China Conquers Aviation - Step By Step

China's Comac set to deliver first passenger jets

• China's to deliver first homegrown regional airliner - ARJ21-700

• first two ARJ21-700s have been completed for Chengdu Airlines 
• Comac has 252 orders for the plane.
• created ARJ21 project in 2002 to break Western-dominated market

• China one of biggest aircraft markets over next two decades.
• Boeing forecasts demand at 5,580 planes worth $780 billion.
• ARJ21-700 seat 78 to 90 passengers, range 1,300 - 2,300 miles. 
• completed test flights in North America and flown 8,000 miles.
• company going after China's domestic market and Southeast Asia.
• "first develop business in China and then international market.."
• should complete a bigger plane C919 in 2018
• C919, single-aisle jet meant to compete with Boeing and Airbus Industrie.
• seat up to 168 passengers, range of 2,500 to 3,200 miles.
• 400 orders 16 customers GE Capital Aviation Services, Ryanair 
• May 15 first front fuselage of C919 delivered by a supplier to Comac
• plane will be assembled in second half of 2014
• maiden flight due at end 2015 
• C919 first delivery to customer scheduled for 2018.
• Comac cooperating with Russia to build a next-generation wide-body plane. 
• beginning in 2008, Comac focused on developing the two passenger planes. 
• grown from 3,800 employees to 8,300.
• Comac always planned for its maiden flight to be 90 months from project launch.

My comments : I have blogged about this before - more than a year ago. The Chinese are going about developing their industries in a studied, methodical and market oriented manner. They have set their sights on conquering the aviation sector. I believe they will do it.

China may not have a history of producing large commercial airliners but they have certainly been producing aircraft of various sorts since after the revolution in 1949. And they also produce top of the line fifth generation stealth fighter planes. 

China's J31 Shen Fei Falcon Eagle 5th Generation Stealth Fighter

This industrial base plus large numbers of expert Chinese aviation engineers (including those working in the US)  provides a solid foundation  from which China can aim for the skies.  

Comac is a GLC or Chinese Government linked company. Unlike our GLCs which are not generating new technologies or new wealth the Chinese GLCs like Comac are technology intensive. The only exception perhaps is Silterra which operates in Kulim, Kedah which is breaking the mould in chip fabrication. Unfortunately the Khazanah boys may not understand the business as well.

Coming back to China's aviation plans, the report by Boeing that the aviation market has a demand of USD780 billion or RM2.6 Trillion offers numerous opportunities for everyone including Malaysia. Instead of spending huge resources trying to develop a local car brand we could position ourselves as a major player in the aviation supply chain, supplying intermediate products that go into large passenger planes.  Undercarriages,  wing parts, fuselages, airplane interior parts, engine components are not beyond our apability. It is just a matter of focus.

I think if we speak to the Chinese there can be major opportunities that can be explored. And let everyone in the game. Not just the GLCs. Promote the private sector's participation.

Last week I had an interesting lunch. The talk was that 45,000 bumiputra graduates have been bankrupted - within the past year or something. The Yang Mulia lunch host said that 115,000 bumiputra graduates are unemployed. (In 2002 when I was in the NEAC the figure was about 50,000 unemployed bumiputra graduates). Someone else said that at the Batu Buruk beach in Kuala Terengganu, the weekend crowd can get up to 2000 people - mostly unemployed young boys and girls. Anything goes - drugs, ecstasy pills, khalwat, mat rempitting etc. No one can do anything about it.

The Chinese C919's first delivery is scheduled for 2018. By that time the unemployed bumiputra graduates could reach 140,000.  Someone asked, 'What about unemployed SPM holders?'

What about the SPM holders? Who cares? Let them hang out at Batu Buruk. We have Pandas to take care of. 

