MiG-31: Intercepting the SR-71

[@megaprojects9649]

Get your first audiobook and access to Audible Originals for free when you try Audible for 30 days visit www.audible.com/MEGA or text "MEGA" to 500 500!

[@chesspiece81]

Simon you should do a mega project on just the construction of stealth planes. It's was insane. Not only did the materials not exist how they needed but neither did the tools to make the materials into what they needed.

[@chesspiece81]

@@icarus_falling yes initially with the SR-71 but the way technology that came later aided in design and manufacturing. I mean the fact the frame was made in such a way it had to be refueled immediately after take off because of the panels being so spaced apart that it would leak fuel on the run way since the panels would expand closing the gaps at speed and elevation. Hell Lockheed's Skunkworks would be an incredibly cool Mega Project and Robert Kelly the head of the department would be an awesome Biographic

[@icarus_falling]

@@chesspiece81 theres a true story where they had the special fuel leaking from the aircraft. An engineer dropped a lit cig on the fuel and it didnt ignite

[@kyleking9417]

Add "Gorilla v Bear" in the title and you will break the algorithm with the number of views inbound.

[@ND15X]

I think the liberty class shipbuilding project could be a good megaproject!

[@wes326]

I was a RC-135 RIVET JOINT navigator back in the 80s and 90s. Used to get intercepted by MiG-31s and other Russian and Chinese aircraft. The 31s could carry a lot of fuel and stayed around for an hour or so. Thanks for sharing.

[@FloridaManMatty]

Maaaaan…I would love to corner you with a beer and a mobile recorder and pick your brain for a couple hours! You had one of those quiet but SUPER critical assignments that never gets nearly enough credit. I’m sure you’re still bound to a stack of NDAs about 10’ think. Wes, sincerely man, THANK YOU for what you did. I doubt you guys on ever had much in the way of fan boys because most people are clueless to the nature of the job you did. Please allow me to be the first in that line.

[@wes326]

@@FloridaManMatty Thanks for the kind words. Another tidbit, when the Russians shot down Korean Air Lines flight 007 in 1983, they thought it was a RC-135 that had been in the area earlier. The navigator on that RC-135 flight was one of my instructors in navigator training. Btw, looking at your name are you from Florida? I grew up west of Orlando around Winter Garden, Ocoee, Windermere area and also lived near Cocoa Beach for five years.

[@7th_Heaven]

@wes326 @FloridaManMatty "The plane crash that gave Americans GPS" They did the article November 2014, The Atlantic Newspaper. 382204 Stupid frickin KZbin deleted the hyperlink already. Reposted this comment after the edited one was First Ammendment rights violated away.

[@jochenstacker7448]

"I put SR 71 in the title and people click that". Yes. Yes they do.

[@aidenhall6478]

So true tho.

[@ryanhamstra49]

*me having just clicked because of the sr-71* “Yes, you are correct”

[@kerburettor2890]

I clicked because of the Mig-31.

[@rayberczik7251]

Yep clicked cause sr-71 in title. Guilty!!

[@vladsnape6408]

I click on all videos with SR 71 in the title.

[@Leadblast]

The Cold War air race in a nutshell: *XB-70:* Built to be the fastest bomber ever. *MiG-25:* Built to counter the XB-70. *F-15:* Built to counter the MiG-25. *Su-27:* Built to counter the F-15. *F-22:* Built to counter the Su-27. And so on.

[@moizabdul5384]

MIG 25 ; built to counter the XB 70 F15 : the FX program was stolen by russia and they built the mig 25 su 27 : built to counter the f15 mig 29 : built to counter the f16 f22: was built to achieve air superiority over all

[@lensman5762]

They might have intended the F15 to counter the Mig 25 but the first encounter was by a two ship formation of Iranian F14s in Oct 1978 over the Caspian sea. They locked their radars on the high flying Mig 25RB and the Mig aborted its intended overflight mission over Iran. The US at that time had a few ' listening ' posts in the north of Iran along its long border with the Soviet Union. They monitored amongst other things, the Soviet ballistic missile tests and launches. These cat and mouse games would at times turn hot. Iran used to conduct covert overfly missions in the Soviet airspace along her borders. Both sides lost aircraft and crew including a US airman ( intelligence officer ) who was shot down with his Iranian pilot in an F4 RF. The first downing of an Iraqi Mig 25RB was by an Iranian F14 from TFB-8, on the 16th Sept 1982 captained by S. Rostami using his AIM-54A Phoenix missile. To my knowledge two or three more Iraqi Mig25s, one was a PD version, fell to Iranian F14s in 1982. Iraq later only used her Mig 25s to carry out high altitude blind bombing of the Iranian centers of population, and relied on her newly delivered Mirage F1s for aerial battles. So to put it mildly, the F15 was the Johnny Come Lately character in the Mig 25 scene.

[@dinos9607]

@@moizabdul5384 I thought it was the other way around, USA had stolen early designs of the Mig-25 project and thinking it had to be an advanced fighter jet they worked on it eventually getting on with the F-15. The F-15's development and production came some years later after the Mig-25's development and production respectively

[@moizabdul5384]

@@dinos9607 the F-X program was already there when the mig 25 came into service but the us drastically decreased the deadline /performance of the aircraft was also increased.

[@polygamous1]

And all the countries end up spending Billions to counter each other in the end the poor pay the price suffering economically n worse their children send to fight n die for old politicians wars n megalomanic agendas

[@jasonmeadors3524]

Very interesting. Thank you. I had the good fortune to see an SR-71 in 1978. One had landed at Kadena AFB in Okinawa. I and another Marine were just driving around the landing strip, and there it was, ringed by security. We surmised it had to stop for a mechanical issue. We stayed on the ridge above the runway, mind-boggled. They finally sewed it up, security left, and the plane rolled down the runway. It was loud enough, but as its front gear lifted, it was the loudest thing I have ever heard in my life, and I am old. The shriek-crackle just split the air. Unearthly. The plane went up at about a 45-degree angle and was soon out of sight.

[@SpecialEDy]

SR-71: A fuel tank with some engines and a cockpit strapped to it. MiG 31: Some engines with a fuel tank and cockpit strapped to it.

[@sherlocksinha2435]

also mig 31 has a radar and weapons systems and long range missiles

[@literalantifaterrorist4673]

XB-70: Some engines with a bomb bay and weird ass fuselage strapped to it.

[@mirandela777]

MIG 25 say hold my beer, because : ADD weapons, AND able to spit on SR71 from a double higher altitude, AND able to actually make a 180ª turn at supersonic speed without breaking in pieces, AND without the fear one in each 3 planes will crash....

[@AlRoderick]

B-2: A wing.

[@mirandela777]

@@sherlocksinha2435 - yup, Mig 31 was way better as a plane than the SR71, and probably the best high altitude fighter and faster fighter of the world when was introduced...

[@mirage4456]

We had a SR-71 land at our naval base in Oceana Va. in 1970 They tried to put it into our hanger, but only got the nose and 1/3 of the plane in. What I will always remember was looking at the under wing and there was 1000's of drops of fuel and we had put oil pans covering the whole floor to catch the fuel. It dripped fuel until it got to altitude and speed then sealed up as the heat expanded the metal.

[@magnusthunerson6715]

To fly in Is said to be incredible experience the only hellish Part is landing it as when the stops so does the cabin AC and only 2 ways to exit by blowing the Hatch or waiting the for Hatch or better said sauna to cool down enough to open normally as my good friends who was SRO on one my bases which had no enlisted club my as we were allowed in the officer club The my base was also the biggest military aviation gas station in the world as every flight east or west land there as having you aviation gas station dead in the middle of the Pacific ocean does not leave much competition. A strange thing though Prices in Hawaii are normally a bit more to you want much you must be Joking? As at the time burger king whopper McDonald big mac and quarter pounder were all at 99 cents every day on TV ads I time noticed the little print "but not the except Alaska and Hawaii" when I was transferred to Hawaii there it was 4.99 Now for two whoppers in Hawaii it 14.78 plus tax compared to 2 for 5 .00 plus tax.

[@dougbutcher4452]

@@magnusthunerson6715 had no idea that Hawaii was so expensive. Hope to go one day.

[@jakekurland3568]

@@dougbutcher4452 it’s not worth it. I’ve been all over the Caribbean, South America, Europe. Hawaii was like a communistic version st Maarten. Everyone is racist against whites, homeless people everywhere, and completely overnblown on the Hawaii thing. Save your money and go to American Samoa. At least it’s not over developed.

[@dougbutcher4452]

@@jakekurland3568 thanks for the information 👍🏻

[@xlotyliciux]

Reminds me of how many large ships are only water tight when moving ... sitting still, water leaks in through the propeller shaft - requiring pumps in operation while dockside. Underway? The vortex created behind the moving ship makes the propeller shaft "water tight."

[@F22raptor46]

I have to correct you on something, the Mig-25 wasn't made to counter the Sr-71, it was built to counter the XB-70 Valkyrie

[@xxrobby129xx]

B-70.

[@F22raptor46]

@@xxrobby129xx if the XB-70 had entered service then yes that's what it would have been called

[@UncleGrizzley]

No, XB is correct, never made it into production, or was accepted by the US Government. The two that were made, went into flight test.

