TimeOut

Let's just say it's Saturday morning, the chores are done, and we need to take a look at the state of affairs of the planet. Rather than open the newspaper (on our iPad), we walk to the hanger.



We fire up these two Buick Wildcat V8 engines and let them warm a bit.



using these two handles, we pull the flex cable out of the start cart and plug it into our aircraft. We go back to the cart, slowly rev the motors up to 3400 and let the turbines spin up.



We walk around checking the aircraft - it's one of only 32 so we don't want to make any mistakes handling the fastest air-inhaling (non-rocket) aircraft in existence



We check the fuel - it needs only 1/4 fuel load to take off (to reduce the roll distance) and we will refuel as soon as we are in the air. Then we have about 2 hours flying time or a bit less if we want to be frisky.



Climb into the cockpit



Our pal climbs in the back, taking care to dump his coffee over the side before entering



We decide no more snakes are necessary today, so we leave the armaments at home.



We flip the ignition switches, and in a half-second the entire back pasture is toast.



On 28 July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7962, piloted by then Capt. Robert Helt, broke the world record: an "absolute altitude record" of 85,069 feet (25,929 m). On that same day SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h), approximately Mach 3.3.

I see the 50s and 60s as a very interesting time in the military aircraft world, as aerial spying became more prevalent.

I am also still amazed that we have gone backwards in time with regard to the Transatlantic journey time!

1hr 55 including re-fuelling, amazing. That was an interesting fact about refuelling incidentally, that they always needed to fill the tank in the air, not pre-flight.

Thanks, Imran

Cheers,

Nilo

I'll walk you through some of the exhibits:

Yes, those are MIGs behind the B-29

Helicopters



Oddball stuff, like this tiny "Gnat" As it was under restoration, there was no sign. Here's the data from the museum's site:

Designed in the mid-1950s by W.E.W. Petter as a low-cost alternative to

increasingly expensive and overly sophisticated military aircraft, the Gnat is a

tiny, subsonic, single-seat, swept-wing fighter and trainer. Developed for

production by Folland Aircraft Ltd United Kingdom, the design permits an

aircraft to be constructed and maintained cheaply, by countries without 

extensive specialized tools and industry.

With excellent performance capabilities, a top speed of 695 mile per hour and

a service ceiling of nearly 50,000 feet, the little aircraft became a favorite. 

Although not used as a fighter by the Royal Air Force the Gnat was a versatile trainer

and the star of the RAF Red Arrows Aerobatics Demonstration Team. 

Armed with two 30mm cannon, the Gnat's most noteworthy achievements 

came as a fighter for the Indian Air Force. In repeated conflicts with Pakistan

the Gnat became known as the "Sabre Slayer,"  besting the Canadair Sabre, a variant of the F-86.