Brief
SR-71 Blackbird
The claims the writer was given for SR-71 Blackbird, in the order they were given.
1
David Fravor considers the SR-71 Blackbird, from a pure-speed perspective, an engineering marvel, developed in the 1950s by Kelly Johnson at Lockheed Skunk Works.
“From pure speed, I would say SR-71, I think it's an engineering marvel that was actually developed in the 50s by Kelly Johnson, you know, Skunk Works.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:05:36.5-01:05:42.8 opinion first hand
2
The Central Intelligence Agency created around six shell companies to buy titanium from the Soviet Union to build the SR-71 Blackbird, an aircraft made largely of titanium designed to fly over the Soviet Union.
“the CIA actually made like six companies in order to buy the titanium from Russia to bring it back and build an airplane out of titanium that we would fly over Russia.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:05:49.2-01:05:57.4 testimony first hand
3
The SR-71 Blackbird still holds the speed record of any aircraft.
“the SR-71 still holds the speed record of any plane.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:06:05.6-01:06:10.9 opinion first hand
4
At high altitude, an aircraft such as the SR-71 Blackbird can show an indicated airspeed of around 560 kilometres per hour while actually travelling around 4,000 kilometres per hour over the ground, because the air is much thinner at altitude.
“you may only be showing like 300 knots but at 300 knots you're really doing 2500 miles an hour over the ground”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:06:41.1-01:06:48.3 measurement first hand
5
The SR-71 Blackbird flew at altitudes above approximately 21,000 metres, where the thin air reduces relative aerodynamic stress on the airframe despite high true airspeed.
“when you look at an SR-71 that's flying upwards of, you know, 70 plus thousand feet, the air is so thin... So the stresses on the airframe are not like they would be if you were down low.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:07:19.9-01:07:25.8 opinion first hand
6
NASA flew SR-71 Blackbird aircraft out of Palmdale, California, on loop flights up towards Washington State and Montana.
“NASA was flying them out of Palmdale and they would take off and they'd go up towards Washington State and Montana and they do a loop.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:09:59.2-01:10:05.1 testimony first hand
7
SR-71 Blackbird aircraft descending from above approximately 18,000 metres produced visible contrails.
“they descend out of, you know, above 60,000, you'd see them, they get contrails, you know, the white lines behind airplanes.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:10:06.7-01:10:11.5 observation first hand
8
SR-71 Blackbird aircraft would refuel from a tanker aircraft after descending from altitude and then climb back up.
“They'd come down and hit the tanker and then they'd go back up.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:10:12.1-01:10:14.1 observation first hand
9
The U-2 and the SR-71 Blackbird were the aircraft doing high-altitude reconnaissance work in the 1950s before satellites became widely used.
“you got to remember when those things started in the 50s sputnik wasn't flying around you know it was it was the u2 and the sr-71 that were out there doing that work”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:10:33.2-01:10:39.7 opinion first hand
10
David Fravor is not certain there is a continuing need for an aircraft capable of the SR-71 Blackbird's speed, given current capabilities in space-based reconnaissance.
“is there a need to pass that i go i don't know we got stuff in space so”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 2020-09-08 01:10:51.0-01:10:53.7 opinion first hand
11
Jim Goodall has written 20 books on top-secret aircraft such as the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 stealth attack aircraft and the B-2A stealth bomber.
“Aviation journalist Jim Goodall has written 20 books on a plethora of top-secret craft, such as the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 stealth attack aircraft and the B-2A stealth bomber.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:13251-13423 administrative
12
Dave, a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force who flew the Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, witnessed an unidentified craft while night-flying out of Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, in late 1972 or early 1973.
“He told me how 'Dave', a retired lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force who flew the high-altitude mach-3-plus Lockheed SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft, witnessed an unidentified craft while night-flying out of Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, in late 1972 or early 1973.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:17625-17897 testimony second hand
13
During the 1972 Kadena SR-71 UAP sighting, Dave advanced the throttles on his SR-71 to try to intercept the object, and as he grew closer he could see it was not round and had shiny metallic edges.
“He advanced the throttles on the spy-plane to try to intercept the object and as he grew closer, he could see it was not round, it had shiny metallic edges.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:18354-18504 observation second hand
14
The fastest jet currently flying is the United States' SR-71 Blackbird, with a top speed of Mach 3.3, approximately 3500 kilometres per hour.
