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Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America's Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane
The most complete book ever published on the SR-71 Blackbird, from initial design stage and testing through production, testing, and operations.
The legendary SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was, and still is, the world’s only operational Mach 3 aircraft, and was designed, built, and tested by Lockheed’s famed “Skunk Works.” This new book covers all fifty Blackbirds built, from the first flight in 1962, to the last in 1999. As a replacement for the venerable U-2 spyplane, Lockheed went from contract signing to first flight in only thirty-two months starting in April 1958—from the beginning of design studies to the signing of a contract from the CIA to build the initial batch of A-12s in February 1960, to first flight in 1962. Author Jim Goodall has authored more than two dozen books and articles on military aircraft, naval ships, and submarines with a focus on Low Observables or, as it is known today, Stealth.
The legendary SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was, and still is, the world’s only operational Mach 3 aircraft, and was designed, built, and tested by Lockheed’s famed “Skunk Works.” This new book covers all fifty Blackbirds built, from the first flight in 1962, to the last in 1999. As a replacement for the venerable U-2 spyplane, Lockheed went from contract signing to first flight in only thirty-two months starting in April 1958—from the beginning of design studies to the signing of a contract from the CIA to build the initial batch of A-12s in February 1960, to first flight in 1962. Author Jim Goodall has authored more than two dozen books and articles on military aircraft, naval ships, and submarines with a focus on Low Observables or, as it is known today, Stealth.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 9, 2018
Summer 2018, Netgalley ARC:
Thank you to Jim Goodall, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and NetGalley for this advanced copy of “Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America's Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane” for an honest review.
The SR-71 Blackbird has been my favorite plane since I was six or seven and my father brought home a model plane kit and we built it together. I have loved it grounded on Air Force bases (where I could lay my hand on it or sit in the cockpit), in comics and cartoon (X-Men, ahoy!), and in endless movies of the 80’s-90’s.
Obviously, I had to jump at it immediately when I saw there was an illustrated history of this gorgeous, gorgeous spy plane, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. It’s amazing. While the background creation & development is not in-depth (please see: government. spy. plane.), there were endless pictures of the Blackbird itself in every fix and fashion you could imagine, from it being built, flying, being drawn, in wrecked pieces, everything.
Thank you to Jim Goodall, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and NetGalley for this advanced copy of “Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated History of America's Legendary Mach 3 Spy Plane” for an honest review.
The SR-71 Blackbird has been my favorite plane since I was six or seven and my father brought home a model plane kit and we built it together. I have loved it grounded on Air Force bases (where I could lay my hand on it or sit in the cockpit), in comics and cartoon (X-Men, ahoy!), and in endless movies of the 80’s-90’s.
Obviously, I had to jump at it immediately when I saw there was an illustrated history of this gorgeous, gorgeous spy plane, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. It’s amazing. While the background creation & development is not in-depth (please see: government. spy. plane.), there were endless pictures of the Blackbird itself in every fix and fashion you could imagine, from it being built, flying, being drawn, in wrecked pieces, everything.
June 10, 2018
Don't come here if you seek the history of these wonderful planes. The fact that of the three immediate predecessors to what we commonly think of as Blackbirds two were lost in accidents is never even mentioned. No, what this book is is possibly the best technical photography archive – all the construction, all the test flights, all the different colours used etc; but if you want the story (or the science) the captions will not suffice. For the right audience, however, it's worth every shelf inch.
February 3, 2019
This book is a visual smorgasbord of pictures taken throughout the Blackbirds history. An account is given of each and every airframe.
perhaps it falls outside the scope or intent of this book, but i sure could used some spotters information to help identify the different variants. I'm also hungry for more information on the operation of the aircraft. how did the engines function as both turbo and ramjet?
A wonderful book written by someone who spent a lifetime with Blackbirds.
perhaps it falls outside the scope or intent of this book, but i sure could used some spotters information to help identify the different variants. I'm also hungry for more information on the operation of the aircraft. how did the engines function as both turbo and ramjet?
A wonderful book written by someone who spent a lifetime with Blackbirds.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews