The SR-71 Blackbird’s high-speed missions were fraught with challenges, including catastrophic engine failures at Mach 3.

The SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest plane ever built, faced numerous hidden challenges during its career. Engineers discovered that summer-welded titanium parts were corroded due to chlorine in the water ...

Dane Penland / NASM, SI The two-seat cockpit of the SR-71, an aircraft designed for stealth, was a tight fit for the crew, who wore bulky spacesuits designed for their high-altitude missions.

Former Air Force pilot Brian Shul calls the super-fast SR-71 Blackbird "the most ... The unarmed Blackbird depended on its speed and altitude for defense and on a high degree of invisibility.

Designed at the height of the Cold War, this high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft has outlasted spy satellites, cutting-edge ...

NASA released video footage of the SR-71 Blackbird, the high-altitude recon aircraft capable of reaching speeds over Mach 3. More from Military & Defense A triangle pointing right which indicates ...

The SR-71 “Blackbird” broke the world’s record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight in 1976 when it flew at Mach 3.3 (times the speed of sound). As of 2025, no fighter or proposed ...