Thank to: http://syedsoutsidethebox.blogspot.com/

USAF X-51A Hypersonic Scramjet Makes Record-Breaking Final Flight

As I said earlier, once the elections are over I would like to blog some other things. Here is something that will be a game changer :

• X-51A Waverider flew for four minutes at top speed of Mach 5.1
• reached top speed of Mach 5.1 during test flight
• traveling more than 230 nautical miles in six minutes 
• "full mission success," 
• released at 50,000 feet and accelerate to Mach 4.8 in just 26 seconds.
• sped up to Mach 5.1 at an altitutde of 60,000 feet 
• powered by its air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine
• $300 million technology demonstration program
• "X-51A Waverider bedrock for practical application of hypersonic flight," 
• Hypersonic flight defined as five times the speed of sound
• first X-51A test flight occurred in May 2010. 
• U.S. studying hypersonic flight to strike targets anywhere on Earth in an hour 

The world is now reaching hypersonic speed. We should catch up too

Thank to: outsyedthebox

P/s: kita sibuk berpolitik... mereka dah sampai kelajuan hypesonic ...this is technology

The Quran Says "Salamun Alaikum"

Here is the last one for today. 

This is to follow up on the very, very long list of things that are NOT found in the Quran. 

We have discussed earlier that the oft used phrase 'Allahu Akbar' is not found in the Quran.  The word 'akbar'  as a name for Allah is simply not found in the Quran.  

Most Muslims (not all though) do not know that the very common greetings Assalamu Alaikum (peace be upon you) and its reply Wa Alaikum Salam (and upon you be peace) are different from what is mentioned in the Quran.  The Quran does not mention Assalamu Alaikum orWa Alaikum Salam. 

What is found mentioned (numerous times) in the Quran is only Salamun Alaikum - a slight yet significant difference from Assalamu Alaikum.  These are greetings or 'haiyy' in Arabic.

There are some Arabs and Turkish people who use the Quranic version 'Salamun Alaikum' when they greet each other.  I know a professor of Islamic studies of Lebanese descent here in Kuala Lumpur who always greets people with 'Salamun Alaikum'. This is the correct Islamic greeting exactly from the Quran.

Also when people sing the nasyid (lagu-lagu nasyid)  and the qasidah (songs that praise the Prophet) they frequently sing 'Ya Nabi Salamun Alaika'.  They never sing 'Ya Nabi Assalamu alaikum'.   So there is a difference even in the nasyid and the qasidah.

Now here is the exact reference in the Quran : 

Surah 6:54 'When those who believe in our revelations (ayat) come to you, you shall say, "Salamun Alaykum".

This is a very clear statement in the Quran.  So where does the slightly different Assalamu Alaikum come from?  The answer to this question perhaps lies in the reply greeting. 

In daily practise when Muslims say Assalamu Alaikum the reply greeting is 'Wa Alaikum Salam'  which means 'and upon you be peace'.

The Quran does NOT mention this  'Wa Alaikum Salam' reply greeting at all.

The Quran only mentions one type of greeting 'Salamun Alaikum'.  When one person says 'Salamun Alaikum' the reply can also be  'Salamun Alaikum'. 

However it is the Jews, the Hebrew and Yiddish speaking Jews, who greet with  "Shalom-aleichem" (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם)  which means "Peace be upon you". And their appropriate reply greeting in Hebrew  is "aleikhem shalom" or "upon you be peace." 

Hence the reply greeting "aleikhem shalom" of the Jews is very similar to the "wa alaikum salam" of the Muslim practise, which is NOT found in the Quran.  

Hence you cannot blame the Jews if they say that both the "assalamu alaikum" and the reply "wa alaikum salam" of the Arabs more closely reflects their Jewish greeting.

The Quran however will have no problem and no issue with the Jews because the Quranic greeting is slightly different.

Surah 6:54 'When those who believe in our revelations (ayat) come to you, you shall say, "Salamun `Alaykum".

We cannot find the greetings assalamu alaikum, wa alaikum salam, shalom aleikhem andaleikhem shalom anywhere in the Quran.

Folks, there is a slightly deeper message to this walkabout. Muslims must bear in mind that the Quran was brought to us by the Nabi who was also our Rasul (Messenger).  Can the Nabi say one thing in the Quran and then  - after putting down the Quran - say something else, something slightly different or even something completely different from the Quran? 

It is the same Rasul who taught the Muslims :


Surah 61:2 O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?
Surah 61:3 Most abominable in the sight of GOD is that you say what you do not do.

Meaning, you cannot say one thing today and then do something else another day. You cannot "cakap tak serupa bikin".