[@cadengrace5466]

It would have failed at that role. The XB-70 official performance envelope is not the same as its actual envelope. While, on the other hand we know all too well just what the limits of the Foxbat were ever since one was handed to the USA when it defected and landed in Japan.

[@F22raptor46]

@@cadengrace5466 True but I was talking about why the Mig-25 was built, they built it specifically for the XB-70, it was sort of a panic reaction to the Valkyrie

[@stupidthefish1979]

Engineer: "So how is the SR-71 supposed to deal with missiles?" Designer: *Rails coke off stripper's ass* "Make it fly faster than the missiles"

[@jasonmcmillan4373]

LMAO! :)

[@allenanderson4911]

Brilliant!

[@diademadiademoni202]

This was possible only because the SAM were meant to be launched from the ground, in not you could see a SA-10 doubling the speed of the SR-71 and kill it. More, the head on launch could make worthless the speed advantage of the fast flying aircrafts

[@thebeastmaster3453]

The engineers are the designers, it isn’t for fashion

[@safwansaid5139]

@@thebeastmaster3453 Those can be two different jobs, not every engineer can design, and not every designer can engineer, a single person wearing too many hats, isnt efficient in R&D.

[@macuss87]

I do realllllllly like that Simon is completely transparent about his reasoning for putting up certain videos. Keep it honest Simon!

[@maxrockhamner]

Was 68 made it 69

[@AshLilburne]

Transparent? Hes reading a script not even written by himself lol.. The opening sentence is a commonly used humanising technique many script writers have used for generations.

[@macuss87]

@@AshLilburne Simon saying "hey I know a plane isn't a megaproject, but I get loads of views when I do plane videos." is him being transparent with his reasoning. "This doesn't fit the channel name but I know you'll watch." is him being honest.

[@AshLilburne]

macuss87 I wish I shared your views on transparency. I also wish I shared the same insecurities so I could like my own posts yet here we are

[@macuss87]

@@AshLilburne You wish you shared insecurities? Odd. I do it to tweak the algorithms to help simon out. Since I'm in the notification drop down I'm limited on which comments I can thumb. The more interactions the more the video is spread. The same reason I thumbed down both of your comments. Now look at where we are. :-D

[@Chef_PC]

When Simon intentionally reveals his clickbait titles and subjects with absolutely no shame. I love it. Blaze on, boi!

[@PoulvandenElshout]

And so true, SR-71 > CLICK

[@peten2956]

Allegedly

[@bimblinghill]

Tbf, I don't think anyone brought here by their love of the SR-71 would have been disappointed. So it's technically clickbait, but...

[@Freakingbean]

Honestly is so hard to come by nowadays. Is fucking nice to see at least someone is 100 with us.

[@MrSteveo114]

It’s not clickbait if the title and thumbnail are actually relevant to the videos content, which this one is.

[@GermanPepe69]

I respect a man who isn’t afraid to admit he clickbaited us

[@DanielAleksanderJensen]

Well, actually it isn't a click bait, right?

[@All.Natural.Dirt.]

He was very polite about it though, like everything else he does 😂

[@coronalight77]

Lol really? Most moronic comment ever.

[@jetcitykitty]

The whole video is jerk bait though the Simon's far too humble to admit that

[@AlanpittsS2b]

Except this isn’t the only time, the point I stopped liking him so much was when he tried to paint Japan as good to an extent in ww2 or justify things they did when in fact they were brutal murderers and just as racist as the nazis

[@mattsmith1137]

I used to live near Beale Air Force, Ca and witnessed the SR take off and land several times. Very impressive to see one flying at low altitude.

[@elizabethnilsson1815]

YOU DO NOT WIN WAR BY THE PLANES 'IMPRESSIVE' TAKE OFF. THAT IS WHY THE REAL US ARMY AND CIA IS KNOW THEY HAVE NO CHANCE AGAINST BASICLY ANY COUTNRY IN THE WORLD BECAUSE NON OF THEIR PLANE CAN DEFEND OR OFFEND ENOUGH IN A WAR.... ONLY IMPRESS, THAT IS REDICILOUS THEY REALIZED .... IT IS ALL JUST A HIGHLY OVERPRIZED TOY SHOW ROOMS PLANES FOR IMPRESS BUT CAN NOT DEEND IT SELF AND EVEN LESS THEIR COUNTRY.

[@tejaspatel6582]

*Alucard grinning in the dark corner* "Well that's going on my Christmas List".

[@patrickasplund]

"DO YOU EVEN READ MY CHRISTMAS LIST!!!"

[@tejaspatel6582]

@@patrickasplund "Ahh~.. The return of the Why-Boner: With A VENGEANCE!"

[@BakaBoiéé]

Spell Alucard backward, it spell Dracula🧛🦇

[@GermanPepe69]

Gentlemen....... Ve....are nazis Und Ve like var....

[@springbok4015]

Them: “it’s not a mega project” Me: Have you tried building one? I love your videos, Simon.

[@Real28]

Especially considering these things were projects for what, 5-10yrs? That's a mega project

[@TravisFabel]

To be fair though, if that was the bar for it being a mega project, they would not be able to build a car engine...or even a PC case. All things that people can ASSEMBLE, but few can design and build.

[@mp40submachinegun81]

@@TravisFabel engines are definitely not mega projects, they are actually incredibly simple. Whats hard is making a half decent one that is both reliable and has a good power to weight ratio.

[@jzk3919]

Tried building one...Hmmm. The French did. Before the SR there were the Griffons - with the same engines. Kelly had to take two Griffons with chainsaw, put a long fuel tank+cockpit between the two half-Griffons and he got the Blackbird. That is ingenious - but hardly unheard of.

[@Locomotion-uz4ly]

Each fighter aircraft is a mega-project by default.

[@haedubabaganush]

I must admit, I had a good laugh reading some of the comments here. Trying to compare the mig-31 to the sr-71 is total nonsense in my humble opinion. The aircraft were designed for two different purposes and both are successful for what they were designed for. The 71 was designed to be a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft and of course, was capable of greater speed and altitude than the published information. The published info refers to optimum cruise for distance and missions usually required descents to 30K feet for refueling anyways. The fact remains that no sr-71 was successfully intercepted and I am absolutely sure, if the Russians could have downed one, they would have. The 31 is an excellent area defense aircraft and was primarily designed for the interception of low flying cruise missiles. It's superb radar was designed to pick out cruise missiles from background scatter from relatively high altitude and effectively intercept multiple targets. Of course, it could intercept high altitude bombers as well, and like most interceptors, there is a great reliance on launching missiles and would likely not do very well in a close in dogfight because of it's high wing loading and large turn rate. It would also bleed off energy quickly so the pilots of 31's were taught to avoid such engagements and operate mainly under GCI intercept parameters. While there were attempts to intercept an SR-71 on more than one occasion, it was really an exercise for the soviet pilots to see how close they could come to achieving launch parameters and if I recall correctly, there is only one account where the mig-31 pilot stated that he visually saw the aircraft. On that mission, the 71 had an unstart ( an engine compression stall that plagued the sr-71) and had to descend for a relight and so was much below it's operating altitude. Regardless, even though it was spotted, the 31 could not catch up. Yes, I do know that 31 pilot said that if he had a missile he could have taken a shot at it. I believe him but there is only one problem....mig-31's couldn't do the exercise if carrying missiles. The extra drag and weight of a missile load impacts heavily on the performance, that also depends on fuel loads. When I was doing intercept practice in my aircraft, we would start at 35K feet at .98M and GCI vectored to an intercept of a simulated bomber flying at 60K feet. In 7 minutes you would be doing 2.2M and pitching up from 50K into the target to put it in the missile cone, launch and pull down. By that time you were so low in fuel you would have to manage your energy on descent so that you had enough for the landing. Mind you, you could go a long way from 50K feet if you managed your energy well. These exercises where done with a light missile load, usually 2, to achieve this type of intercept. I flew a hot aircraft that held a bunch of records in it's time, but no way would it be able to intercept a 71 while carrying a useful load. The mig-31, while an excellent aircraft, would be subjected to the same laws of aerodynamics and fuel consumption. It's a far more complex procedure than just looking at specs. Thanks for reading my 2 cents worth.

[@MrLawrenceJShirley]

Good job! :

[@tomililama]

Не болтай ерундой :) World records of the E-266 M/1 Aircraft These 6 world records (one of which is absolute), set more than 15 years ago, have not been broken yet May 17, 1975 Time of ascent to an altitude of 25,000 m - 2 min 32.2 s (pilot A.V. Fedotov) May 17, 1975 Time of ascent to an altitude of 30,000 m - 3 min 9.85 s (pilot P. M. Ostapenko) May 17, 1975 Time of ascent to the height of 35,000 m - 4 min 11.7 s (pilot A.V. Fedotov) July 22, 1977 The altitude record with a payload of 1000 kg is 37,080 m (pilot A.V. Fedotov). Altitude record with a payload of 2000 kg August 31, 1977 The absolute altitude record at 37,650 m (pilot A. V. Fedotov)

[@mustang6599]

Agreed. The MIG is much slower, and nowhere near the same ceiling height as the SR-71, and your analysis provided pretty much proves that. Nicely done!

[@WorldRespectForLife]

This man is quite knowledgable but am I the only one on the face of this planet that knows exactly why the SR-71 was so fast? No one ever mentions that the GE engines convert to ramjets after getting up to Mach 2, ramjets have no top speed and they would take the plane on up to Mach 3, 4, 5 and greater limited only by heat temp on the planes body.

