Blackbird
09-20-2001, 01:32 AM
#2
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Another plane for you collection in regards to the recent terrorist attacks.
http://www.consumptionjunction.com/crazycr...iew.asp?ID=6146
[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: Tunez ]
http://www.consumptionjunction.com/crazycr...iew.asp?ID=6146
[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: Tunez ]
09-20-2001, 02:34 AM
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LMAO! Yes! This one has been floating around the office, as well. More on the underground until someone has a chance to take it hope and make it a little more work-environment-acceptable.
09-20-2001, 11:45 PM
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Now THAT was funny. If you can read this your f*cked LOL.
BTW. Are you aware that the SR-71 blackbird leaks fluids when it sits on the ground? That is because when you get to as fast as that bad girl moves, things expand. So they made EVERYTHING in the plane to accomodate that..including seals and O-rings. It takes off, refuels (you can still see fuel coming out of it) but once it breaks a certain speed (think mach 1), everything fits. Wonderful little thing. Oh, and they have never hit it's top speed. 70% of it's thrust comes from the fact that it uses a ram air type set up(I forgot the exact name for it). Anyway, since that's where all the thrust comes from, they are afraid to push it too far and have it break in an inopportune time (such as over an enemies country). It has been up to Mach 3, however. Another problem is, the human body does NOT respond well to speeds of that magnitude. The plane has a titanium body, and flexes anywhere from 1-2 depending on speed. It really is just an INCREDIBLE plane. I wanna know what they replaced it with. They stopped using the U2 and said "it's obsolete". Well, they had the SR-71, but didn't tell anyone..makes you wonder what they have now..though the Stealth Bomber handles remarkably well. They probably just use that or the F-117 Fighter/Bomber.
BTW. Are you aware that the SR-71 blackbird leaks fluids when it sits on the ground? That is because when you get to as fast as that bad girl moves, things expand. So they made EVERYTHING in the plane to accomodate that..including seals and O-rings. It takes off, refuels (you can still see fuel coming out of it) but once it breaks a certain speed (think mach 1), everything fits. Wonderful little thing. Oh, and they have never hit it's top speed. 70% of it's thrust comes from the fact that it uses a ram air type set up(I forgot the exact name for it). Anyway, since that's where all the thrust comes from, they are afraid to push it too far and have it break in an inopportune time (such as over an enemies country). It has been up to Mach 3, however. Another problem is, the human body does NOT respond well to speeds of that magnitude. The plane has a titanium body, and flexes anywhere from 1-2 depending on speed. It really is just an INCREDIBLE plane. I wanna know what they replaced it with. They stopped using the U2 and said "it's obsolete". Well, they had the SR-71, but didn't tell anyone..makes you wonder what they have now..though the Stealth Bomber handles remarkably well. They probably just use that or the F-117 Fighter/Bomber.
09-21-2001, 12:43 AM
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They also have to rebuild those engines every time they push over Mach 2.5. They're also use a specialized (read: expensive) fuel.
The US Government basically stopped using them because there was no real need for them. True, there aren't other planes that can go as fast or fly as high, but for what the government needs, there are planes that will go "fast enough" and "high enough" for a SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper cost, both in terms of production and maintenance. Why use an SR-71 that has to be completely overhauled for a job that can be handled just as sufficiently as an F-22 that won't need the same kind of treatment after every mission? Better yet, why not use a smaller/cheaper/lighter unmanned drone for the same kind of high-risk recon that the SR-71 was initially designed for? Usual complaints about "the man" aside, the armed forces actually does a pretty good job at keeping an eye on the long-term costs of it's equipment. The JSF is the fighter slated to replace the F-16. The F-16 is a plane initially developed in the 70's! Projections for the length of the JSF project stretch into the next 30 years! Long-term functionality and cost take precedence over higher/faster, especially when you know that your toys are better than everyone else's.
That being said, the SR-71s used by the government weren't just scrapped. NASA has a small handfull of SR-71's (maybe three) that are used for research and development of everything from heat shields to other ramjet engines. I find that a very fitting happy ending for a plane that was pretty much developed as one massive experiment!
The US Government basically stopped using them because there was no real need for them. True, there aren't other planes that can go as fast or fly as high, but for what the government needs, there are planes that will go "fast enough" and "high enough" for a SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper cost, both in terms of production and maintenance. Why use an SR-71 that has to be completely overhauled for a job that can be handled just as sufficiently as an F-22 that won't need the same kind of treatment after every mission? Better yet, why not use a smaller/cheaper/lighter unmanned drone for the same kind of high-risk recon that the SR-71 was initially designed for? Usual complaints about "the man" aside, the armed forces actually does a pretty good job at keeping an eye on the long-term costs of it's equipment. The JSF is the fighter slated to replace the F-16. The F-16 is a plane initially developed in the 70's! Projections for the length of the JSF project stretch into the next 30 years! Long-term functionality and cost take precedence over higher/faster, especially when you know that your toys are better than everyone else's.
That being said, the SR-71s used by the government weren't just scrapped. NASA has a small handfull of SR-71's (maybe three) that are used for research and development of everything from heat shields to other ramjet engines. I find that a very fitting happy ending for a plane that was pretty much developed as one massive experiment!
09-21-2001, 02:52 AM
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The "ram air" concept that you're referring to is called a scramjet. Basically, it uses speed already built up to super-compress the air coming into the intake, so that there is enough oxyjen at high altitude to burn the fuel at a rate that can produce that much power. In addition, the extra mass of air in the intake becomes extra thrust mass, producing far more power.
It works like a supercharger + N2O on a car.
The SR-71 has been around for quite a while. It was designed for cold war needs, which are arguable obsolete. Between sattelite photography, unmanned drones, and just plain cheaper aircraft, most of the functions that it served are easier and cheaper to do with something else.
Kind of sad, really, it's a beautiful aircraft, and it's speed and altitude capabilities should be useful in other capacities.
It works like a supercharger + N2O on a car.
The SR-71 has been around for quite a while. It was designed for cold war needs, which are arguable obsolete. Between sattelite photography, unmanned drones, and just plain cheaper aircraft, most of the functions that it served are easier and cheaper to do with something else.
Kind of sad, really, it's a beautiful aircraft, and it's speed and altitude capabilities should be useful in other capacities.
09-21-2001, 03:38 AM
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QUOTE
Originally posted by Dan:
Kind of sad, really, it's a beautiful aircraft, and it's speed and altitude capabilities should be useful in other capacities.
Kind of sad, really, it's a beautiful aircraft, and it's speed and altitude capabilities should be useful in other capacities.
It *is* still very useful to NASA.
09-21-2001, 03:39 AM
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Vehicle: Custom Wagon
When I lived in Japan. I got to see one take off and I was on the other side of taxi way fence. It was an amazing sight to see. They escorted it out to the end of the runway. With guards in front and of both sides with guns. Then It got to the end of the runway and it was gone. Damn that is probably one of the best things I have ever seen.