SR-71 Blackbird , Coming to Kzoo, Mi.

[crazy horse]

I belong to the Kalamazoo Aviation Museum, They sent me a note to let me know that in the spring of 2003 they will have a SR-71 Blackbird. I don't know if it will be flown in, I'm not to sure if the runway at Kzoo can handle that plane. If they are going to fly it in I'm going to need a camcorder! Any of you guys that want to see one of the great pieces of high horsepower American iron, Thats the place to go. I'll find out what info I can this winter and post it for you guys, If anyone is interested. I know some of you love anything fast, Well it don't get much faster than this. :D

[WATERWINGS]

Yea, it screams and flies over mach 3, thats all that they will tell us, mabey much faster!

[aircraftman]

the nasa 2 seater blew a motor in oshkosh about 6 years ago, they flew in a c5a to mitchell airport in milwaukee with a new motor and crew to change it.

i got to hear the power runs, man the beams on the hangar were banging off the siding and we were over 1/2 mile away.

the black beast took off with a chase plane and did a flyby into full METO and went straight up into the clouds. THAT WAS GODDAM COOL!!!

IF IT FLYS IN DEFINATELY GOTTA SEE THAT!

London to NY in 1 hr 55 mins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and it was designed in the '50's:eek: :eek:

[Doubledog]

Saw the one in Mobile, AL @ Battleship parkway when they first got it a few years ago. I was surprised. That baby is tiny, & the photos made it seem (in my mind) much bigger.

Oh yeah, like aircraftman said, designed in the 50`s. Incredible.

[gaineso]

It may have been in the 50's but don't forget that Kelly Johnson was the absolute, unquestioned, greatest GENIUS the world has ever seen when it comes to stuff that goes real high and real fast.

[BajaSS235]

Wright patterson air and space museum located in Dayton Ohio
Has one there also.

If you ever get a chance you've got to visit this place.
they have the SR-71 , one of the new stealth fighters , one of the returned apollo capsules and a ton of other great things to see.

BEST OF ALL IT"S FREE


check it out http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/

[gaineso]

Does Wright-Pat still have the Valkerie (sp) out front?? I think it was the XB-70. Not sure, old timers disease, but I think Convair built it. Huge, Mach a bunch, bomber from the 50's. When I was there in the early 80's, it was sitting on the ramp out front. Awesome bird.

[BajaSS235]

Yep they still have it, It's just stored indoors these days
Man that think just Screams raw power :D

[JW]

I didn't know you are a member of the museum. I've wrenched on most of those birds over the last 13 years. The company I work for used to be owned by the family that runs the museum. We don't work on them anymore, the insurance industry basically shut down war bird flights with huge increases in premiums. I've been up close to the SR-71 when I was an Air Force Avioinics mech. Will be a good booster shot for the museum. They've scrapped plans for the huge expansion both here and in Missouri, not sure what the future plans are.

[crazy horse]

JW, I've been a member there for about ten years. I love WWII aircraft, I think I get it from my dad, He loved the F4U. I don't get over there as much as I would like. My family had a party at the museum a couple of years ago for my aunt and uncle, That was nice having the whole museum to play in. My dads family still lives in the Kzoo area. It's a shame the insurance is getting so bad that the museum has stopped flying most of there birds. I've been lucky to have been there to see them fire up the F4U, There is no sound like that, I love it!:D

[Hunter]

When I was...oh, somewhere around 11 years old...my father and I went up to see the airshow at Payne Field for that year. My father was particularly excited because there was going to be an SR-71 on display. It was one of, if not the first, public displays of the Blackbird. There was a large crowd around it when we got there. It was roped off and you could see the thing sweating fuel. As we listened to one of the pilots discuss the thing, I noticed something odd about the crowd. Though it was a particularly hot day for the pacific northwest, there was a fair number of unaccompanied men wearing polyester suits that were rather odd and unattractive - even for that time. These guys all had cameras I couldn't identify and a pale gaunt look about them. They spoke to no one.

I was convinced they were Russian spies and told my father so. He ignored me. Now, though a very intelligent man, my father's observational skills could be questioned. He once failed to notice the ongoing robbery of a 7-11 as he sat in the car talking on his FM 2-meter radio much to the displeasure of the "gentleman" pointing the shotgun at him.

Back to my story, I made my point by putting my hand on my father's shoulder for balance and proceeded to step on one of these guy's foot placing all my weight on my heel. The guy continued to look straight ahead but other than having a somewhat uncomfortable look on his face, he said nothing. Point made and I think that was the first time my father viewed me as something less than a total dumbass.


On another note, Kadena AB on Okinawa had SR-71s long before we acknowledged them. As in England and other countries, photography of aircraft by nationals is common and so there was great effort to operate them in a fashion that limited their exposure. At one point though, a Japanese national showed up at the Air Mobility Command command post window with a photo of the Blackbird and asked what it was. Being classified, there was great consternation and many phone calls were made. Even test pilots aren't told the truth often. When being briefed on the days evaluation there are generally three approaches. One method is a total lie - the sky is purple method. Another is a partial truth - "this technology was a secondary development or offshoot from another program" so you don't really know what the program's intent is. Often they're told the truth because what they're doing is so bizarre and out of the ordinary that it appears to be a cover story. It's easier to hide things out in plain sight to some degree and ignore the elephant in the room.

Anyway at one point, the decision was made to just tell him. The guy took out a pen, wrote "SR-71 Blackbird" on the picture, opened a page in his photo album and inserted it. Probably no one else saw it but his wife and he certainly didn't know how special his photo was for the time.

[Doubledog]

That mans talking about F4U's. Now ya talking.

My favorite game of all time is Combat Flight Simulator. I have I & II and will be getting III for Chirstmas. Any of yall fly?

My favorite plane of all time is the F-8F BEARCAT. Nothing like a P & W 2800, 2300 hp radial to get the heart pumpin. Makes me want to shout!

That was the last r/c model plane I built. I decided to do it after reading up on the plane. I put retracts, center drop tank, & flaps in that baby and upgraded the engine to where it would pull vert from a stall. (not like the full scale, but wild in the least)

[crazy horse]

Doubledog, Ya got great taste:D The F4U and F-8F were two great planes! The Kzoo Air museum has both, My dad worked on both planes in the Navy. I have tons of info on the R-2800. It is a great engine, Damn near bullit proof. I play Combat flight sim 2 and Janes WWII fighters. I started out on Dynamix's Aces of the pacific , That was a nice old flight sim.

[captcarb]

I flew the DC-6 which had 4 of the R-2800 engines on it. You are right, it is an excellent engine, much better than the R-3350 that was on the DC-7.

Jim

[Doubledog]

I's gots goose bumps:)

[patchesII]

if you've never read the book "SKUNK WORKS" by ben rich then you are missing out.excellent reading on their planes including the sr 71 and the f117. really like the pilot accounts of the sr 71. if you are a fan of aviation like i am then this is a must have.

[Bruster]

We made a couple dozen HPT Nozzle sets for the SR71 about 10 or 12 years ago. It was kinda interesting to do the job, I remember there was a whole lot of the SR71 literature and pictures around the shop.

[sho305]

I saw a show on it and I thought it said the first test flight was in '58. Here is the museum link: http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf35.htm

[patchesII]

it first flew in january of '62. it may have started on the drawing boards in 58. i would have to find my book and look. like i said, if you've never read "skunk works" you should go to the book store and buy it. very interesting reading for the aviation enthusiast.

[sho305]

Thanks for the tip, I think I will check that book out. Hard to figure why it is so hard for us to make stuff like that today....or we don't know about it yet:D I know we have some really good missiles now...

[patchesII]

the idea was first dreamed up in '58. they got the go ahead to build it in august of '59. first flight a year and change later. as far as what is in the inventory now. it's not to hard to imagine that whatever is the latest, we don't know about it. keep in mind some dates for the f117. first drawing(5-5-75), first model radar tested (9-14-75 and in march '76 for gov.), contract awarded april of '76, first flight 12-77. we found out about it in '88. they know how to keep a secret if they want to .

[sho305]

Started design in '58, ok. With slide-rules! I talked to someone about 8 years ago and they told me about working on missles that could hit a lunchbox in the middle of a city. Likely the ones from Desert Storm on video. Then he told me that was old stuff, and the new ones were much better....;) But I am sure they are still working on stuff for pilots too. Rather have my tax $$s spent on that then another one of those expensive hammers...or is that the same thing?:D :D We might see what is in the toybox soon if people do not straighten up.