Key Points and Summary - The SR-71 Blackbird delivered unmatched Mach-3 recon, but its costs proved fatal. -Each flight hour ran $200,000–$300,000, driven by extreme maintenance, heat-damaged coatings ...

At the end of the SR-71 spy plane program in the 90s, the US was left without a new spy plane to operate across the world.

Watch the impressive engineering in this in-depth tour of the SR-71 Blackbird's jet engine and you'll see an extraordinary reconnaissance aircraft that still impresses despite taking its first flight ...

The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest aircraft ever built, was ultimately done in by the Air Force’s most notorious and intractable enemy: budget cuts. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains one of the most ...