of black paint because the black helped cool down the plane by up to 86 degrees. Traveling at over Mach 3, the plane could hit as high as 1,000 degrees without the black paint dissipating the heat.
Finished aircraft were painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as camouflage against the night sky. The dark color led to the aircraft’s nickname “Blackbird”. The outer windscreen of the cockpit was made of quartz and was fused ultrasonically to the titanium frame. The temperature of the exterior of the windscreen reached 600 °F (316 °C) during a mission.
5. It was built to fly up to Mach 3.4 speeds (approx. 2,500 mph on land).
It has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft since 1976; this record was previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile.
View from the cockpit at 73,000 feet (22,000 m) over the Atlantic Ocean
6. The plane required a large amount of titanium to be built so the CIA created fake companies around the world to buy metal from the USSR, which was the biggest supplier, as well as the United States’ enemy at that time.
The red stripes on some SR-71s were to prevent maintenance workers from damaging the skin. Near the center of the fuselage, the curved skin was thin and delicate, with no support from the structural ribs, which were spaced several feet apart.
7. It’s tires were specially designed for the SR-71. Their material was made of aluminum powder which was impregnated to reject heat. This additive gave its unique appearance of silver coloration.
The Blackbird’s tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen.
8. It earned its nickname “Blackbird” because of how stealth it was. It was also extremely quiet inside the cockpit, according to pilot Richard Graham. “You could hear a pin drop. The view is spectacular, being able to see the curvature of the Earth and the black space above filled with stars,” he said.
The air inlets allowed the SR-71 to cruise at over Mach 3.2 while keeping airflow into the engines at the initial subsonic speeds. Mach 3.2 was the design point for the aircraft, its most efficient speed. At the front of each inlet, a pointed, movable cone called a “spike” (Inlet cone) was locked in its full forward position on the ground and during subsonic flight.
9. Over 4,000 missiles were fired at the Blackbird in the 25 years it was flown, but none ever hit it. The Blackbird was just too fast and its evasive tactic was just to speed up until the missile couldn’t keep up with it.
The SR-71 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) axial-flow turbo-jet engines. The J58 was a considerable innovation of the era, capable of producing a static thrust of 32,500 lbf (145 kN)
10. The camera on the Blackbird was so advanced that when it took a photo of a car on the ground that was 80,000 feet below it and the plane traveled at over 2,000 mph, the license plate would be visible in the photo.
Life support SR-71 pilot in full flight suit Flying at 80,000 ft (24,000 m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000 ft (13,000 m).an emergency ejection at Mach 3.2 would subject crews to temperatures of about 450 °F (230 °C) thus, during a high altitude ejection scenario, an onboard oxygen supply would keep the suit pressurized during the descent
other Fascinating Facts
- To work on the plane as a crew member, you needed to be between the ages of 25 and 40, be married and be“emotionally stable.”
- Even though it leaked fuel, the fuel had such a high flash point that it would not ignite even if it was hit with fire.
- The Blackbird was able to map terrain like a side-scanning sonar, aim a radar up to 45 degrees to the side, and interrupt enemy communication and radar signals
Source : Wikipedia , History in orbit
General characteristics
- Crew: 2: Pilot and Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO)
- Payload: 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of sensors
- Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)
- Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)
- Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
- Wing area: 1,800 ft2 (170 m2)
- Empty weight: 67,500 lb (30,600 kg)
- Loaded weight: 152,000 lb (69,000 kg)
- Max. takeoff weight: 172,000 lb (78,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets, 34,000 lbf (151 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach 3.3[121][122][N 5] (2,200+ mph, 3,540+ km/h, 1,910+ knots) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m)
- Range: 2,900 nmi (5,400 km)
- Ferry range: 3,200 nmi (5,925 km)
- Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900 m)
- Rate of climb: 11820 ft/m (60 m/s)
- Wing loading: 84 lb/ft² (410 kg/m²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.44
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Aviation
Airbus delivers first C295 to India
The Indian Air Force (IAF) received its first C-295 transport plane on Wednesday during a ceremony in Seville, Spain. The aircraft may carry out unique missions such as disaster relief and marine patrol.