[@haedubabaganush]

@@tomililama oh yes.. those are real records and no one is denying it. But like all record breaking attempts, like the one done with the f-15 and the long list before it, and most of the above examples, the aircraft are unloaded of excess equipment, rails, etc and fuel load is calculated to the gallon/lbs/ or Kg. If you notice, adding a load does affect performance. What I don't know if the load was internal fuel, or wing attachments. I suspect it was internal fuel. In comparison, the raptor did 12000m in 55.5 seconds... that's 40000 or so feet in under a minute. Quite impressive as it was at combat load when it did it. However, I would bet that even today, the f-22 couldn't get up to the sr-71's altitude and get an effective intercept. So all those records don't mean much if you can't do the intercept. Remember, even Yeager was able to reach 100K in a modified 104 back in the late 50's. The reason why the Soviets...sorry, Russians, have put more money into high altitude Sam's like the S-400 and future S-500 series is that it may be possible to get a boosted sam up to to that height with some manoeuvrebility energy left after the climb. But getting it that high doesn't mean it can hit the target. A one degree heading change at the speed of the Sr-71 at launch detection would likely defeat the missile. What many don't realize, once the missile engine stops, and that is usually measured in seconds to get it to it's top dynamic speed, the missile is losing energy and speed, the more it has to turn, the greater the dynamic forces on it and the more energy it loses. That is why air-air missiles like the newer generation 120's can loft after launch, and the higher the launching aircraft speed, the better. It can then used the potential energy gained by lofting while the burn to convert to kinetic energy for the engagement. The higher the loft and speed, the longer the range and manoeuvre potential. So shooting anything at an sr-71, you would have to have a missile that is both faster, and doesn't lose energy while climbing. Don't know of one that would fit. Of course, you could try to climb and launch at a predicted flight point of the sr-71, but a slight change on the autopilot direction and your fancy calculations of the launch point go out the window at those speeds and altitudes. The missiles have limitations in thin air too as those little wings try to steer it. Like I said my friends, it's a much more complicated topic than it looks like at first. I hope no one thinks I was slamming the Mig-31, I was not. I am just pointing out the difficulty of an intercept by it, and any other aircraft of a high flying machine like the sr-71. The sr-72...now that is another story...hard to shoot down something that you can't see on radar and flying higher and faster than the 71 :-)

[@yeeboi5545]

Developing a cutting edge aircraft that can be produced in quantity is *absolutely* a megaproject.

[@thesaddestdude3575]

Aghreed!

[@jerrydiem7755]

I saw an SR71 in 1971 at Kadena A.B, in Okinawa Japan.I was stationed there as a member of the air force,I worked on the flight line as an ejection seat mechanic and walked by it one day,It was being refueled and was heavily guarded.I believe it was being used as a surveilance plane flying over Vietnam,and,at that time,probably Laos and Cambodia.

[@SuperSaltydog77]

I was stationed at the Navy Seabee camp (Camp Shields) right next to Kadena in 1974. On one of our road building projects I was taking a break sitting on the bumper of my deuce and a half, heard this roaring noise and looked up to see Habu flying maybe 500 feet over our heads as it was coming in for a landing at Kadena. I can still see the sight in my mind to this day.

[@skeggjoldgunnr3167]

@@SuperSaltydog77 Can do, right? Seabees... It's like if a marine had a brain.

[@SuperSaltydog77]

@@skeggjoldgunnr3167 Can Do

[@CmdrTomalak]

Simon: "And I know this video's already going to be popular because I'll probably put SR-71 in the title.... aaaaand people click that" Me: "I feel so used!" Also me: "More SR-71 videos please."

[@lpflore]

Meanwhile I clicked because of the MiG-31, or how I call it: "There is a plane around your engines"

[@skyden24195]

Love the SR-71...but, if you're gonna keep on supersonic aircraft, I'm gonna keep recommending the B-1B Lancer.

[@demandred1957]

There's nothing really more to say about it though..Baddest, *fastest* never been equaled.. USA 1

[@JayVee53]

MiGs are very cool

[@skyden24195]

@@JayVee53 hey, without MiGs, Goose wouldn't have gotten such a great Polaroid.

[@DesertFernweh]

Simon, I know this is off topic, but if you think the SR-71 is impressive in a museum you should see it fly. I grew up in Palmdale California. Home of Sunk Works and the SR-71. While it was no longer used by the military in the 90s it was regularly flown for research purposes and was a common sight in that area. Fun fact, it is INCREDIBLY loud, so much so that when they would fly over our neighborhood every morning at 8:50 it would set off every car alarm for blocks. Best Alarm clock ever!

[@shanebeck8559]

99.9 % of people don't know this but it was also landed and stored at the Skunk works in Marietta,Ga. I pulled all the fiber optics and microwave communication lines in both facilities in Cali and Ga.

[@HolyNorthAmericanEmpire]

As the MiG-31 is now achieving several air-to-air victories over long ranges, together with it's capability to use air-to-ground cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles it's safe to say that the MiG-31 is the best and most versatile aicraft of the Soviet Era (Su-30 is post soviet era). Although it started out as an aircraft with a single goal, that being a super sonic interceptor, like the F-15 it evolved from a specialized tool to a swiss army knife. Respect to the people that designed and built these.

[@prashanthb6521]

Yes Mig-31 is being used extensively in Ukraine now inspite of the availability of more modern aircrafts.

[@nahuelcutrera]

and now they can use r37 misiles with 500km reach... it's insane, they have a 2.83 mach plane with 500km reach... and they can also use it to throw khinzal if they want. But the best part is that is a dirt cheap plane to build for russia and they have a ton of them from the cold war.

[@harryparsons2750]

It looks lot like the F-15. Coincidence? I doubt it

[@HolyNorthAmericanEmpire]

@@harryparsons2750 The F-15 was the answer to the MiG-25, on which the MiG-31 is based. So it's the other way around this time.

[@BobbyJardine-vs8yc]

It's been rendered obsolete by the F-22 & the F-35.

[@JEBavido]

Yes, I'm here because you put SR-71 in the title. Several years ago I was in Taiwan sitting in on an English class that my adult daughter was teaching. A couple of grade schoolers, brothers, were drawing airplanes while listening to the lesson. I conversed with them later that I liked planes too. They said, "Which one is your favorite?" I said, "The SR-71." They began squealing with delight and shouting, "The Blackbird! The Blackbird!" So yeah, it's safe to say it's a pretty popular bit of equipment the world over and with any age group.

[@fgialcgorge7392]

Simon has come so far. I always loved his lists and today I learned videos but I love actually seeing his real sense of humor and personality, the behind the scenes pronunciation, no shame clickbait. Simon will go down in the internet hall of fame, for all of it. The KNOWLEDGE (read my book about books), humor, subject matter, just the vast amount of KNOWLEDGE (10% off my book about books) and subjects covered is crazy. KNOWLEDGE.

[@cdstoc]

I've seen SR-71s and an A-12 in museums, but my favorite was seeing one at the Norton AFB air show in the early 1980's. It was on static display but in late afternoon the pilots boarded, prepped for flight, taxied, took off, did a low-level pass then did a very high-angle climb. My second favorite was when I was working on a radar in Germany in the mid-1980s. I watched a plane take off from the UK, climb over the channel, turn off IFF then reach Mach 3 at 80,000 feet. There was only one plane that could do that, I knew it was an SR-71. It hugged the border with east Germany going south, turned around over west Germany, followed the border north, then returned to the UK.

[@jerryfrelix6774]

I was part of history in the making. I am a USAF Vet, 1966-1970.One of the highlights of my tour of duty was the SR-71. I was a crew chief on a KC-135 air refueling tanker. I was on the first tanker from my base to refuel a SR-71.Our mission was to refuel this amazing air craft over the Nevada Test Range. After refueling the pilot of the SRJ-71 asked if we would like a show. The maneuvers I witnessed that day will forever be with me. What a joy it was.

[@notbraindead7298]

Jerry Frelix: Man, you are one lucky dude! In the right place at the right time!

[@jerryfrelix6774]

@@notbraindead7298 Thanks, serving my country had its rewards.

[@alexandercelik1698]

Thank you for your service

[@lw85381]

Yeah, I'll never forget when I was visiting Mather AFB north of Sacramento, CA upgrading the huge phased array radars located near the base, when the base commander asked us (3 IBM employees at that time) if we'd like to visit the flight line at 06:30 tomorrow and watch the SR-71's takeoff. We sure did, and it was simply spectacular as four of them lined up at the end of an 11,000 Ft. runway and one at a time, they fired up their engines, leaking fuel all over the place as they were designed to do to allow for expansion of the air frame skin as it heated up as they passed Mach 2. The roar of pure power was like a punch in the gut as a +25' flame (my estimate) erupted from both engines driving the Blackbird to +207 MPH (334 KPH) for takeoff. The first plane circled the base to verify all systems were nominal, and turned it's nose up and flew to angels 40 to wait for the remainder of the squadron and rendezvous for a waiting KC-135 tanker to fuel up before heading out over the pacific for some exercise we were not privy to. The sucker broke the sound barrier while it was still climbing for altitude! Beats the crap out of spending 2 years commanding a Navy PBR (Patrol Boat River) in the Mekong Delta. The Good Days were firing bazookas at VC (Viet Cong) supply rafts drifting down the river. Much more effective than the puny 30 and 50 caliber machine guns we had and a pathetic grenade launcher. The bad days are not worth remembering. The wonderful folks in the US Army "donated" the bazookas to us at 04:00 one day, or so I was told.

