I got to see one come in and land for the air show held at Will Rogers World airport here in Oklahoma city. It was like a space craft from another civilization compared to the other "ordinary" airplanes coming to the air show. I was there when it was scheduled to take off. What a noise.

Jake and Chris on the Overcrest podcast did a 2 part series on the sr-71:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zMy5hbWF6b25hd3MuY29tL2ZlZWQucG9kYmVhbi 5jb20vb3ZlcmNyZXN0L2ZlZWQueG1s/episode/b3ZlcmNyZXN0LnBvZGJlYW4uY29tLzlkNWI5ODdmLTI4YjUtM2 E3Mi1hOWVhLWVmNDI1MmZmODFlZg?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwj0zb eeqIz3AhWll4kEHU2nBtwQjrkEegQICxAN&ep=6

I want one.

Matchbox used to make them.

I suspect Tamiya did too.

Lots of the SR-71 model kits are rebadged versions of someone else’s kit. Tamiya offered a 1:48 version of the Italeri kit, which I think was from Testors originally. They also offered a 1:72 kit, don’t know if they made that one themselves, or not.

Revell recently released a 1:48 scale kit, it might be the newest one out there. I don’t know how that compares to previous releases, but there are videos out there if you want to check it out.

Lots of errors in some of the kits, here’s one discussion:

https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/132437.aspx

A real one.

Part of my odd military career was 4 years as an Imagery Analyst in the Air Force. After that I was a forward observer in the Army. Then in the Army JAG Corps.

My first assignment as an intel guy was to Detachment 4, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England. We had 2 SR's that were rotated in from the fleet, between us, Japan, and Beale AFB in California.

I was there when the program was shut down in fall of 1989. IIRC, when the Gulf War I kicked off a few months later there was moaning and groaning because there wasn't a similar asset to collect recon images, oops.

I would go to work when the plane landed and work all night. I would only work about 36 hours a week but the schedule was brutal. Usually a couple of all nighters and one 8 to 5 day shift.

Most of the time I would go outside and watch the plane land, even had a pass to take photos of it landing on the flight line. Occasionally I would go out with the Commander in the chase car to ride behind the plane as it landed. Imagine a Chrysler K-car doing 85 mph. Effen thing would groan and shake all over the place.

Here are a couple of things from my "I love me" wall, which my wife has designated as a wall in a bathroom.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1649704072.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1649704677.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1649704831.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1649704896.jpg

My dad worked in Air Force intelligence on several different assignments. He was on a program intercepting Soviet communications. He said they had a clear translation of one of the Soviet top generals saying that is another American aircraft flies along the coast and is not shot down he will see to it that the officers in command of the missiles will be taken out and summarily shot. Dad said they all wondered if they were or if the general was stopped. The SR71 never overflew Soviet territory, but they did fly the coast line in international airspace and looked sideways into the coastal ports and had excellent surveillance.

The Sled

One fellows quest to build the ultimate R/C SR-71

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tj9UwKQKE3A" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I thought this was interesting. It's a video about lubricants, but I have it set to start at the bit about the SR71 which requires a very specialized "oil" for it's hydraulic systems.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NGPGW3RhQqw?si=IMHbJWziWEouzkuj&amp;start=300" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You will also need a special KC-135 tanker filled with the special fuel the SR-71 uses. I don't think, and actually pretty sure it is not made anymore.

It will be a really cool toy, but a bit pricey. And maybe a retired Air Force pilot to fly it for you. Ohm you also need the "space suit" and life support equipment as well.

And per the video that I posted just above you, oil/lubricant that is solid at room temperature and needs to be heated before the motor can be started or the system filled.

Doesn't NASA have one or two that they use for testing of some sort?

I think even NASA considered them too expensive to operate. NASA does indeed have several U-2s that can get to about the same altitude, for way less cost.

NASA did fly a couple in the 1990’s for research and other things. They also flew a couple variants of the A-12 a couple decades earlier.

<iframe width="1128" height="634" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7lvr5ouCNdo" title="Tommy Lee Jones SR-71" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Fine. When can I pick it up?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1752973932.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1752973943.jpg