Foo - What Supersonic Looks Like!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090630/sc_livescience/whatsupersoniclookslike

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20090629/i/r3626269604.jpg?x=246&y=345&q=85&sig=Eg1eqOYg9rRQ73hfglefHQ--

http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/SR-71-520.jpg

The essence of supersonic...
Even after it's retired and standing still.

The essence of supersonic...
Even after it's retired and standing still.

It's still the fastest aircraft on the planet. Even retired. The last flight of the blackbird from L.A. to DC on March 6, 1990 took 1 hr 4 mins 5 secs at an average speed of 2153.24 MPH. That flight set 4 speed records that still stand today.

I grew up near Beale AFB and the Blackbird was a common sight in the air for us. But it never ceased to be awesome.

If you were lucky you could see the shockwave diamonds from the afterburners on takeoff.

http://www.air-and-space.com/19811031%20Beale/33%20SR-71A%2061-7974%20left%20rear%20afterburners%20rev%2020051211%20l.jpg

It's still the fastest aircraft on the planet. Even retired. The last flight of the blackbird from L.A. to DC on March 6, 1990 took 1 hr 4 mins 5 secs at an average speed of 2153.24 MPH. That flight set 4 speed records that still stand today.

That we know of.....

Bah! The Aurora beats it hands down.

Bah! The Aurora beats it hands down.

y'all do know the shuttle hits about 15,000 mph....that makes all this other stuff look like tricycles.

My wife told me there was an audible boom from my eyelids once I rolled off her and my head hit the pillow the other night.



I'm sorry. That was wrong and I shouldn't have sunk this thread to that kind of low.

My wife told me there was an audible boom from my eyelids once I rolled off her and my head hit the pillow the other night.



I'm sorry. That was wrong and I shouldn't have sunk this thread to that kind of low.

:lol:

y'all do know the shuttle hits about 15,000 mph....that makes all this other stuff look like tricycles.

Meh, in the vacuum of space a piece of tin foil can do 15,000 mph.

Anthony

Meh, in the vacuum of space a piece of tin foil can do 15,000 mph.

Anthony

Not talking about the vacuum of space.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/cycling003-1.jpg

My wife told me there was an audible boom from my eyelids once I rolled off her and my head hit the pillow the other night.



I'm sorry. That was wrong and I shouldn't have sunk this thread to that kind of low.

But you did help keep the foo rule. Sex or poo in 10 posts. I was worried for a second there. ;)

But you did help keep the foo rule. Sex or poo in 10 posts. I was worried for a second there. ;)

I try to do my part.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ygg15hXCcEc/SIHq-kvH7oI/AAAAAAAAAFg/bqGtvsS_XX8/s400/SonicHedgehog-RenaeDeLiz.jpg

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l278/kdl2525/Bikes/cycling003-1.jpg

Think how fast you could go if you were on the big ring in front and the little one in back...........:innocent:

And here's what hypersonic looks like:

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2009/06/09/X15launch.jpg

mmmmm... sonic...

http://i.dailyherald.com/stories/79/normal/79304.jpg

That we know of.....

Everything the Blackbird did can be done better, more precisely, and cheaper with satellites today. There is NO "replacement" aircraft for the SR-71 "that we know of" or otherwise.

MV; FYI, the space shuttle is not an "aircraft." It is a "spaceship" and therefore doesn't qualify to set aircraft speed records.

Everything the Blackbird did can be done better, more precisely, and cheaper with satellites today. There is NO "replacement" aircraft for the SR-71 "that we know of" or otherwise.

MV; FYI, the space shuttle is not an "aircraft." It is a "spaceship" and therefore doesn't qualify to set aircraft speed records.

technicallity...and this thread does not specify it has to be an "aircraft". And when the shuttle is returning, it is a glider....going 15,000 mph.

technicallity...and this thread does not specify it has to be an "aircraft". And when the shuttle is returning, it is a brick....going 15,000 mph.

fixed

fixed

and the F4 is a brick that goes Mach 2.2

This can go Mach 5:

http://www.yousephtanha.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mach-5.jpg

a bumper sticker?

Everything the Blackbird did can be done better, more precisely, and cheaper with satellites today. There is NO "replacement" aircraft for the SR-71 "that we know of" or otherwise.


We are only talking about speed. It's mission was not part of this discussion.

It's still the fastest aircraft on the planet. Even retired. The last flight of the blackbird from L.A. to DC on March 6, 1990 took 1 hr 4 mins 5 secs at an average speed of 2153.24 MPH. That flight set 4 speed records that still stand today.


When setting those record setting flights, they got a waiver from Pratt and Whitney to exceed standard inlet air temp limits. I think I recall something like 675 degrees which is temp going INTO the motor due to airflow friction, not the exhaust. That was just one amazing machine. If you consider that the SR71 had to descend, decelerate, air refuel, accelerate, and then climb back to cruise on some of those record setting flights, just what the hell was the top speed of that thing?

One of the guys I flew was a former SR71 pilot. He said he would pack a sandwich and stuff it up against the windshield prior to takeoff. They would normally fly on recce leg then descend for fuel. During the refueling, he would pop his the visor up on the helmet, and wolf down the sandwich which had been heated up during the first recce run.

http://wilk4.com/misc/f18.jpg

http://wilk4.com/misc/soundbreak.htm

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-290548-1235599939.jpeg

Everything the Blackbird did can be done better, more precisely, and cheaper with satellites today.


Spoken like a true space geek!

I disagree.