Surviving SR-71 breakup at Mach 3.18

[Stalwart]

holy cow 

[Maverick]

Good read, thanks.

[Fud]

Too bad, Jim died.

Sorry....I left the article and came back and started a paragraph lower...

[jay]

Was the OFFICAL speed for the SR-71 ever de-classified???

[Devil 505]

Yes. Ludicrous speed.

[jay]

Yes. Ludicrous speed.

THEY HAVE GONE TO PLAID!!!!!


no but seriously that man is lucky as heck, i would have crapped that suit if i were him......if i had the ability to crap myself at 70,000+ alt

[MarineUS]

Was the OFFICAL speed for the SR-71 ever de-classified???

The highest noted speed is 3.5 Mach

The fastest published speed of the SR is Mach 3.5. There are several factors that limit the speed of the SR, one is the shock waves generated by various parts of the plane, at around Mach 3.6- 3.8 the shock wave off the nose of the aircraft narrows enough to go into the engine, while there is the inlet spike (which slows the air to subsonic before it enters the engine), the shock wave bypasses the spike and causes the engine to unstart.

Second is the heat generated by the plane moving through the atmosphere, even titanium has it's limits, and the heat generated by the SR brings the fuselage to the brink. Just recently I found out that during a Lockheed Skunk Works study to see how much money and development it would take to get the SR to go faster than it's designed top speed 3.2- 3.5, the designers discovered (among other things) that the metal divider between the windshield was heating up so much above mach 3.5 that it was affecting the integrity of the windshield, and at that point they had stretched the glass technology to the max! So Mach 3.2 to a max of 3.5.

Now according to Richard Graham: "The design Mach number of the SR-71 is 3.2 Mach. When authorized by the Commander, speeds up to Mach 3.3 may be flown if the CIT limit of 427 degrees C. is not exceeded. I have heard of crews reaching 3.5 Mach inadvertently, but that is the absolute maximum I am aware of."

http://www.blackbirds.net/bbirdm&f.html

In other words it COULD go faster, but the plane would fall apart.

[Fud]

http://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-banter-over-Air-Traffic-Control

Since the topic is turning to "speed", I remember seeing the story in the above link in an email.  Not sure if this is an urban legend but the story is funny...
Now back to the regularly scheduled program...

[MarineUS]

http://www.quora.com/Is-there-any-banter-over-Air-Traffic-Control

Since the topic is turning to "speed", I remember seeing the story in the above link in an email.  Not sure if this is an urban legend but the story is funny...
Now back to the regularly scheduled program...

oh man that was a great read! Tyvm for sharing!