Lockheed Blackbird (61-7971)

What a fascinating aircraft!

The pride of the Skunk Works and the ultimate brain child of Kelly Johnson. The Soviets claimed that a Mig-25 Foxbat could catch it, but that NEVER happened. Still the fastest jet powered aircraft ever (at least officially).

WOW!

Saw one of these take off at Beale back in 1973 (74?). After clearing the airfield, it went into what was very close to a totally vertical climb and was quickly a disappearing speck in the blue sky. Awesome!

Likey.

nice

The badassery of this aircraft just never gets old....

My all time favorite aircraft! I too was at that air show and took several shots with my brand new Olympus OM-1, none of which could rival your shot as I was just learning how to use that totally manual SLR 35mm film camera.

In Re Tim Marks comment: Reportedly, from Lt Dean Chancey's reporting of circa 09/1982, The Mig-25 Foxbat could only run its engines at full afterburner for five minutes maximum, or, the engines would overheat and destroy themselves and the airframe. Thus, if the Foxbat could close in on the SR-71 in five minutes, it might have a chance. Moreover, the F-15 and Mig-25, at closing speeds on the SR-71 would be melting all leading edges. It makes sense that the SR-71 was then literally free from that periods manned aircraft attacks.

I have a poster of a head on shot of one.

Slick bird! Yeah!

My all-time favorite! Way ahead of its time technologically and capability.

Nice shot! Brings back many memories of my time at Beale as a Lockheed FSR.