SR-71 Altitude 125,000 ft.

[Maxtor]

A few years back, while at Beale AFB, they had an SR-71 on display, along with many other aircraft. Each aircraft had one or two pilots standing by their displays to answer questions. I asked the SR-71 pilot what the cruise altitude was, and he said it is classified. I asked if it could carry a nuke, and he said it is classified. I asked how fast it would go, and he said classified.
I went down to a flight suit display and there was a airman first class standing there to answer questions, and I asked him if the suit would keep the pilot safe if he had to eject at cruise altitude, and he said at 125,000 ft. no way..
So now we know...
Official statement from the Air Force is 80,000 ft. plus.
BTW
The russians have radar, and know the altitude that the SR-71 flys, so the only people who do not know is us.
Back then, the russians had Mig 25's that could go to 100,000 ft. but could not get up to the SR-71.

 

[JLDickmon]

Jane's Defense Weekly has, in the past, confirmed a skunk works version that can circumnavigate the globe in three hours...

 

[JohnBoyToo]

WOW - it must have a turbodiesel !!!!


That is some serious hardware there!!!!

 

[Scooter]

Aurora...
http://www.fas.org/irp/mystery/aurora.htm
And you put it on the internet.

 

[Scarlet_Nape]

A few years back, while at Beale AFB, they had an SR-71 on display, along with many other aircraft. Each aircraft had one or two pilots standing by their displays to answer questions. I asked the SR-71 pilot what the cruise altitude was, and he said it is classified. I asked if it could carry a nuke, and he said it is classified. I asked how fast it would go, and he said classified.
I went down to a flight suit display and there was a airman first class standing there to answer questions, and I asked him if the suit would keep the pilot safe if he had to eject at cruise altitude, and he said at 125,000 ft. no way..
So now we know...
Official statement from the Air Force is 80,000 ft. plus.
BTW
The russians have radar, and know the altitude that the SR-71 flys, so the only people who do not know is us.
Back then, the russians had Mig 25's that could go to 100,000 ft. but could not get up to the SR-71.

Still the coolest, most bad-***** plane built, IMO!!

 

[JLDickmon]

methane..

it runs on farts...

 

[Tail_Gunner]

methane..

it runs on farts...

This pic: View attachment 4003 is refered to as the "Donuts on a rope" picture. It is said to depict a contrail from a pulsed thrust type engine, which is believed to be of the type of engine that would power the rumored "Aurora" aircraft.

If that pulsed thrust engine runs on methane, saying it runs on farts may be a lot closer to the facts than you think.

 

[XTrmXJ]

Its an EXTERNAL COMBUSTION engine, and when It hits the sound barrier its catapaulted to supersonic speeds, basically it runs off the sound barrier... I knew about this acraft back in 95, I even did a report on it but it was denied for being thought as fiction..

 

[lukecline]

Anyone know how fast those things go? I remember seeing a show awhile back and the pilot said they were crusing at mach 4 or 4.5 over egypt taking pictures when a missle was shot at them. Then he said that they pushed the throttle forward to out run the missle and saw mach #'s taht had never been seen before. mach 6 or 7 maybe???

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Anyone know how fast those things go?

How fast does the rumored Aurora go? Who knows?

But the SR-71 I know flew so high and so fast that from the time a surface to air missle site with a 150 mile radar range would initially detect, acquire, track and launch a missle against the target, it was by then out of range.