Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...

It's amazing to look at one of those things. a dart with wings and two
giant engines. it defines "speed"!

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
> "One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of
> all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air
> traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC
> replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the
> ground,' was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the
> radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of
> course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted
> to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was
> 'Dusty 52, we show you at 525 on the ground,' ATC responded. The
> situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in
> the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the
> controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet,
> clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the
> controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,742 knots on the
> ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all
> the way to the coast."
>
> http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/7821-Major-Brian-Shul-I-...ed-that
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


> controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet,
> clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the
> controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,742 knots on the
> ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all
> the way to the coast."


1,742 knots?

That was probably in second gear!
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:53:28 GMT, Steve <steve RemoveThis @example.com> wrote:

>You would expect all that kind of rare stuff since it's the
>Smithsonian afterall.

I was there in the early 90's. Amazing place.

The whole Smithsonian complex is something else - you could spend a
month in the place and never see it all.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:31:16 -0700 (PDT), Tim <tschnautz DeleteThis @gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
>Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>
>> controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet,
>> clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the
>> controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,742 knots on the
>> ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all
>> the way to the coast."
>
>1,742 knots?
>
>That was probably in second gear!

I wish I could find the title of that book about spy planes so I could
give you the exact quote, but it mentioned in the SR-71 discussion
that the engineers actually never knew just how fast that design could
go - there didn't seem to be an upper limit on the design itself - the
only limiting factor were the engines.

There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is
really a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet
engine capable of extra-atmosphere flight.

Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.

--

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that
a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
that it will also make better soup."

H.L. Mencken
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

"Short Wave Sportfishing" <email DeleteThis @swsportsremove.org> wrote in message
news:57iat3h3o5kogs01g094cru0d1qk6t21bm@4ax.com...

>
> "An idealist is one who, on noticing that
> a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes
> that it will also make better soup."
>
> H.L. Mencken


Mencken was wrong. That's not an idealist. It's a Democrat.

Eisboch
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:


> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.

It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
the expense.


> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

thunder.RemoveThis@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>
>
>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>
> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
> the expense.
>
>
>> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
>


What, a contract actually cancelled because of expense? Is that allowed?

What galls me as a taxpayer is that the government is willing, no,
eager, to spends hundreds of billions of dollars and unlimited amounts
of manpower on military hardware, but is unwilling to pursue diplomacy
until there is absolutely no hope of diplomacy working.

"Jaw, jar is better than war, war," a quote attributed to Churchill, has
more meaning today than ever.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

thunder.TakeThisOut@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>
>
>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>
> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
> the expense.

I guess the satellite guys won again.

Planes provide more timely information and you don't have to recalculate
the life of the plane's fuel load like you do with a satellite every
time it is moved.

Humint is much better than Elint.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

"HK" <payer33859.RemoveThis@mypacks.net> wrote in message
news:63l1fjF27mp6vU1@mid.individual.net...
> thunder.RemoveThis@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
>> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>>
>>
>>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>>
>> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
>> the expense.
>>
>>
>>> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
>>
>
>
> What, a contract actually cancelled because of expense? Is that allowed?
>
> What galls me as a taxpayer is that the government is willing, no, eager,
> to spends hundreds of billions of dollars and unlimited amounts of
> manpower on military hardware, but is unwilling to pursue diplomacy until
> there is absolutely no hope of diplomacy working.
>
> "Jaw, jar is better than war, war," a quote attributed to Churchill, has
> more meaning today than ever.
>


The jawing stops abruptly when they chop your head off.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

HK wrote:
> thunder.TakeThisOut@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
>> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>>
>>
>>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>>
>> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due
>> to the expense.
>>
>>
>>> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
>>
>
>
> What, a contract actually cancelled because of expense? Is that allowed?
>
> What galls me as a taxpayer is that the government is willing, no,
> eager, to spends hundreds of billions of dollars and unlimited amounts
> of manpower on military hardware, but is unwilling to pursue diplomacy
> until there is absolutely no hope of diplomacy working.
>
> "Jaw, jar is better than war, war," a quote attributed to Churchill, has
> more meaning today than ever.
>

You seem to constantly forget that a strong military helps tremendously
with the talking part of diplomacy.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

F.L.A.-J.I.M..TakeThisOut@THENET.org wrote:
>
> "HK" <payer33859.TakeThisOut@mypacks.net> wrote in message
> news:63l1fjF27mp6vU1@mid.individual.net...
>> thunder.TakeThisOut@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
>>> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>>>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>>>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>>>
>>> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due
>>> to the expense.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
>>>
>>
>>
>> What, a contract actually cancelled because of expense? Is that allowed?
>>
>> What galls me as a taxpayer is that the government is willing, no,
>> eager, to spends hundreds of billions of dollars and unlimited amounts
>> of manpower on military hardware, but is unwilling to pursue diplomacy
>> until there is absolutely no hope of diplomacy working.
>>
>> "Jaw, jar is better than war, war," a quote attributed to Churchill,
>> has more meaning today than ever.
>>
>
>
> The jawing stops abruptly when they chop your head off.


Oh...the "we've stopped them there so they aren't coming here" stuff.
I get it.

:>)
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

"HK" <payer33859.DeleteThis@mypacks.net> wrote in message
news:63l32jF28h4obU1@mid.individual.net...
> F.L.A.-J.I.M..DeleteThis@THENET.org wrote:
>>
>> "HK" <payer33859.DeleteThis@mypacks.net> wrote in message
>> news:63l1fjF27mp6vU1@mid.individual.net...
>>> thunder.DeleteThis@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is
>>>>> really
>>>>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>>>>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>>>>
>>>> It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
>>>> the expense.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Man, that has got to be a ride and a half.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> What, a contract actually cancelled because of expense? Is that allowed?
>>>
>>> What galls me as a taxpayer is that the government is willing, no,
>>> eager, to spends hundreds of billions of dollars and unlimited amounts
>>> of manpower on military hardware, but is unwilling to pursue diplomacy
>>> until there is absolutely no hope of diplomacy working.
>>>
>>> "Jaw, jar is better than war, war," a quote attributed to Churchill, has
>>> more meaning today than ever.
>>>
>>
>>
>> The jawing stops abruptly when they chop your head off.
>
>
> Oh...the "we've stopped them there so they aren't coming here" stuff.
> I get it.
>
> :>)
>
Not at all. Just illustrating the type of people you are attempting to
negotiate with. Not to worry. Our new Democratic president will analyze and
solve this crisis immediately.
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird... 

On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:05:19 -0000, thunder.RemoveThis@TAKEOUTgti.net wrote:

>On Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:47:07 +0000, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
>
>
>> There has been some speculation that the oft rumored "Aurora" is really
>> a revamped, updated SR-71 design with a hybrid jet/scram jet engine
>> capable of extra-atmosphere flight.
>
>It's also been rumored that the Aurora was canceled in the '90s, due to
>the expense.

That's what they want you to think. :>)

There is some interesting speculation about "Aurora" in that it may
not be the classic high speed fighter style airplane, but a hybrid
zepplin with some very ineresting capabilities.

I have a hard time believing that they would dump the whole spy plane
concept due to cost. Satellites are nice, but even the most clued in
speculators admit that spy satellites are limited in time and space.
Real time data is paramount in times of crisis and that means spy
planes.

--

"Far better it is to dare mighty things,
to win glorious triumphs even though
checkered by failure, than to rank with
those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor
suffer much because they live in the gray
twilight that knows neither victory nor
defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt
 >> Stay informed about: Great article - SR-71 Blackbird...