Honest Muslims need to ponder how come so many things that you believe or things that you uphold cannot be found inside the Quran?  Then when there are somethings that are indeed mentioned in the Quran, you do not follow it or you do not believe in doing it.  

Note: Nice Quote Tuan Syed 

WASHINGTON'S CREATURE IN MALAYSIA? THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE SULU SULTAN

Here’s another article by Nile Bowie on the Lahad Datu incursion, taken from theCounterpunch site. Bowie touches on the circumstantial evidence linking Malaysian opposition figures to this incursion - evidence which should not be ignored given that all the sources are non-Malaysian in origin.

Washington's Creature in Malaysia? The Mysterious Case of the Sulu Sultan
By Nile Bowie, Counterpunch, 17 March 2013.

Malaysia has been in the midst of an on-going security crisis since early February, when a group of 235 rag-tag militiamen from the neighbouring southern Philippines slipped into the eastern state of Sabah and began occupying several villages.

Images via The Star (left) and Kurakura.my (right)

While engaging police in several fire fights, the insurgents beheaded and mutilated several captured Malaysian security personnel, prompting Malaysian forces to deploy fighter jets in an unprecedented air assault over the area in an operation to flush out the intruders. The gunmen call themselves the “Royal Army of the Sulu Sultanate”, representing the heirs of a long-defunct kingdom which once controlled the territory up until the late nineteenth century. The so-called Sultan of Sulu, Jamalul Kiram III, who is believed to be directing the militant incursion from Manila, insists that Sabah is rightfully part of his kingdom and has vowed not budge on his claims even if his personnel are killed in the standoff.

Image sources: Wikipedia - Left: Lahad Datu; Right: 2013 Lahad Datu standoff.

Malaysians, who are preparing to vote in a pivotal general election just around the corner, have been fixated on events in Sabah as they unfold. The Philippines are soon expecting congressional elections as well, and given the timing, local analysts are wondering how exactly did this elderly self-proclaimed Sultan obtained the resources needed to establish his own private army. Both the Malaysian and Philippine governments have launched official investigations into allegations that figures within Malaysia’s political opposition had a hand in aiding the Sulu gunmen. Reuters cited an anonymous Filipino military officer who claimed that Sulu rebels were “invited to Sabah by a Malaysian opposition politician”.

The blame has been laid on Malaysia’s de-facto opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, who Malaysian reports say has links to Filipino insurgent networks that have long eyed the resource-rich state of Sabah in northern eastern Borneo. Local journalist Adrian Lai recently unearthed classified diplomatic cables from the US embassy in Manila brought to light by WikiLeaks, which document ties between Nur Misauri, former chairmen of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and Malaysia’s main opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The MNLF is a political movement that pitted itself against predominately Christian Manila by seeking political autonomy for Muslim majority provinces in the islands in the southern Philippines. In 2001, Manila accused Misauri of terrorism when he led an MNLF unit that attacked an outpost of the Philippine army, prompting him to seek refuge in Sabah on the assumption that authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia would empathize with him and block his extradition. Misauri was detained by Malaysian security forces in Sabah and sent back to the Philippines where he was jailed until 2008.

Nur Misuari (left) and Jamalul Kiram III. Image via Jiwang.org.

WikiLeaks cables claim that Misauri detested the Malaysian government for turning him over to Philippine authorities and that he was “a strong advocate for the recovery of Sabah”. The cables claim that Misauri boasted that his militias could invade Sabah in the span of two hours. WikiLeaks has also confirmed that Misauri maintained close connections to Anwar Ibrahim, and that the two had met on several occasions. A separate report issued by AFP cited US diplomatic cables that implicate a Saudi Arabian ambassador to the Philippines of funding Muslim groups seeking autonomy in the southern islands. Misauri recently criticized Philippine President Benigno Aquino for siding with Malaysia in his firm stance against the Sulu militants, warning the Aquino government of chaos if Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III is apprehended.

