The greatest most beautiful plane ever built?

[zolace]

During the Cold War, the US Air Force operated the world's fastest air-breathing aircraft - the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Colonel Rich Graham tells BBC Future what made it so special.

It was a plane which flew at the edge of space; so high that most other jet engines would seize because of the lack of air. A plane that flew so fast that its airframe heated and grew during flight. A plane that, if needed, could outrun missiles launched to bring it down.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130701-flying-the-worlds-fastest-plane

[catena5260]

Nasa and Airforce already have much faster airplane that is using scramjet engine. Blackbird max speed is only mach 3+ while this new planes has top speed up to mach 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet But this planes is still classified.

[noviapriani]

Nasa and Airforce already have much faster airplane that is using scramjet engine. Blackbird max speed is only mach 3+ while this new planes has top speed up to mach 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet But this planes is still classified.

The "Blackbird" is now obsolete.  It's a 1960's craft that was TOP SECRET until the late 70's, and was retired in 1999.

It was Skunk Works.   Skunk Works remains TOP SECRET....

Which begs the question.......

What's new?

[noviapriani]

A plane that, if needed, could outrun missiles launched to bring it down.

No. It could deployed incindiary flares that confused heat-seeking missles.

Jump to the 21st Century...

It could not out-fly a missle that was radar-locked onto it unless the missle ran out of fuel or plane flew into water ( something to disrupt the flight-path of the missle.)

[zolace]

Nasa and Airforce already have much faster airplane that is using scramjet engine. Blackbird max speed is only mach 3+ while this new planes has top speed up to mach 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet But this planes is still classified.

I know it is no longer in use but it is a beautifully designed airplane. I would love to see one close up.

[noviapriani]

Nasa and Airforce already have much faster airplane that is using scramjet engine. Blackbird max speed is only mach 3+ while this new planes has top speed up to mach 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet But this planes is still classified.

I know it is no longer in use but it is a beautifully designed airplane. I would love to see one close up.

The SR71 is a beautiful work of art as well as one of the finest aircraft ever built. Speed, graceful lines, and fantastic information gathering ability all wrapped into one. An amazing feat of engineering. I would love to take a ride in one of those classy beasts.

[Rigon]

My all time favorite is and always will be the B52. The BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker) is the longest serving military aircraft in use today, the first models flying 62 years ago and in combat service 59 years ago. They have evolved and morphed into whatever the strategic and tactical needs of the battlefield have been. They flew nuclear airborne alert surrounding the USSR in Operation Chrome Dome, massive carpet bombing over SE Asia in Operation Linebacker, and ground hugging as well as high altitude bombing in Operation Desert Storm. I watched flights launch with water injection into the exhaust to create enough steam propulsion to get the fully loaded planes off the ground that the sky would darken to nearly night time even at noon. They were so heavy from fuel and weapons that 8 engines were not enough to get airborne. They also did precision attacks with laser guided weapons and Tomahawk missiles during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi freedom. The plane has been declared obsolete several times but is always resurrected in a new role that can't be done by any other plane. When bombing Iraqi Republican Guard emplacements a buddy said he felt the ground shake over 100 miles away near the Kuwait border. They would drop leaflets the day before warning what was coming so the smarter guys would run off. They saved countless lives. They are not BUFFs, they are beautiful.

[noviapriani]

My all time favorite is and always will be the B52. The BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker) is the longest serving military aircraft in use today, the first models flying 62 years ago and in combat service 59 years ago. They have evolved and morphed into whatever the strategic and tactical needs of the battlefield have been. They flew nuclear airborne alert surrounding the USSR in Operation Chrome Dome, massive carpet bombing over SE Asia in Operation Linebacker, and ground hugging as well as high altitude bombing in Operation Desert Storm. I watched flights launch with water injection into the exhaust to create enough steam propulsion to get the fully loaded planes off the ground that the sky would darken to nearly night time even at noon. They were so heavy from fuel and weapons that 8 engines were not enough to get airborne. They also did precision attacks with laser guided weapons and Tomahawk missiles during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi freedom. The plane has been declared obsolete several times but is always resurrected in a new role that can't be done by any other plane. When bombing Iraqi Republican Guard emplacements a buddy said he felt the ground shake over 100 miles away near the Kuwait border. They would drop leaflets the day before warning what was coming so the smarter guys would run off. They saved countless lives. They are not BUFFs, they are beautiful.

B52s are still awesome. I love watching them take off. With that nose pitched down. So amazing. Very efficient bomber. Probably the best of all time.

[Rigon]

A B-52H from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. A squadron from BAFB flew non-stop from the US to Iraq in January 1991 to drop the first strategic munitions of Desert Storm. They then landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and continued their mission from there

[zolace]

A B-52H from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. A squadron from BAFB flew non-stop from the US to Iraq in January 1991 to drop the first strategic munitions of Desert Storm. They then landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and continued their mission from there

When I was in highschool I got the privelge to vist the ( now de-commissioned) SAC Castle AFB near Atwater, CA.

I actually got to get inside and tour a REAL  B-52! ( we couldn't take pictures, or enter the cockpit, but we could look in the door).

I can say today in terms we never heard of in the early '70's....

AWESOME!!!!! 

[DrG]

Nasa and Airforce already have much faster airplane that is using scramjet engine. Blackbird max speed is only mach 3+ while this new planes has top speed up to mach 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramjet But this planes is still classified.

Scramjet can't take off from the ground.  It's not a self contained system.  Otherwise the Space Shuttle blows the doors off a scramjet.

[DrG]

I would agree with the SR-71 have the sleekest lines, the B52s being the workhorse that could do everything, but my favorite "fixed wing" happens to be the one with the variable wing - none other than the F14 Tomcat aka Top Gun - that was like the modern day version of Macross Fighter 

[zolace]

An aside....During our tour of the base, we got to eat at the NCO chow hall at about lunchtime.I wasn't aware that they consumed an extraordinary amount of fried foods!!!!

[harlenadler]

There is no doubt: It's the 747, Queen of the Skies, not without a reason.

Second: 777.

[dicemant]

Have to agree with you there the Blackbird was something breathtaking.

[Skrillex]

The stealth bomber i was fascinated with that plane for years.