Birds of a Feather :eagle:
“Ugh, war”
Look, this isn’t everyone’s favourite topic as some might immediately think of the casualties of war when seeing an airplane such as this beauty, the SR-71.
However, this magnificent plane will forever remain a beautiful achievement of aerospace technology in the free world. A rocket-designed jet with capabilities so advanced with the sole purpose of collecting information, a thankless job often done by machines.
In case you’re still not convinced, here’s a timeline of all the things it shot down; Oh, right – There are none!
The pioneer of data collection
Like the device you might be using to read this on, this machine, too, collects information about you and the things that it will survey.
If you have other devices that connect to your mobile or desktop, these devices collect data to improve your experience in later releases.
A little about the plane from the inventors
“The world’s fastest airplane was also a pioneer in stealthiness. Note angled tails that greatly decreased radar profile. (Lockheed) SR-71 Blackbird streaking across continental U.S. (Lockheed) SR-71 Blackbird rolling down a highway en route to permanent display at the air museum at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. (Jay Miller) …”
“…It was during the mid-1960s that the Blackbird, the SR-71, as the successor to the U-2 began bringing us intelligence information both photographic and electronic….”*
“It was 140,000 pounds and 108 feet long, about the size of a tactical bomber called the B-58 Hustler, but with the incredibly small radar cross section of a single-engine Piper Cub. In other words, that is what a radar operator would think he was tracking. Its peculiar cobra shape was only part of the stealthy characteristics of this amazing airplane that flew faster than Mach 3 and higher than 80,000 feet.”
– Excerpts from ‘Skunk Works: A personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed’
I’m a fan
So it’s not my first time writing about this jet…
Although I have never seen one in person, since they were decommissioned in the early 1990s, I know the impact it has had in a safe and peaceful future like the one we live in now.
Others agree about it’s importance too so far as naming their child after it
•X, the unknown variable ⚔️
— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) May 6, 2020
•Æ, my elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)
•A-12 = precursor to SR-17 (our favorite aircraft). No weapons, no defenses, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent 🤍
+
(A=Archangel, my favorite song)
(⚔️🐁 metal rat)
well, mild correction
Archangel-12 pic.twitter.com/s9g69SU1Ju
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 6, 2020
Although we might not commit to the same love for the vehicle, recognizing it’s importance in our free and fair society today should not be ignored.
Very grateful for the beauties at Lockheed ❤️