Anwar Ibrahim, who has vehemently denied all accusations, has long been considered a darling of the West. Mr. Ibrahim is a slippery character of sorts; he was once Malaysia’s deputy prime minister prior to being sacked for getting too close to the IMF, among other things. Anwar also has friends in high places, from billionaire financier George Soros to senior neo-cons from the Bush administration. In recent times, Ibrahim has appealed to Carl Gershman, president of the US-Government funded foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), requesting that he send a US observer team to Malaysia to monitor the upcoming elections. Ibrahim enraged many when he stated he would support policy to protect the security of Israel, and while his political party has long received training and backing from the International Republican Institute (IRI) chaired by Republican Senator John McCain, there is little doubt that Anwar - a creature of Washington’s taxpayer funded “Democracy Promotion” overseas - would be the trusted ally that the White House is looking for as it refocuses its military muscle and political influence to the Asia-Pacific region.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. Image via New Straits Times.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino has recently conceded that events in Sabah showed signs of a conspiracy. A recent statement issued by Malaysian political-scientist Dr. Chandra Muzaffar alludes to reports of Malaysian opposition figures promising land, titles and other sinecures to the Sulu Sultanate if they emerged victorious in the upcoming elections. Muzaffar argues that a security crisis in Sabah, regarded as a political stronghold for the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, could weaken the ruling parties hold over the state, leading to a hung parliament or a narrow victory for the BN, prompting in his words, “massive street agitation which could pave the way for a regime change, which is the goal of not only the Opposition but also its foreign backers.” When Chandra talks of “foreign backers”, he is referring to the US political establishment.

The MNLF, under its current chairmen Muslimin Sema, has issued statements declaring that it disagreed with the incursion into Sabah, but acknowledged that MNLF forces aligned to Misauri were present there. Reports issued by Reuters also cited Malaysian officials who claimed that the Sulu terrorists had links to factions that were unhappy with the Philippines’ recent peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamist MNLF offshoot. The Malaysian government facilitated these peace talks, and Misauri made no secret that he publically opposed them. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that some ten thousand MNLF fighters from the southern Philippines planned to join the insurgency in Sabah in solidarity with the Royal Sulu Army.

Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III has told media in the Philippines that he wants the United Nations, the United States and the United Kingdom to intervene in his claim over Sabah. The Sultan claims that the US must intercede, as agreed upon in a 1915 agreement signed with Washington’s then-colonial government in the Philippines that mandated the US provide “full protection” to the Sulu Sultan in exchange for exercising sovereignty over the kingdom as the colonial administration. Let’s not forget, the strategically located state of Sabah is abundant in natural gas reserves, and its oil reserves are the third highest in the Asia-Pacific region after China and India. Sabah’s fifteen oil wells produce as many as 192,000 barrels a day, while the country has holds over 4 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. In 2010, Malaysia was the world’s third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Qatar and Indonesia. The Malaysian government had paid a modest annual cession payment to the Sultanate (which the Sultan argues is a “rent”) since gaining independence from Britain, and one of the motivations for the Sultan’s push to reclaim the territory is definitely profit-driven. While the Pentagon refocuses over 60% of its naval presence to the Asia Pacific region, conflicts of this nature - which deal with obstructions to the flow of abundant energy resources to US companies - are exactly the sort that could coax the eventual involvement of US personnel if Sabah were to deteriorate into a hotbed of Sulu-terror.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with the Malaysian General Operations Force in Felda

Sahabat, Lahad Datu. Image via mStar.

The fact that individuals in the highest levels of the Malaysian and Philippine governments are suspicious of a conspiracy does much to lend credence to the possibility. Former Malaysian PM Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, an ardent critic of Israel and US imperialism, warned months prior to the standoff in Sabah that the opposition’s Western backers sought to bring Anwar Ibrahim to power through Arab Spring-style street riots and even the use of fire power, citing recent examples in Egypt and Syria where NATO states backed political opposition figures and supported al-Qaeda-linked rebels to act on their behalf in overthrowing governments they were tired of. Reports of Saudi Arabia financially supporting Philippine terrorists should also not be taken lightly, as Gulf States have moved in-step with the US and NATO as the main financiers of Salafist terrorist networks active in west Asia, north Africa and elsewhere.

Without resorting to elaborate conspiracies in the absence of hard facts, it would be entirely negligent to ignore circumstantial evidence linking Malaysian figures to this insurgency, especially considering all sources of this nature are non-Malaysian in origin. There is no doubt that the Sultan has no legitimate legal claims over Sabah since the International Court of Justice has long recognized Malaysia’s rights and sovereignty over the territory, and the highly unusual timing of the Sulu operation being so close to elections in both countries will naturally be perceived as suspect. Militancy and terrorism undermines the Sultan’s claims entirely and lends much credibility to suspicion that the Sultan has not acted alone. Even if the US isn’t involved, the fact that a figure who received blatant US support has been implicated is significant. There is much at stake in Sabah, and in the words of the Sultan, “The only thing that could end the conflict is an intervention.”

Nile Bowie is an independent political analyst and photographer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com

Samsung Galaxy S4....Wow!!!

Samsung Galaxy S4 : Di Malaysia umumnya ini ada peminat Sony Xperia Z, ataupun HTC One ataupun iPhone 5 ataupun Masing-masing ada citarasa tersendiri. Samsung mahu duduk diam sahaja? Tidak. Tidak sama sekali. Sekitar setahun berlalu sejak pelancaran Samsung Galaxy S3, nah…..

Samsung Galaxy S4 telah pun “lahir” di Kota New York baru-baru ini dengan harapan dapat mengukuhkan lagi kedudukan Samsung sebagai pemain utama pengeluar telefon pintar di dunia.

SPESIFIKASI SAMSUNG GALAXY S4?

• Pemproses 1.6 GHZ Lapan Teras
• 2 GB RAM
• Kamera belakang 13 megapixel dan muatan dalaman sebesar 16 (pilihan 32 atau 64 GB)
• Kamera hadapan 2 megapixel
• Samsung Galaxy S4 menggunakan skrin 5 inci HD PENUH yang mana skrin berada pada kadar ketumpatan 441PPI
• Sokongan kad SD
• Bateri yang boleh ditanggalkan
• Android 4.2
• Resolusi 1080 x 1920
• Cip pemprosesan Samsung Exynos 5
• Exynos 5410 1.8GHz Octa-core
• Panjang (69 mm/2.72 inci) & lebar(7.9 mm/0.31 inci)
• Berat 138 gram
• Sokongan 3G dan juga 4G LTE
• Terdapat sokongan IR yang berfungsi mengawal televisyen dan sebagainya.
• Bateri berkapasiti 2600mAh

KELEBIHAN & VARIASI FUNGSI SAMSUNG GALAXY S4?

Samsung cuba sedaya upaya untuk memberikan kelainan kepada pengguna setia telefon pintar mereka. Antara kelebihan Samsung Galaxy S4 yang cuba dikongsikan bersama dengan anda (andaikata berjaya memiliki Samsung Galaxy S4 selepas dilancarkan di Malaysia kelak) ialah :

• Anda mampu merakam video dan juga menggunakan Kamera Samsung Galaxy S4 di bahagian hadapan dan di belakang secara serentak.
• Gambar yang berjaya dirakam sudah mempunyai sokongan suara. Contohnya memberikan peringatan kadar memori yang telah digunakan setakat itu
• “Seperti biasa” didakwa lebih nipis, ringan dan solid berbanding Samsung Galaxy S3
• Bateri yang tahan lebih lama
• Gambar yang terhasil semestinya lebih tajam dan jelas
• Ada lagi yang kami tertinggal?

KOLEKSI GAMBAR SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

Samsung Galaxy S4 akan mula dijual bermula bulan April ini. Tetapi tidak diketahui lagi bilakah agaknya Samsung Galaxy S4 akan mula jual di Malaysia? Agak-agaknya?

Jadi, bagaimana dengan anda pula? Adakah kalangan yang menggunakan iPhone 5 di Malaysia amnya akan beralih arah kepada Samsung Galaxy S4 kelak? Ataupun yang memiliki Samsung Galaxy S3 akan menaiktaraf kepada Samsung Galaxy S4? Apa review anda selepas pelancaran telefon pintar daripada Samsung ini?

Sumber : : Daeng Selili Politik Perak

Solstis Musim Sejuk hari ini... rutin tahunan biasa-biasa je...

• 

Soltis Musim Sejuk berlaku hari ini.

Apa yang berlaku ye?

Kita semua tahu yang paksi Bumi ini senget 23.5 darjah. Maka dalam setahun orbit Bumi mengelilingi matahari, adakalanya Matahari akan berada ke utara daripada garisan khatulistiwa dan adakalanya bergerak ke selatan khatulistiwa.

