The SR-71 is perhaps the most iconic Cold War spy aircraft, famous for many record-setting flights. Seemingly impervious to loss by enemy defenses, a dozen Blackbirds were lost to accidents. On July ...

Key Points and Summary - The SR-71 Blackbird, the world's fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, held its speed record not because of its airframe's limits, but due to a crucial safety restriction on ...

The SR-71 did not simply fade into a museum corner; it left service with the same aura of speed and mystery that defined its entire career. Its retirement years were framed by record-setting dashes ...

Leaving the airspace above New York City at 2,455 miles per hour, SR-71 tail number 64-17972 would set a transatlantic speed record on Sept. 1, 1974.