Why doesn the sr-71 blackbird fly anymore?
Since the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was primarily used for reconnaissance, those tasks have essentially become obsolete with the advent of the use of satellites for reconnaissance. The SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest air breathing manned aircraft. Interesting factoids: the Sr-71 flew at an altitude of 80,000 ft, and could reach mach 3.2. It was designed to minimize its radar cross-section, which was an early attempt at stealth design. It was painted a dark blue (almost black) and made mostly of a titanium alloy (not all-titanium) to control costs. The titanium was purchased from the Russians! *added* High costs and budget constraints were also a determining factor in the SR-71’s retirements: the first in 1989, and the second and final retirement in 1998. Pilsner is right about the reconn. timing superiority of the SR-71s. Satellites can only take a picture in time, but the SR-71 can follow event’s movements in tighter snapshots than satellites can presently. This is a military advantage.