[@aluisious]

@@lw85381 heavily embellished to be generous

[@fwarleader]

SR71: Requesting flight level 80 ATC: If you can reach that level it is all yours SR71: Descending to flight level 80

[@JohnDoe-yr4ck]

FL80 is 8000 feet. You meant FL800 I believe

[@kjmdrumz3]

John Doe “Flight Level” 80 is not 8000 feet. There is no “Flight Level” below 18,000 feet, or 180.

[@a20axf]

Adam Pennington not strictly true. Whilst the USA and Canada use 18000ft as the transition layer it can be much lower in other countries. Although he did mean FL800, FL80 can still be valid. Sometimes it can be as low as 3500ft but, realistically it’s too low for actually stating that you’re at a flight level rather than using altitude (QNH) or height (QFE). I own a classic sport plane in Scotland, as part of the flight planning aspects of a PPL, you are taught how to calculate the transition layer.

[@bradlangley7815]

Scott Bond you should give credit where you found that tower quote..

[@ZeroG]

F18: "Center Dusty-52 speed check." ATC: "620 six two zero knots over the ground." SR71: "Ahhh LA Center... Aspen three zero... have you got a ground speed readout for us?" ATC; "Aspen 30 we see you one thousand nine-hundred and twenty knots acrossss the ground." silence crackling SS: "Ahem LA Center... this is Discovery... ahh, ground speed check plox." ATC: "Space Shuttle Discovery, we have you at fifteen thousand, oh five two, that's one fiver oh fiver two knots over the ground. Godspeed Discovery."

[@a-a-ron9027]

"put SR-71 in the title, people clicked that" dangit, you got me

[@jqaz722]

Did you guys see Rebecca black on Tosh.0, she’s so hot now, it’s a great interview all I could think of was how great Joe Biden is if it wasn’t for my grandmother dying, and then getting Covid two months later I would go crazy, I would almost put on black face like a rich white liberal and I would almost get away with it like they do. I’m not that lucky I don’t get to skate through life I’m the one that has to fight corn pop because he was a bad dude. If it wasn’t for corn pop and all his racist white privileged gun owners, it would almost be like a rich white liberal getting to choose what prison she goes to, or a rich white liberal who’s been in Congress for 40 years and is worth $120 million, almost sounds like Nancy Pelosi doesn’t it LOL

[@gmoritz71last52]

Yup. I clicked that too as did the other 74 up-voter-ers and possibly a jillion others. The SR-71 makes me aeronauticallly erect.

[@GOLEG11]

A-A-Ron Simon forgot to include a video when a soviet mig -25 interception of a flying cigar .. НЛО kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4mzaYN4abd8d7s

[@LucyferSkyles]

Samsies

[@cinegraphics]

next title: "Charlize Theron riding an F-35"

[@anarchyantz1564]

Megaproject Suggestion. Longest deep bore ice core in Antarctica. Took years, loads of drama with it and they found some cool stuff like a fresh water lake under the ice containing previously unknown lifeforms. Would go Well with the other hole projects that are popular.

[@benjaminholcomb9478]

Would go "well" you say??

[@anarchyantz1564]

@@benjaminholcomb9478 That was a "deep" comment!

[@halospartan199]

This is such a COOL idea !

[@scar65diflorio68]

Sounds like Steve Alton's " vostock".

[@a-a-ronbrowser1486]

I’d swear he’s done an episode on it already. One of his channels anyway

[@Afrocanuk]

@ 4:56 - Such a vibrant cockpit. Clear to see, clear to read. Excellent contrast!

[@graylinshowell7051]

"Planes are not mega projects." "What is a mega project?" "A massive undertaking of engineering, something that takes years to develop, tens of billions of dollars, and millions of man hours to create." "...like a plane?

[@cleverusername9369]

It's a shame that flight is mundane to some people. It's a freaking miracle

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

No man they just arent lol. I get it though, the internet is full of people obsessed with stuff like this.. but why you gotta ruin this channel lol, go find some plane channel.

[@juggs9437]

Id say the mega refers to a the pure scale of the projects like channel tunnels, huge buildings which are so huge they have their own specific engineering challenges, a plane is a bit different much more refined and complex and sensitive to changes so maybe a Complex Project? Not as catchy so better just to stick with megaproject

[@juggs9437]

@@cleverusername9369 X-15 was a miracle thats for surr

[@juggs9437]

@@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111 why is a big stack of concrete or a big length of concrete interesting and not a aerial vehicle that can go almost a kilometer a second forward and 600 plus mph straight up thats pretty interesting to me. P.S i like building too just used then as a example

[@SplashMountain_EpicSave]

I'm a simple man. When I see fancy jetfighters I press the like button.

[@WasabiSniffer]

Everyone loves jets

[@kommandantgalileo]

me too

[@samuelboston5121]

I was sayinggg😂

[@bokiantic]

Love ya m8🤣🤣🤣

[@antonkukoba3378]

I'm even simplier, I see something russian, I ban it.

[@doublev1229]

"I put SR 71 in the title and people click that" I clicked on it because of the MIG-31

[@potatojuice5124]

Honestly same

[@astroesegg]

me see anything Soviet me klick

[@michael7845]

The plane would fall apart at that speed ...hey what was that ... I think we lost a wing ...GTFOOH.!!!

[@zinnahsayarmahmud]

Same

[@DrNoLife-x8u]

Same

[@Hangman105]

I like that the SR-71 pilots that did have missiles fired on them have said in the past, "I can't tell you how fast we were going but it was scary" indicating the SR-71 was a hell of a lot faster than we know about. Considering most people would agree that 3000+ mph wouldn't have been an issue for the engines the question was could it take the heat. The fastest speed ever claimed was Mach 3.56 or 2731mph. Edit: The best info I could find is from Brain Shul a former SR-71 pilot who said on one mission they pushed the speed past Mach 3.5 and possibly faster. It really begs exactly how fast the SR-71 could go. Also, remember these are unverified numbers as official numbers are still Mach 3.2

[@herbert5491]

Yeah..."Official numbers"...hahaha. Check how fast the crew fying one over Libya went when been A/C missile fired upon

[@michaelsigismonde7958]

Please see my text elsewhere. According to an article in Air & Space magazine, ON PAPER, the SR-71 was capable of exceeding Mach 4 if cooler atmospheric conditions prevailed.

[@alexnelson9505]

In a recent video with a crew Cheif, he started over 2400mph at 80000 feet before it flamed out the engines. This is mach 3.6+

[@BlackHawkBallistic]

The nose cones limit the speed because they can only adjust so much until the shockwave from the air causes the engines to stall

[@gwmcklintock]

A buddy of mine claims to have seen Mach 4 patches on some SR-71 pilots and crew. I have no idea the validity of this, but that is what he claims.

[@jonnygifford989]

The airplane Megaprojects are always the best Megaprojects. Those who say planes aren't megaprojects probably have never built an aircraft

[@securehi]

Ya know? It feels nice to build yourself a plane, even if, even if, it was a glider or a paramotor

[@securehi]

At least it flies, ya know. The exitement of building things is what matters

[@Matt-dc8lp]

Does balsa wood count?

[@securehi]

@@Matt-dc8lp for me, yes

[@robertreynolds1044]

My father was part of the wind tunnel team, building the actual models of the C-17,KC-10, and AMRAMM. Those all are megaprojects.

[@jasond5004]

The Eisenhower Interstate System might make a good mega project.

[@bebopalloobop]

Roads in Kansas are the best roads in the world

[@deadfreightwest5956]

Based on the German Autobahn (but on the very, very cheap!) Remember, back when Ike was president, the top income bracket was 90%. And nobody complained. Huh, wonder if the MAGA types would demand a return to that era.

[@zapfanzapfan]

Yepp, that is a proper big project.

[@knockhello2604]

Gave cars ultimate supremacy

[@josephnoneofyourbeeswax8517]

@@deadfreightwest5956 Do you know how many people actually paid 90%. Exactly. Your post is incoherent. As you should know, MAGA types have already lowered taxes.

[@Dr_Do-Little]

-Comrade. Missiles are not fast enough to catch it. -Then we'll have to build a... WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?

[@GeroldGarthcia]

Considering the money, engineering expertise, and lives dumped into developing these planes I'd say it's a fairly legit megaproject.

[@wes326]

I was a RC-135 navigator. We got intercepted by lots of Soviet aircraft (SU-27, SU-15, MiG 21, MiG 23, etc) but the MiG 31 had enough gas to hang out for a while.

[@josephgibbons1631]

The Mig 25 was a 60's muscle car. Straight line speed, cornered like a pregnant water buffalo.