“The IAF has placed an order for 56 aircraft.” The aircraft is also required by the Coast Guard, the Home Ministry, and, in the future, the Indian Navy. “The numbers could easily exceed 56,” Chaudhari said from Spain.
Airbus, a multinational aircraft maker, built the aircraft for India at its Seville factory.
“The first aircraft was delivered 10 days ahead of schedule,” the IAF chief stated after receiving the plane’s symbolic keys from Airbus.
The Indian Air Force has inked a deal for a total of 56 C-295 aircraft, with 16 of them being manufactured in Spain and the remaining 40 to be built as part of a joint venture between Tata and Airbus at their facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The C-295 is a versatile transport plane with a cargo capacity ranging from 5 to 10 tonnes. It is intended to replace the aging Avro aircraft in the IAF’s fleet and boasts advanced technology features. Notably, the aircraft is equipped with a rear ramp door, facilitating rapid cargo and troop para-dropping operations.
The C-295 is a twin-turboprop aircraft that can fly great distances with fully equipped personnel while also having the ability to land on tiny airstrips. To improve its capabilities in the operational zones, the IAF says all 56 aircraft would be equipped with a native Electronic Warfare Suite (EWS).
According to the agreement, Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft in “flyaway” condition from Spain within 48 months of the contract’s signature, and the Tata consortium would produce the 40 additional aircraft in India over the course of the next ten years. This represents a groundbreaking initiative, as it marks the first time a private firm in India will be responsible for producing military aircraft.
This move aligns with the Indian government’s “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,” providing a unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter the highly technical and competitive aviation industry. It’s anticipated that this initiative will bolster domestic aircraft production, reducing dependence on imports and potentially leading to increased exports in the future. This development is a significant step forward in India’s quest for self-reliance in defense manufacturing.
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Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests UltraFan Technology Demonstrator using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
The first tests were conducted using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR., ADR: RYCEY) today announces it has successfully completed the first tests of its UltraFan technology demonstrator at its facility in Derby, UK. The first tests were conducted using 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
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This is a historic moment for Rolls-Royce – it’s the first time in 54 years the aero-engine manufacturer has tested a brand-new engine architecture and is proof of what can be achieved when industry and Governments work together.
Confirming the capability of the suite of technologies incorporated in the demonstrator is a big step towards improving the efficiency of current and future aero-engines. UltraFan delivers a 10% efficiency improvement over the Trent XWB, which is already the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service.
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In the nearer term, there are options to transfer technologies from the UltraFan development program to current Trent engines, providing our customers with even greater availability, reliability, and efficiency.
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In the longer term, UltraFan’s scalable technology from ~25,000-110,000lb thrust offers the potential to power new narrowbody and widebody aircraft anticipated in the 2030s.
Aviation
Is it true that airplanes cannot fly over the Bermuda Triangle? Why?
It’s not accurate to say that aircraft can’t pass over the Bermuda Triangle. Over the years, a number of ships and aircraft have mysteriously vanished in the Bermuda Triangle, a location in the western North Atlantic Ocean. However, a large percentage of airplanes that fly over the Bermuda Triangle do so safely and incident-free.
Despite this, some people choose not to cross this part of the ocean because of the widespread superstition there. You’d be surprised at how many people have flown or sailed over the area without noticing anything peculiar despite the strange stories.
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The Bermuda Triangle is not inaccessible to aircraft, as is commonly believed. There are no official flying restrictions in place, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Bermuda Triangle is not considered a special area of concern.
The reasons why so many ships and aircraft have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle are the subject of numerous theories, ranging from human error to natural disasters to alien action. However, none of these explanations are supported by scientific data, and the majority of the disappearances may be accounted for by natural factors like bad weather or navigational mistakes.
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In conclusion, despite having a bad reputation for being a hazardous area for ships and airplanes, there is no evidence that the Bermuda Triangle is any more dangerous than other oceanic regions. The final communication that was received described compasses acting strangely and the crew continuously getting lost no matter how many times they changed course. What had started out as a typical training flight quickly transformed into a big mystery.
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