The SR-71 did not simply fade into a museum corner; it left service with the same aura of speed and mystery that defined its entire career. Its retirement years were framed by record-setting dashes ...

As the Cold War heated up in the 1950s, U.S. engineers sought a sophisticated reconnaissance airframe that could provide intelligence better than the existing U-2. The Lockheed Martin-designed “Dragon ...

The SR-71 is one of the U.S. Air Force's most prolific aircraft. Other than looking like a futuristic aircraft military model lovers have built for decades, it was designed and built in secret by the ...

What You Need to Know: On March 8, 1968, an SR-71 Blackbird, piloted by Lt. Col. Buddy Brown and RSO Maj. Dave Jensen, performed a remarkable flight from Beale AFB, California, to Kadena AB, Okinawa, ...

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is a visitor favorite at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Lieutenant Colonel Ed Yeilding shot ...

There are certain planes that are so special that their very name is spoken in hushed tones. The legendary SR-71 Blackbird is one such craft. Designed during the Cold War, the Blackbird was a ...

The SR-71 is perhaps the most iconic Cold War spy aircraft, famous for many record-setting flights. Seemingly impervious to loss by enemy defenses, a dozen Blackbirds were lost to accidents. On July ...

Watch the impressive engineering in this in-depth tour of the SR-71 Blackbird's jet engine and you'll see an extraordinary reconnaissance aircraft that still impresses despite taking its first flight ...