[@imrekalman9044]

Most buildings have better manoeuvrability than the MiG-25. 😁

[@terrariabuildings9011]

@@imrekalman9044 well it still easily "outrun" every other jet lol

[@imrekalman9044]

@@terrariabuildings9011 Fun fact: the only loss in air-to-air combat of the F/A-18 (not that it had much) was to a Mig-25P in the Gulf war. 😁

[@terrariabuildings9011]

@@imrekalman9044 really? Ok thats intresting🤔😅

[@eoinkenny3188]

You've obviously never seen a pregnant water buffalo turn. It's actually quite impressive

[@amatthew1231]

Its not that the SR was faster than a missle, there are mach 3+ missles, but the missiles when fired would exhaust all their fuel climbing to the SR-71's altitude and then fail. This plane was just the launch vehicle for getting a big fast missle high enough to be effective.

[@bombomos]

Cuz ramjet engines are nasty

[@Otokichi786]

Which is what happened when an Israeli F-15 launched an air-to-air missile at a MiG-25. Result? Many MiG parts sprinkled over the area.

[@panderson9561]

One of the SR-71 pilots...can't remember his name...said, that at the speed the SR-71 was flying, by the time the missile climbed from the ground to their altitude...90ish thousand feet...they would be 50 miles down range.

[@DGeorge819]

P Anderson one of them also stated “it was protected by the laws of physics. It was untouchable.” Legendary plane.

[@nats50]

@@DGeorge819 Not exactly.

[@dennisa7784]

"whose only aerial victory is against a surveillance balloon" That one didn't age quite so well....

[@astra8308]

What happened?

[@dennisa7784]

@@astra8308 now the US can say the same thing about the F22, one of the most advanced planes ever

[@rinzo2009]

Finally! This episode of Megaprojects is proudly sponsored by the USSR once again. Though Comrade Bhreznev won't be pleased with your murdering of his air force project.

[@Zachomara]

I'm guessing the people weren't pleased with Comrade Breznev's handling of the economy, either.

[@rinzo2009]

@@Zachomara Unlike Mr. K and Papa Stalin, Bhreznev was always playing catch up at a very expensive rate.

[@altergreenhorn]

@@Zachomara Actually a Georgian man messed the country big time Breznev was just a guy who try to crawl back to the surface with one hand and one foot tied down by the Stalin successors

[@Zachomara]

@@altergreenhorn One word: Afghanistan.

[@Doctors_TARDIS]

On Business Blaze Simon is your Boy with the Blaze On Megaprojects Simon is your Man with the Plans

[@LeoStaley]

*planes

[@benhardy172]

Planes

[@stephenkitcoff9177]

The engine ended up in Illinois at Argonne National Labs. They found the engine had a superior lubrication system over what the US employed.

[@notaclerk1]

Ky jelly?

[@rusoviettovarich9221]

The Russians have had a lot of practice on the ground per designing lubricants for very low temperatures and although temperatures in space are super cold no matter where nonetheless they, as any continuing top of the line entity in any endeavor, built on years and years of the need for uses.

[@OregonOutdoorsChris]

Good ole Red Gate Woods :-)

[@demonsrexis]

The fact that the Soviet's Mig25 can get mach 2.8 with a "regular" aircraft shape is actually astonishing and pretty insane. Imagine getting your budget Japanese sedan to 180mph...

[@tomt373]

The complete investigation of the Mig25 due to the Soviet pilot Viktor Belenko's defection which took place on September 6, 1976, resulted in this becoming the "last straw" for then President Jimmy Carter to cancel the supersonic B-1 project, since it could be intercepted before it got to its target.

[@commonmancrypto1648]

That's ever rich Asian kid with a trendy hair cut.....lol

[@clipsncasts1]

Just requires a bigger turbo. The VW community does it all the time. 170-180+ is pretty easy...but I get what your saying...

[@tailsorange2872]

Ahem, the Nissan Skyline GTR be like: (cringe)

[@alexvenous1875]

Oh trust me car people are very well capable of doing such things

[@semperfipar1299]

The secret of the SR71 Blackbird's high speed,, still top secret, is the engines. A turbo ram jet. It is an amazing engine design.

[@knytetech7732]

@James M trust me when I say that you can't tell it's top speed by looking at the engines - the smart bits are on the inside.

[@harb1911]

@James M oh cmon! stop ruining cheeseburger patriot moment of pride)

[@apimpnamedslickback2748]

@James M Accounts of some pilots stated that their fastest speed in the blackbird was over 1.5 miles a second, or 5400mph. Thats a little over mach 7. Far faster than the "official" top speed of the plane. By the time one s400 system sees it, it'd be gone. Aside from that, there are no mach 7 capable missiles, and in fact, Russias fastest missiles are less than half that speed. So just like its flights during the cold war, all it would need to do is hit the throttle and you'd never even get close. :)

[@apimpnamedslickback2748]

@James M @James M I have no doubts that the S400 would detect the plane, but like I just said, it is hardware limited. They could detect it way back in the 70s and 80s, but never even came close to being able to shoot it down. The USSR didn't have missiles capable of flying that high or fast because they were limited on fuel capacity, and like I said before, even modern Russian missiles can't reach those speeds.

[@TravisFabel]

@James M it's not absolute speed. There are several missiles that go fast enough. The problem is the ability to recalculate the trajectory and move to that trajectory. So you shoot at me assuming that we will meet at position x in the future, and I push the throttle forward I now get there before you do. or I do a small turn to the side and our speeds are so close to equal that by the time you recalculate you have passed where you're able to turn. Remember at high speed you have a large turning radius and a missile has a limited amount of fuel and maneuverability. so it wasn't that it was impossible to hit, it was that it was less likely to hit due to the high speed.

[@KentBurgess]

What's the size of an elephant, smokes like a freight train, and cuts an apple into three pieces? A Soviet machine designed to cut an apple into four pieces.

[@Bearairboatrides]

LOL!

[@Taino1491]

xD LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheMaleRei]

I see what you did there.

[@garyhalsey7693]

😂

[@lewiswereb8994]

My mother in law?

[@satvikkrishna145]

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is so fearless that it made its pilots not to worry about what is happening behind them.

[@StaK_1980]

Love when Simon goes off a tangent and begins a ramble round about the topic :-)

[@ronniecochran8366]

As someone who works in the aviation industry, this is a mega project.

[@mikall1]

"Hey, we found your plane," Presides to dump box of plane parts on ground.

[@Shad0wBoxxer]

love it but.. proceed

[@economicsinaction]

1:15 Simon's Russian accent is improving, more Soviet megaprojects and he'll be speaking Russian fluently by the end of the year

[@matthewrobinett1012]

Economics in Action right

[@SuperChodot]

Russian vaccine might help

[@michaeldunne338]

His Japanese pronunciations improved too....

[@jur4x]

He totally butchered "Myagkiy" though... Also, he lives in Prague, so at least some slavic pronunciations must be creeping into his vocabulary slowly

[@davidtuttle7556]

Nyet. Nyet.

[@1hardluk]

My only granddad that I remember was an electrical engineer that I know worked at mainly at the Red Stone Arsenal . Mom said he spent time in other states working on something government related too . During a vacation to Florida he gave me a desk model of the earlier variant of the sr-71 that was a shorter A-12 desk model on a display stand back around in 1963 ,. This was in a silver finish on the model not the normal black finish .

[@pamelamays4186]

"Whistle Boy". Sounds like new merch to me.

[@gl_tonight]

Does that make us the whistle posse? The 90's are ready for a comeback

[@LeoStaley]

"Don't buy these stickers they are stupid expensive"

[@leighpowell1062]

Buy the stickers, go on

[@skyden24195]

Your Whistle Boy with the Blaze

[@kamran102]

I saw an SR-71 flying at an airshow once. That was impressive.

[@JQB45]

Me too, also amazing was seeing the B-1 flying like a fighter jet at low level during another airshow.

[@patrickhorvath2684]

LA to London in 3 hrs 45 minutes. Max speed still classified.

[@cedriceric9730]

Did you buy one?

[@burges7777]

@@cedriceric9730 ……………yea man , he bought a 32 million dollar aircraft 🤦‍♂️

[@johnpopoff7950]

New York to Paris less than 2 hours.

[@davidopsahl9188]

Project Mulberry for the D-Day invasion. Two harbors with the capacity of Dover harbor were to emplaced ON D-Day. Quite possibly the most impressive engineering feat ever! They managed to get one harbor properly installed and the second was able to operate at over 50% capacity. And they accomplished it without the tug fleet being able to communicate with the rest of the invasion force because the code books issued to the tug fleet were the wrong ones.

[@gliderfs621]

Mig 31 : I can kill you, blyatbird SR71 Blyatbird : Oh yeah, congratulations, however… **proceeds to accelerate and disappear into outer space**

[@bobthompson4319]

Planes take like 10 years to develop that's a mega project for sure

[@theinternets7516]

10 years is if you're lucky. The F-35 has been in development for 27 years.

[@divinesan7786]

@@theinternets7516 wait that long? Since when?

[@kendodd8734]

They should have spent more time on the canopy locks though cos Clint Eastwood nicked one

[@Shary1981]

5:45 lots of chewing gum was used to hold the glass in place..

[@waltsears]

Hi, I’m a military systems enthusiast. Though your focus is mega projects, I appreciated the analysis that you brought to your look at the MIG-31. I’d like to hear what you have to say about railgun technology and plasma engines. Thanks again!