Pergerakan matahari ini ada ketikanya akan berada pada kedudukan arah kiblat kita.

Paling jauh ke utara atau selatan pun, sebanyak 23.5 Utara (untuk Soltis Musim Panas) dan -23.5 selatan (untuk Soltis Musim Sejuk).

Oleh itu, untuk Soltis Musim Sejuk ni, negara-negara di hemisfera Selatan akan mengalami waktu siang lebih panjang, sementara yang di hemisfera Utara akan mengalami malam lebih panjang.

Boleh guna utiliti web SINI untuk kira berapa lama waktu siang berlaku di bandar-bandar utama dunia.

Tarikh Soltis ni berubah-ubah antara 20,21,22 dan 23 Disember. Perbezaan ini disebabkan waktu yang diambil oleh Bumi untuk mengelilingi matahari ialah 365.242199 hari, dan ia berubah-ubah sikit dari setahun ke setahun dari banyak faktor, seperti orbit bumi, kesan tarikan graviti dari planet-planet lain, putaran bumi serta precession.

Jangan risau, itu semua normal! Berlaku tiap-tiap tahun pun… ;-)

Jadi, sesiapa yang nak teropong langit malam puas-puas, jom kita pi melawat negara-negara di sebelah hemisfera utara sekarang!

LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD: THE FASTEST PLANE ON EARTH

The Fastest Plane on Earth [25 pics]
By Twisted Sifter, 4 December 2012.

Since 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird has held the world record for the fastest ‘air-breathing manned aircraft’ with a recorded speed of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h). That works out to a staggering 36.55 miles/58.83 km per minute.

Photograph by NASA

The Blackbird was so fast that its strategy against surface-to-air missiles was to simply accelerate and outfly them. Below you will find an extensive gallery of this iconic aircraft along with information on the history, design and records the plane holds to this day.

Photograph by James Gordon

The SR-71 served with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. Of the 32 aircraft built, 12 were lost in accidents, though none to enemy action. Since 1976, it has held the world record for the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft.

Photograph by NASA Dryden Flight Research Centre

The Blackbird was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by the Lockheed Skunk Works. Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was the lead designer and was responsible for many of the design’s innovative concepts.

Left: Photograph by Lockheed Martin, Right: Photograph by NASA Dryden Flight Research Centre.

The SR-71 was designed for Mach 3+ flights (1020.87m/3349.31 ft per second) with a crew of two in tandem cockpits, with the pilot in the forward cockpit and the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO) monitoring the surveillance systems and equipment from the behind cockpit.

Photograph by the U.S. Air Force

Finished aircraft were painted a dark blue, almost black, to increase the emission of internal heat and to act as camouflage against the night sky. The dark colour led to the aircraft’s call sign “Blackbird”.

Photograph by the CIA

On most aircraft, use of titanium was limited by the costs involved in procurement and manufacture. It was generally used only in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust fairings and the leading edges of wings. On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with the rest made of composite materials.

Photograph by NASA/Jim Ross

Flying at 80,000 ft (24,000 m) meant that crews could not use standard masks, which could not provide enough oxygen above 43,000 ft (13,000 m). Specialised protective pressurized suits were produced; similar suits were also used on the Space Shuttle.

Photograph by Nick Dowling

Photograph by greyloch

The Pratt & Whitney J58-P4 engine that powered the SR-71 was a considerable innovation of their era; each one could produce 32,500 lbf (145 kN) of static thrust. The J58 was most efficient around Mach 3.2, the Blackbird’s typical cruising speed. A unique hybrid, the engine can be thought of as a turbojet inside a ramjet.

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Originally, the Blackbird’s engines started up with the assistance of an external engine referred to as a “start cart”. The cart included two Buick Wildcat V8 engines positioned underneath the aircraft. The two engines powered a single, vertical driveshaft connecting to a single J58 engine. Once one engine was started, the cart was wheeled to the other side of the aircraft to start the other engine. The operation was deafening.

Eventually, a quieter, pneumatic start system was developed for use at Blackbird main operating bases, but the start carts remained to support recovery team Blackbird starts at diversion landing sites not equipped to start J-58 engines.