“The fastest jet currently flying is the United States' SR-71 Blackbird, with a top speed of mach 3.3, or 3500 km/h.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:19088-19201 measurement
15
Two decades after Bob Lazar's 1989 disclosure, a former SR-71 Blackbird pilot named David Fruehauf went public in a television interview, partially backing Lazar's claims and calling him very credible.
“Two decades later, a former SR-71 pilot, David Fruehauf (whom I surmise was Jim Goodall's confidential 'Dave' source), went public in a television interview, partially backing Lazar's claims. 'I think he's very credible,' Fruehauf asserted.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:22093-22326 opinion first hand
16
In the early 1990s, while working at a high security aerospace company facility, Robert 'Bob' Fish was shown digital radar tracks showing a hypersonic UFO tracking alongside a US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.
“In the early 1990s, while working in a high security aerospace company facility, he was shown digital radar tracks showing a hypersonic UFO tracking alongside the US Air Force's SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:31185-31383 testimony first hand
17
Robert 'Bob' Fish described two images streaking through the sky at over Mach 3, one in a side-chase position to the other, with the lead plane being an SR-71 Blackbird and the other unidentified.
“'There were two images streaking through the sky at Mach 3+ – one in a side-chase position to the other. The lead plane was our venerable SR-71 Blackbird; the other one was unidentified.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:31400-31572 measurement first hand
18
Robert 'Bob' Fish said the unidentified object seen alongside the SR-71 Blackbird made a 90-degree right turn, headed off in a different direction, and rapidly gained altitude while maintaining its speed.
“At one point in the trace, the unidentified object made a 90-degree right turn and headed off in a different direction, rapidly gaining altitude while maintaining its speed.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch13:31586-31753 measurement first hand
19
Skunk Works, Lockheed's advanced development programme, has a history developing the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy planes, the F-117A Night Hawk stealth attack aircraft, the F-22 Raptor fighter, and the F-35 Lightning stealth jet.
“Skunk Works is a nickname for Lockheed's advanced development programs and it has an illustrious super-secret black-budget history for its role in developing the U2 and SR-71 Blackbird spy-planes, the F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft, the F-22 Raptor fighter and the F-35 Lightning stealth jet – all by far the most advanced known aerospace defence technology of their day on the planet.”
In Plain Sight 2023-11-17 ch18:15942-16329 administrative
20
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered the retirement of the A-12 OXCART when it was replaced by the SR-71 Blackbird, itself a modified version of the A-12.
“In 1968, President Johnson ordered the retirement of the A-12 when it was replaced by the SR-71, which itself was a modified version of the A-12.”
Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), Volume I 2024-02-01 char:127018-127160 administrative
21
UAP tracked before the 2004 USS Nimitz encounter appeared on radar at approximately 24,000 metres altitude, above the normal envelope of aircraft except for a few exceptions such as the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the alleged Aurora aircraft.
“They even popped up on the radar at 80,000 feet, where you begin to get into space, well above the normal envelope of aircraft, even military aircraft, with only a few notable exceptions, which include the U-2, the Blackbird, and the alleged Aurora.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs 2024-08-19 ch15:2185-2427 measurement
22
The SR-71 Blackbird can just about reach Mach 5 at high altitudes, and any faster the aircraft would be incinerated by the heat generated.
“The SR-71 Blackbird can just about hit Mach 5 at high altitudes. Made up almost entirely of titanium, any faster, the aircraft would be incinerated by the heat generated.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs 2024-08-19 ch20:12066-12226 testimony first hand
23
The SR-71 Blackbird is made up almost entirely of titanium.
“Made up almost entirely of titanium, any faster, the aircraft would be incinerated by the heat generated.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs 2024-08-19 ch20:12131-12226 administrative first hand
24
At full speed, the SR-71 Blackbird requires airspace roughly half the size of the state of Ohio to complete a right- or left-hand turn.
“As an example, at full speed, the SR-71, known as the Blackbird, requires airspace roughly half the size of the state of Ohio to complete a right- or left-hand turn.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs 2024-08-19 ch20:13078-13238 measurement first hand
25
Unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) make immediate right-angle turns at speeds up to ten times faster than the SR-71 Blackbird.
“By contrast, UAP make immediate right-angle turns at speeds up to ten times faster than the SR-71.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs 2024-08-19 ch20:13244-13339 measurement first hand