[@MadProductionsink]

The MiG is much more impressive, the SR-71 is basically a camera with powerful engines that can go fast, the MiG is a weapons and radar platform that can go slightly slower. Also ,,A military jet is not a megaproject?", it literally takes 20 years to design and develop, 10 years to produce and test, it costs billions of $, and takes the combined effort of 100s of people to succeed.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Russia contributed the titanium for the SR 71, so they can share in the glory

[@alexsis1778]

@@wallacegrommet9343 Funniest CIA operation ever. Also not exactly a contribution when they got paid

[@yourdaddy6030]

You must be a Russian. So the mig is more impressive huh? Usually opinions like that are reserved for the peanut gallery. They're both impressive planes. But you think that going approximately 400 miles an hour slower than the SR-71 is no big deal? That's a huge deal. That's a huge speed disadvantage for the MiG-31. Additionally, the 2.83 mach number provided by the Soviets for the maximum speed is dubious at best. They never got that thing above Mach 2.5 without destroying their engines. The one that was supposedly clocked by Americans going mach 3.2 destroyed both it's engines in flight. On the other hand the plane you feel as the inferior plane the SR-71 can continuously cruise at Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 80,000 ft. Unimpressive I know. Plus to call it a camera with powerful engines is just an uneducated commentary by you. The engines alone were a work of art. Did you know that the metal on that plane morphed and molded in the air because it got so hot as the speeds it was flying. It was designed to do that. So that's why they had fuel leaks on it all the time because went on the ground the metal would morph back. But there was an acceptable amount of fuel that was allowed to be leaked. Call it spilled milk. Also several SR-71 pilots have stated that the mig 25 and the mig 31 never posed even a credible threat to them. They said they never worried about those two planes. The Migs got some good technology on it but it also has the advantage of being built years later after the SR-71. The mig was introduced almost 10 years after the SR-71 so it had all that time to catch up and it still couldn't lol.

[@planetfun85]

@@yourdaddy6030 ,did you sow the whole video when he said that sr 71 was locked several times ? How is not a tread? Of course, american propaganda...

[@paulkauss9346]

The mig didn't re emerge as the X men's main ride in movies! You know why? Cause the mig looks like dog shit compared to the blackbird that's why. If it's good enough for professor x, it's good enough for me.

[@HarrisonCSmith]

"Impressive planes" push the limits of human engineering, achieve incredible feats, and are extremely expensive. How are they not mega projects?

[@xillancommander]

We will get to the sr71 eventually I’m sure

[@thomasfholland]

Thomas Rennie Here’s a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paXEZmqrrcZgrdE

[@StallionStudios1234]

Because people get offended by everything these days. You cant let a fart rip in public without a social justic and political correctness warrior getting on your ass.

[@dorrisgonnawreckyou7111]

Because they arent. simple. We gonna put every car and train and boat in as a mega project too?

[@juggs9437]

Well i guess its not "mega" in scale but in complexity, i think a "megaproject" refers to a huge scale and not complexity in my opinion

[@DiscoveryBalochistan]

Now all cooking channels will use SR-71 in their titles😂

[@Mr-Clark]

Tinder profiles: SR-71, single, good looking...

[@leonardhege2132]

Just a correction note ... At 6:17 the text lists the MiG-31 as 274 ft. in length. It should be 74 ft. Thanks for the great video!

[@niagaramike528]

I missed the metric value and was absolutely floored that the jet was almost a football field long!

[@weatheranddarkness]

@@niagaramike528 it's bigger than it's format makes it look, but it sure ain't that big!

[@ADAMJWAITE]

I was just about to post the same thing.

[@chriservin5975]

I noticed that too! Lol

[@brbroberts1]

Came here to post the same comment... longer than a B52!

[@johnvandusen567]

I lived on base at Edwards AFB from 1965 to 1967. My father was a career Air Force officer. Our neighbor across the street was (then) Capt. Ben Bowles who was an SR-71 (then YF-12A) driver. He was a great guy, I washed his car, an Olds Tornado. Most of those test pilots had really stunning wives! Living on base in the middle of the Mojave Desert could be very boring, but since I was a plane nut, I got by. While I was on base they were also flying XB-70 (my all time favorite). F111, VTOL aircraft, X-15, of course. As well as testing various lifting body designs as precursor to the Shuttle.

[@thomasmcdermott132]

Translation: "I've sold out" Just fine with me, I'm here for the plane videos anyway lol

[@michaelpipkin9942]

PLEASE STAY IN THIS LANE. What about the battle between the YF-23 and the YF-22? Two of the coolest looking planes that have ever been built.

[@oldtimegames96]

Weren't they competetors in the same program that generated F-22 in the end?

[@michaelpipkin9942]

@@oldtimegames96 Yep. But the YF-23 is prettier.

[@oldtimegames96]

@@michaelpipkin9942 personal preference tbh. I still like the look of YF-22 over YF-23. Shame 22 wasnt in Ace Combat 7

[@vukashin88]

No, one of the coolest looking planes. The other one looks like a turd.

[@YTaccNo3]

the Su57 would like to differ

[@stephenlane9168]

Love these videos Simon. I watch from new home New Zealand 🇳🇿 and old home United Kingdom 🇬🇧 when travelling on business. Love the humour. Keep them coming 👌

[@kevinvanderschaaf3482]

Any MiG trying to intercept an SR is like throwing a ping pong ball at a NASCAR during the Daytona 500.

[@jim2lane]

With a competent A2A missile the MiG-31 only needed to get within the general area of an SR-71 and didn't need to actually catch up to it

[@АсНур-л3о]

По твоему как сейчас ПВО России перехватывает сверхзвуковые ракеты в бою? Ещё более быстрыми ракетами. Какую по твоему скорость имели ракеты р37? Это не такая уж и проблема. При скорости носителя 2.8 маха. По словам пилотов миг 31, у них стоит автоматический пуск ракеты при захвате целей, без участия руки человека, потому что человеческая реакция может не успеть .

[@AndrewSmoot]

It wasn't that the missiles weren't fast enough, they could actually go faster than Mach 3, they just couldn't accelerate to that speed in the time between the detection of the SR-71, which was already going Mach 3 when it was detected, and the time it took the SR-71 to clear Soviet airspace.

[@shanehaire7633]

....that and the near "low Earth Orbit" capabilities of the SR-71 just meant the rocket couldn't reach the Blackbird.

[@AndrewSmoot]

@@shanehaire7633 the missiles would also expend all of their fuel in short order, where as the SR-71 was more fuel efficient, and had a much larger capacity.

[@AndrewSmoot]

@@shanehaire7633 I'll need to find the source, but, there's a video on KZbin in which an SR-71 pilot states that the missile's fired at them could actually reach fairly far above the SRs cruising altitude.

[@ashscott6068]

@@AndrewSmoot Of course. Rockets work even better at high altitude. The higher, the better. That's why we don't use jet engines to put stuff in orbit. To make a rocket go higher, you only have to make it bigger. Oxygen isn't an issue.

[@smarterthanyou9090]

You just demonstrated the science behind why I out run police officers every time.

[@Snowmunkee]

11 seconds.... that was a lucky refresh

[@ghostthough7874]

Yup

[@nicosmind3]

Try harder next time and you might get under 10 seconds :P

[@st.denysthemartyr791]

Anyone who says, “Planes aren’t Megaprojects...” has probably never tried to design an airplane. Just sayin’ Carry on, Simon. Carry on❤️❤️❤️

[@mycroft16]

I mean, there's a reason these jet fighter projects take 10 - 20 years, more for some of the really crazy ones. Lots of them involve completely new materials that have to be invented, or engineering processes that just don't exist yet, etc. They push the boundaries with these planes. It's not like designing a new Cessna or something.

[@mydogbrian4814]

Not all Airplanes require megaprojects,. The Wright Brothers could handle it

[@elitewolverine]

Give me vodka and a team of 20, we can build a mach 2 plane...in 5yrs.

[@blinthepannkek6173]

@@elitewolverine what will be the plane's name?

[@vadim.ka96]

4:25 Damn that hits hard these days with the entire "chinese baloons" thing going on

[@Mrgunsngear]

Thanks

[@ghostcell030]

Looks like we have more than just guns as a similar interest. You have a sweet channel by the way.

[@jeremynolan4681]

You're welcome

[@MeanLaQueefa]

Jonny Sins is that you?Love your channel and other work

[@Bushy_P]

Hi :)

[@BossManSays]

Holy shit it is Johnny Sins. What's up?

[@WarpFactor999]

Simon!!! Need a Megaproject on how Simon does all his projects. Seriously.

[@Amknownas_743great_explainer]

I second this motion!

[@TravisFabel]

Simple... He just reads what multiple other people wrote.

[@orneryokinawan4529]

@@TravisFabel yeah these morons don't know that.

[@charlesclark765]

The mig 25 was not engineered as an answer to the SR-71, but rather the B-70 Valkyrie

[@anvil1021]

You know that the MIG 25 was not a soviet design. It was a Canadian design that was stolen, by Soviet Spys in Canada. The vacuum tubes were not something that was strategic in design it was what they had. Canada stopped production and further development as soon as the tech breech was realized. You know today although the SR-71 was indeed a great milestone pales in comparison to our Space Force weapons that are vigilant and able to deal a nuclear response anywhere in the World in just minutes. Although we like to hear these great "Nut and Bolt" stories we have now come far past that.

[@isuruthiwanka9448]

@@anvil1021 huh..Canada having ducks

[@divinesan7786]

@@anvil1021 but what did the Soviet steal from exactly?

