SR-71 Blackbird — Key Specifications

General

• Manufacturer: Lockheed (Skunk Works)
• Role: Strategic reconnaissance aircraft
• Crew: 2 (pilot, reconnaissance systems officer)
• First flight: December 22, 1964
• Retired: 1998 (USAF); NASA operated a few until 1999

Dimensions

• Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)
• Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)
• Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
• Empty weight: ~67,500 lb (30,600 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: ~172,000 lb (78,000 kg)

Performance

• Max speed: Mach 3.3+ (~2,200+ mph / 3,540+ km/h)
• Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900 m) — some sources cite higher operational altitudes
• Range: ~3,200 nautical miles (5,925 km) unrefueled
• Cruise altitude: 80,000 ft typical operational altitude

Propulsion

• Engines: 2× Pratt & Whitney J58 (JT11D-20) continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets
• Thrust: ~32,500 lbf (145 kN) each with afterburner

Construction

• Airframe: ~85% titanium alloy (to withstand frictional heating)
• Skin temperatures in flight: up to 600°F (315°C) in places, requiring special high-temp paint and sealants
• Fuel: JP-7 (high flash point, used partly as heat sink/hydraulic fluid)

Records

• Absolute speed record for an air-breathing crewed aircraft: 2,193.2 mph (3,529.6 km/h), set in 1976
• Sustained altitude record: 85,069 ft (25,929 m)
• New York to London flight time: 1 hour, 54 minutes, 56.4 seconds (1974)