Photograph by TSgt. Michael Haggerty, USAF

Before each take-off, a time-consuming primary alignment brought the ANS’ inertial components to a high degree of accuracy. Once in flight, the ANS, which sat behind the Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO)’s position, tracked stars through a circular window set in the upper fuselage. Its blue light source star tracker, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft’s changing position brought them into view.

Photograph by TSgt. Michael Haggerty, USAF

The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. The first SR-71 to enter service was delivered to the 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, in January 1966.

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Operational highlights for the entire Blackbird family (YF-12, A-12, and SR-71) as of about 1990 included:
- 3,551 Mission Sorties Flown
- 17,300 Total Sorties Flown
- 11,008 Mission Flight Hours
- 53,490 Total Flight Hours
- 2,752 hours Mach 3 Time (Missions)
- 11,675 hours Mach 3 Time (Total)

Photograph by USAF/Tech. Sgt. Michael Haggerty

The SR-71 was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft throughout its career. On 28 July 1976, it broke the world record for its class: an “absolute altitude record” of 85,069 feet (25,929 m). Several aircraft exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs but not in sustained flight. That same day an SR-71 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h).

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

The SR-71 also holds the “Speed Over a Recognized Course” record for flying from New York to London distance 3,508 miles (5,646 km), 1,435.587 miles per hour (2,310.353 km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds, set on 1 September 1974 while flown by U.S. Air Force Pilot Maj. James V. Sullivan and Maj. Noel F. Widdifield, reconnaissance systems officer (RSO).

Photograph by Ken Hackman, USAF

On 26 April 1971, 61-7968 flown by Majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick flew over 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in 10 hrs. 30 min. This flight was awarded the 1971 Mackay Trophy for the “most meritorious flight of the year” and the 1972 Harmon Trophy for “most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics”.

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

On 6 March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond “Ed” E. Yielding and Lt. Col. Joseph “Jt” T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process:

1. Los Angeles, CA to Washington, D.C., distance 2,299.7 miles (3,701.0 km), average speed 2,144.8 miles per hour (3,451.7 km/h), and an elapsed time of 64 minutes 20 seconds.

2. West Coast to East Coast, distance 2,404 miles (3,869 km), average speed 2,124.5 miles per hour (3,419.1 km/h), and an elapsed time of 67 minutes 54 seconds.

3. Kansas City, Missouri to Washington D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516 km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502 km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds.

4. St. Louis, Missouri to Cincinnati, Ohio, distance 311.4 miles (501.1 km), average speed 2,189.9 miles per hour (3,524.3 km/h), and an elapsed time of 8 minutes 32 seconds.

Photograph by Mlpearc

Pictured above is the “Last Flight” of a SR-71. In the background is the SR-71 S/N 61-7972. In the foreground is Pilot Lt. Col. Raymond “Ed” E. Yielding and REO Col. Joseph “Jt” T. Vida on March 6, 1990.

General Characteristics:
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Reconnaissance Systems Officer)
Payload: 3,500 lb (1,600 kg) of sensors
Length: 107 ft 5 in (32.74 m)
Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.94 m)
Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
Wing area: 1,800 ft2 (170 m2)
Empty weight: 67,500 lb (30,600 kg)
Loaded weight: 152,000 lb (69,000 kg)
Max. take-off weight: 172,000 lb (78,000 kg)
Power plant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58-1 continuous-bleed afterburning turbojets, 34,000 lbf (151 kN) each
Wheel track: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wheelbase: 37 ft 10 in (11.53 m)
Aspect ratio: 1.7

Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 3.3 (2,200+ mph, 3,530+ km/h, 1,900+ knots) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m)
Range: 2,900 nmi (5,400 km)
Ferry range: 3,200 nmi (5,925 km)
Service ceiling: 85,000 ft (25,900 m)
Rate of climb: 11,810 ft/min (60 m/s)
Wing loading: 84 lb/ft² (410 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.44

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Only 93 Air Force pilots have ever steered the ‘sled’, which was the Blackbird’s nickname given by the pilots.

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Pictured above is the SR-71 in transport between Burbank and Palmdale.

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

Photograph by Lockheed Martin

All information for this article via Wikipedia.

Top image: Photograph by Lockheed Martin

[Source: Twisted Sifter. Edited.]