[@blueberrywilbur315]

@@anvil1021 space force weapons is that the dope you’re smoking 😝

[@beijingbond]

@@divinesan7786 I think he's referring to the Avro Arrow, but lets not forget that design can follow design meaning similar themes are copied if they are relevant at the time.

[@davelowets]

"Missile fired!" SR-71 pilot: Just pushes the throttle open, "SO what?"

[@voidtempering8700]

The R-37 is faster than the Blackbird.

[@phodon129]

Time to do a video on the counter for the 25/31's counter: The Sukhoi 27 Flanker. The US panicked when they saw the 25, and went all out building the best air superiority fighter in the world at that time, the F-15 Eagle. It was so hyper-focused on this task that early models had the motto "Not a pound for air-to-ground". In response, the USSR built the Su-27 Flanker, matching and exceeding the capabilities of the Eagle, and still one of the most impressive fighters to this day, popularizing the concept of Supermaneuverability and with modernized versions still widely used to this day. Definitely a Megaproject.

[@bikerboy3k]

Exceeding the f15 and all that shit? The f15 is literally undisputed and has never been shot down.

[@michaeldunne338]

Not big on Wikipedia, but a quick look at metrics seems to show the F-15 more than holding its own. Other than rate of climb with the Su-27; and the issue of supercruise with the Su-35, the F-15 seems to come out ahead. F-15: Maximum speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h) at high altitude ... Mach 1.2, 800 kn (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level ... Combat range: 1,061 nmi (1,221 mi, 1,965 km) for interdiction mission ... Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m) ... Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min (250 m/s) Su-27: Maximum speed: 2,500 km/h (1,600 mph, 1,300 kn) / M2.35 at altitude ... 1,400 km/h (870 mph; 760 kn) / M1.13 at sea level ... Service ceiling: 19,000 m (62,000 ft) ... Rate of climb: 300 m/s (59,000 ft/min) Su-30: Maximum speed: 2,120 km/h (1,320 mph, 1,140 kn) at high altitude .... Service ceiling: 17,300 m (56,800 ft) ... Rate of climb: 230 m/s (45,000 ft/min) Su-35: Maximum speed: 2,400 km/h (1,500 mph, 1,300 kn) / M2.25 at altitude ... 1,400 km/h (870 mph; 760 kn) / M1.13 at sea level ... Cruise speed: 1,250 km/h (780 mph, 670 kn) / M1.1+ supercruise at medium altitude ... Service ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft) ...Combat range: 1,600 km (990 mi, 860 nmi) approx[

[@Markle2k]

The Sukhoi included a time-travel option? The Su-27 entered service more than a decade after the F-15, which entered service before any Su-27 left the tarmac on a test run. "Not a pound for air-to-ground" didn't make it off the drafting tables.

[@juggs9437]

@@bikerboy3k almost no jets have been shot down in 40 years that means nothing

[@michaeldunne338]

@@juggs9437 Migs have been shot down rather frequently, notably the Mig 29.

[@seanm7349]

The Mig 41 is a pipe dream and will never leave the design board.

[@AncientFlight1]

The genius of Kelly Johnson and his team at Lockheed's Skunk Works.

[@thepunizher7131]

It's not click-baiting if it's what we want to see it's more like more like reaching into our soul figuring out what we want to see thank you Simon you wizard

[@jbtechcon7434]

Viewers: Big boobs aren't a megaproject! Also Viewers: Simon: Big boobs are definitely a megaproject.

[@davemoon8206]

Considering they take around 16 years to develop and pose significant structural concerns, they are indeed megaprojects.

[@juggs9437]

@@davemoon8206 the perfect reply

[@terryhart4090]

I worked in California high desert for a short time in the 80’s. Frequently I would watch the SR71 fly out of Edwards AFB it was majestic! It would take off and fly around the valley and when the pilot hit the afterburner he was just GONE. it flew at the muzzle velocity of a 3006 rifle bullet.

[@schumifan78]

The SR-71 has officially been recorded flying at 980 metres/sec while setting the world absolute speed record for a manned jet aircraft, significantly faster than the muzzle velocity of a 30-06 rifle bullet 😎

[@chadfarris4465]

I lived in Lancaster California in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I’ve seen the SR71 take off from plant 42 in Palmdale and Edwards Air Force base as well as flying around the antelope valley. It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and definitely the most awesome plane ever built. Definitely something I will never forget.

[@USSEnterpriseA1701]

@John Scogin Never underestimate an old fashioned full-size rifle cartridge, they can still do impressive things, especially with modern powders and bullet construction. For those that don't know, the military loading of .30-06 doesn't even come close to it's full potential, thus why it was ballistically identical to the slightly smaller 7.62x51mm Nato that replaced it (for reference, .30-06 is 7.62x63mm, more powder capacity). The most commonly available version of the military load, the M2 ball loading was actually slightly toned down because the previous loading, the M1 ball was causing issues for and damage to the WWII era M1 Garand rifle, mainly bent op-rods, because it was trying to drive a heavy projectile at a high enough speed that the gas pressure curve in the rifle's gas system was causing the operating parts to accelerate too quickly. The issue still happens when you try to run an un-altered M1 with hot hunting loads, which is why modified gas plugs are still widely available to allow the rifle to be tuned to the ammo and not beat itself to death. Personally, I prefer to just get M2 spec ammo for mine, simply because I'm usually not doing anything more than target shooting anyway, don't need hot soft-point ammo for that.

[@schumifan78]

@John Scogin Yes, but the SR-71 has also definitely flown faster than what was officially recorded on this record setting timed flight too 👍🍻

[@schumifan78]

@John Scogin Out of interest, what is the velocity of the round 1000 feet down range? Is that something that you measure to test aero efficiency of a round?

[@EliteRock]

I heard that occasionally SR71's at (very) high altitude would actually see Mig-25's that had just made it to visual range but had close to zero response from their control surfaces left, so they'd just describe an arc like an unguided missile and drop helplessly back to earth.

[@bc1969214]

missiles were the same way with ineffective control surfaces. Stuff that looks good on paper (like the altitude a jet or missile can climb to is different from controlling it at that altitude). www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/02/25/spies-in-the-sky/5e8621e0-64cf-4f5d-8dbe-14781579420d/

[@herbert5491]

I had read the same from SR-71 former Pilots

[@smith5312]

Love the docs mate. Thank you for using metric when describing dimensions. 👏👏 I grew up only learning metric.

[@Swamesame]

Foxhound and Foxbat are some of my favorite planes. Tbh that’s why I clicked it, not the SR-71 lol. I love the way the 25 and 31 look

[@Markle2k]

You never got over the Babushka look, huh?

[@solosailorsv8065]

There's a HUGE point missed: The Mig31 was on timing alert because it would be at full afterburner to get close (60kFt, M2.8) enough to then launch a missle up to the SR71. The SR71 meanwhile, is just cruising at "Speed & Altitude", throttled back to save fuel and airframe stress for efficiency. That missle would likely become just a photograph framed for the SR's pilot an hour later.

[@danielduncan6806]

"cruising" You used this word as though it is a relaxed state. It is not. Your assumption is wholly incorrect. In nearly all cases, the platforms perform at maximum efficiency when under maximum use. Meaning, "cruising" *_IS_* pedal to the metal(so to speak), in this case, throttle up. Because that is what they were designed for. And like I said, this is true of almost every platform, commercial *_and_* military. Edit: I admire your patriotism, just, in the future, try to be factually correct as well. Patriotism born of ignorance is just fake.

[@solosailorsv8065]

@@danielduncan6806 um, yes, cruising, throttled back at M3+, is the way we flew.

[@solosailorsv8065]

@eddie money glad you were there.

[@chrisplunkett2814]

You didn't mention that the avionics in the Mig 25 were comprised of vacuum tubes (thermionic valves) instead of transistors and integrated circuits as found in all other contemporary aircraft because they are impervious to damage by EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse).So in the event of all out nuclear war,the Foxbats would be the only modern aircraft still capable of flying.

[@h8GW]

True -ish,- but integrated circuits can be shielded and I think the dangers of an EMP are overstated since it requires a high-altitude nuclear detonation for widespread effect and we usually just plan on lobbing them at cities. Alley-oop goes our nukes.

[@raycharles1752]

using outdated technology instead of state of the art shielding. weird flex but ok

[@phugwad]

All modern combat aircraft are well protected from EMP, as are modern cars, cell phones etc. Even back in the 80s, when I was flying B-52s, our solid state electronics were all well protected from EMP, today that protection is standard on almost all military and consumer electronics. This EMP protection on consumer electronics is not specifically for dealing with EMP from high altitude nuclear detonations but for dealing with static discharges and radiation from a number of common sources. Consider that cars have ignition systems that put out 10s of thousands of volts, alternators and starter motors that create massive electrical noise and voltage surges, and even passengers entering and sliding across seats can create thousands of volts of stray charge. Then consider that even commercial aircraft have to be able to take take direct lightning strike without knocking out the nav, com, or computer systems, Some airliners even have fly by wire and most have electronic engine controls, that would cause the plane to crash if they were damaged, so these need to be well protected.

[@Leadblast]

I don't think that's true, Chris. The first generation F-15s didn't have FBW controls, and they were also immune to EMPs. The F-16, first American fighter with FBW, was not. By this point however I would rather believe all modern fighters including new versions of the Hornet and Eagle do have FBW electronics yet they are sufficiently protected against EMPs.

