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 ...

The SR-71 Blackbird remains a marvel of Cold War engineering, capable of flying at Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet while outrunning missiles. Every element of its design—from titanium skin to hybrid turbojet ...

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 ...

When the Blackbird entered service with the Air Force in 1966, it was simply too advanced for existing fuel and navigation systems. Few machines have captured the public’s imagination like the SR-71 ...