Re: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:40:01 -0000, thunder@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:49:11 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/7821-Major-Brian-Shul-I-
loved-that-jet.html

That's one special plane. I don't know how true it is, but I read
somewhere that the SR-71, once ran out of fuel over Tennessee, and still
managed to land safely at it's base in Texas. Kelly Johnson's Skunk
Works did some amazing development, quickly too.

I'm trying to remember the name of the book, but it detailed the SR-71
and U-2 programs. Came out a couple of years ago. That story about
the SR-71 losing fuel is true. There was also one about a U-2 that
was returning from a mission over Soviet Russia and ran out of fuel
over Anchorage only to land at Nellis AFB. They figured the glide
path at altitude with the U-2 could have taken them as far south as
Luke or Williams AFB in Arizona. :>)

I remember during the first Tet Offensive, we were at Bein Hoa AFB on
a lay over when the fecal matter started raining down. We were put on
temporary assignment to reinforce the "black" hanger where the U-2
planes were until a "special unit" could arrive and take over
security. I got a look at one up close and it was freakin' huge - not
massive, but just plain huge - the wing span was amazing.

The really interesting this were the chase vehicles - Chevy ElCamino
SS 396s.

Those CIA guys really knew how to live right. :>)

--

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that
a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
that it will also make better soup."

H.L. Mencken
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...
    ... That's one special plane. ... I'm trying to remember the name of the book, but it detailed the SR-71 ... and U-2 programs. ... the SR-71 losing fuel is true. ...
    (rec.boats)
  • Re: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...
    ... That's one special plane. ... and U-2 programs. ... the SR-71 losing fuel is true. ... Luke or Williams AFB in Arizona. ...
    (rec.boats)
  • Re: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...
    ... That's one special plane. ... somewhere that the SR-71, once ran out of fuel over Tennessee, and still ...
    (rec.boats)
  • Re: North American Vigilante
    ... it takes shoot down a U-2? ... Frances Gary Powers was shot down by an SA-2. ... No RWR, no ECM, no stealth and incredibly large RCS. ... The SR-71 was designed for speed and altitude. ...
    (rec.aviation.military)
  • Re: North American Vigilante
    ... to shoot down the U-2. ... No Stealth operational until around 1978. ... The SR-71 was designed for speed and altitude. ... Much of the SRs design went into the F-117. ...
    (rec.aviation.military)