[@darylvanderford4307]

I dont think thats the reason they used C.R.T.s and steel i think lack of refined foundries and electronics and price but i respect that it did the job

[@Mordalo]

The 31 also holds the published altitude record of over 123K feet.

[@DRPadmologist]

Wrong

[@Heyitsallgoodman]

​@@DRPadmologist how?

[@mouriqueritchie6851]

​@@Heyitsallgoodman Its the mig 25 foxbat that holds that record

[@youmumyon1880]

zoom climb, then f15 broke that

[@Stefan-gn6kl]

​@@youmumyon1880f15 highest altitude is almost 100k

[@m_ism]

"I probably put SR-71 in the title aaaaaannndd people click that." I feel personally attacked by this blatant clickbaiting. But you were right.

[@zarzar3636]

glad im not the only one who feels that way lol

[@apple222sickly]

Foxhound : *haha you’re now living under a rock*

[@jfischer507]

the first two minutes is just "ha, made you click"

[@tangydiesel1886]

Last time I was this early, simon only had 4 channels.

[@boneav83]

Last time i was this early, Simon was clean shaven..........

[@mammuchan8923]

😂✌️

[@panderson9561]

Couple of points: More than one SR-71 pilot has stated that the plane would fly faster than Mach 3.32. When they were flight testing them back in the 60s, one test pilot got the plane to 3.4 before he decided to back off. One other pilot claims to have hit 3.5 before he pulled back on the throttle, and said the plane was still accelerating when he let off on the gas pedal. It does tell you a lot about the plane though that the Russians built a plane for one reason, to shoot down the SR-71.

[@zachmalone428]

Pilots would surely make great fishermen

[@charleskiplinger9904]

Takes off from Homestead and 19 minutes later requesting final into Beale... FAST!

[@duanemiller1834]

According to a panel of former SR-71 pilots at Oshkosh about 12 years ago, the speed limit was mach 3.4 due to intake manifold temperature limits. They said they were unaware of anyone going over 3.4. If there was other information about top speeds, they did not reveal it.

[@kentroberts7610]

About 25 years ago I was working as a mech for an airline when this new mech started. His previous job way as a mech for Lockheed for their SR 71s. He said that once a flight came in with a write up in the log.(wouldn't tell me what it was) He looked at it and went to the pilot and said there must be a mistake, the airplane doesn't go that fast. The pilot just shrugged his shoulders and said that he just writes them as he sees them. My friend wouldn't tell me how fast it would go just mach 3.3+++. And a sr71 pilot tells the story of watching migs try to catch him and watch them fall aways and he "flying a 57 chevy with 4 inches of throttle left"

[@dennis345]

According to Lt. Belenko, the MiG-25 was developed specifically to deal with the American high-altitude bomber, the XB-70. It was a short-range aircraft, designed to intercept the XB-70 at high altitudes, fire its missiles and return to base. But when an American U-2 high-altitude spy plane was shot down over Russia, the Americans dropped plans for a high-altitude bomber and eventually developed the low-altitude B-1. This left the MiG-25 a plane without a mission, though the Soviets were happy for the Americans to continue vastly over-estimating its capabilities. Only when Belenko's plane was studied and he was debriefed did they realize how limited it was. Example: when he was told a MiG-25 was clocked over Mach 3 over Egypt, he said, "Yes, and I guarantee the engines were ruined."

[@colindebourg3884]

I was driving round the lanes at the back of RAF Wattisham Suffolk years ago, and I heard a roar when the runway just the other side of the hedge and I saw 2 Blackbirds take off one behind the other, they were gone in seconds.

[@heyyywhynot]

Megaprojects must: The U.S. Interstate System, the single most expensive public works project in the history of America.

[@leonleeoff2216]

Yeah an it would be nice if it would be maintained but ya know gotta have a wall!

[@popcorn8153]

@@leonleeoff2216 I like how they diverted funds away from housing for Military Families to pay for it too. It should be added that multiple investigations reveal that veterans housing is infested with mold www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-housing-map/#:~:text=Survey%20shows%20U.S.%20military%20families%20far%20more%20negative%20about%20housing%20than%20landlords%20claim,-Military%20landlords%20often&text=But%20an%20expanded%20survey%20of,housing%2C%20echoing%20Reuters%20investigative%20reports.

[@dougball328]

Especially the last mile or two in Seattle.

[@birdbon3s]

This would be interesting!! I second this

[@deadfreightwest5956]

@@dougball328 - Well, at least they completed the "ramps to nowhere". Now they just have to emulate Tacoma with the perfection of I-5 past the dome. Just kidding. You know, back in the early 60s, the Bonneville Power Administration conducted a study. They needed to know the state of things in the PNW at the turn of the century. They predicted the population would be about 6 million (correct!) and that the Interstate, as planned, would be wholly inadequate (correct!). They also predicted we'd need so much energy that even with all the hydro projects projected being built (they were!), we'd need nuclear power. Well, that is where WPPS came from and they really, really, missed the mark on that one. I'm glad I'll be retiring away from here, my homeland. That sounds sad, but it's a hopeless mess.

[@happytreesllc6369]

Hey, you missed the most important: How many cup holders? Does it have 3rd row seats with child seat strap provision?

[@beaclaster]

row

[@jzk3919]

Yeah . But you have to slow to subsonic with the MiG to empty the ashtray!💥💤🚀🛁🚽

[@ACC-hs1zq]

Actually the MIG-31 was made for intercepting fast low altitud bombers as the B1 Lancer. The unique radar system of the MIG 31 was designed to point multiple targets below the aircraft

[@ИмперияДобра-е9с]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJLPgWR_YrN3mbc

[@shagwellington]

I went to an airshow in 1983 in which an SR 71 flew slow flight over the runway right in front of us. Suddenly it turned straight up, lit the afterburners and went straight up like a rocket until it was completely out of sight. The roar of the engines was deafening. That plane could climb as fast as it wanted. I don't think its actual capabilities have ever been published. It could fly higher than 80 thousand feet. I don't know how much higher but I do know it could cruise higher than that.

[@RB747domme]

No it didn't. That was not part of its flight envelope, not even in its wildest dreams. 1) it had to have a slow and steady stream of atmospheric input into the front of the nacelle in order to operate effectively. This is due to the type of fuel. 2) even with full power it could only climb at 11000 feet prr min. And that is at a shallow angle. 3) it's maximum power was only available at high altitude. 4) if you want people to believe what you are saying, please don't come out with fantasy stories that are not in any way shape or form, true, otherwise people who work in the air force will laugh at you.

[@johnharvey1786]

@@RB747dommeI don’t know about 3 of your points but I witnessed it from close range (I was standing next to a hanger beside the peri-track so very close). When it took off, it went up at an extreme angle and disappeared out of sight. Extremely loud as well.

[@abebrower1202]

Which one could go straight up to max altitude? Break the Russian record like the movie

[@PaulMcCartExperience]

I was in the army when that guy defected with a MiG. I remember everyone laughing because it used vacuum tubes. I thought it would be the only thing flying over a nuclear battlefield.

[@coolhand1964]

That's correct, I remember at the time it was laughed at for it's antiquated technology, until it was learned the valves were immune to the effects of a nuclear pulse. It was never determined if this was a deliberate design or just a coincidence caused by the inability to produce reliable transistors. The development of silicone chips made the whole issue academic. However as is being learned now with Russian Drones, their access/ability to manufacture modern technology is still limited.

[@wb5mgr]

Having seen an SR-71 in person at an airshow... I can say that it’s one of the most impressive aircraft designs ever fabricated. I’m not aware of anything that was ever built and put into full production that can out run it other than the space shuttle 🤔 as you said it was not designed for dogfights… But it doesn’t have to be because you can just kick in the thrust and out run whatever it is that’s after you even if it’s a missile.

[@richardoakley8800]

russia aquired a few pheonix missles... now tell me...hot exactly dose a mach 3.3 black bird out run a mach 6 missile?

[@wb5mgr]

@@richardoakley8800 The plane firing the missile Has to get a missile lock in order to be able to shoot it at the SR 71. Most of the planes that could carry that missile primarily the F 14 which by the way has been retired from Service for several years are not fast enough and can’t fly high enough to keep up with the blackbird long enough to get a miss a lock. Most ground to air missile‘s just aren’t fast enough to make up the gap before the black bird is out of range considering its speed advantage even if they are faster they have to make up the distance of taking off from the ground with it being around 85,000 foot off the ground which is where it’s normally operational during a reconnaissance mission. You don’t see many F-14s and F-18’s or the Russian equivalent hanging out above 80000 feet because you’re getting very close to the operational ceiling for those aircraft. Heck the operational ceiling for those missiles is generally 80 to 100,000 feet and the black bird might be able to fly higher than the missile. Also don’t forget just like other planes it probably has counter measures that can be used and a pilot that can work on outmaneuvering the missle. It’s not that cut and dry at mach 3.4

[@richardoakley8800]

@@wb5mgr the Russians have no problems flying at 80 to 120 thousand feet.. even the English electric lightning accidently went higher than theu2 spy plane by 10000 feet .the u2 was at 80000 feet at the time.. the mig 31 has no problems loitering at 90 thousand feet and diving down to intercept the sr71. I've also been privileged to take a ride in a mig level flight at 90000 feet is simple.