On July 26, 1968, an SR-71 Blackbird was cruising over Northern Vietnam when the aircraft's Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) noticed the “R” light illuminate on his panel. This warning indicated ...

The SR-71 Blackbird was the fastest spy plane in the U.S. military's service, exceeding 2,000 miles per hour. It could also reach an altitude of 85,000 feet.

When it comes to blistering aerial speeds, fighter jets manufactured by American military contractors like Boeing and Lockheed dominate the skies. While Bell's X-1 "Glamorous Glennis" was the first ...

Here’s What You Need to Remember: The SR-71 burned JP-7 fuel, one-of-a-kind fuel that is three times as expensive as the type used in airliners. In order to meet the specs of the aircraft, fuel-maker ...

The air inlets were the key factor that helped the J-58 engines to provide 32,000 pounds of thrust and allow the Blackbird to reach Mach 3.2. The Pratt and Whitney J-58 engine was a dual cycle engine, ...

The company behind the SR-71 Blackbird’s engine is reportedly working on a hypersonic engine design that draws on that jet’s legendary power plant. You love badass planes. So do we. Let’s nerd out ...

With a top speed of Mach 3.35, or 2,221 mph, the Lockheed A-12 “Archangel” or “Oxcart” is the fastest air-breathing jet ever built—even faster than its larger two-seat cousin, the SR-71 Blackbird. But ...

The SR-71 Blackbird was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works in the 1960s to meet the urgent Cold War need for a high-speed, high-altitude, stealthy reconnaissance aircraft following the U-2 incident.