The Mighty J58 - The SR-71's Secret Powerhouse

[@nthdegreedesign]

I worked for Pratt and Whitney in the late 1960's in West Palm Beach, on a drafting board with a slide rule! These magnificent engines were on the assembly floor, an unbelievable feat for that time in our aviation history.

[@mikeh.753]

I can't help but wonder how much trial and error it took to learn everything that needs to happen during all of the different stages during this engines operation. They didn't have computer simulation so it had to be done during live demonstrations and I would assume that means many engines were destroyed during testing.

[@tyrasp3290]

I hope you all got a raise for designing whatever you designed.

[@rdaplaumax9289]

Wow i currently work in the WPB campus myself lots of history there, lots of old pictures on the J58 assembly line, theres even an old J58 parts room with the original signs outside of it, now in 2022 we are an F135, PW1100G powerhouse

[@ripudamansharma5990]

How did they manage to get the compression ratio inside the combustion region without modern equipment?

[@lesliemartin1207]

J85 was also made at GE Lynn Mass

[@kostathomas8732]

This is hands down one of the most beautiful engines in aviation history. Beautiful not in terms of appearance, but in terms of the complex feats of engineering which were achieved using mainly slide rules. I'm an aerospace engineer but you don't need to be in order to appreciate the genius that went into this plane.

[@dragonmeddler2152]

I think the engine is pretty much a looker, too. Wouldn't kick it out of my bed!

[@BillAnt]

Realized after countless hours of calculations, testing, modifications and so on.

[@prodabber0222]

Fr

[@soulofnature6537]

🤣😂🤮Where is a single reality fact about this jet NONE only a few outside pics 0 inside pics and a fake story on Wiki hahaha lol such a FAKE that has been produced by the Pentagon to make 35% demoncratic morons of the world to believe in it brainless brainwashed demoncratic western idiots LOL... trash fake channel blocked just like others!

[@rexlee3710]

Much of the math calculation were by slide rule. I spent 11 years on the SR 71 until it’s retirement. The most difficult and maintenance intense aircraft I’ve ever worked on. The fuel, engine oil, hydro fluid was especially designed for it. Your animation is close. You show the cooling air around the engine as being a smooth run. The nacelles have several large structural titanium main frames around the circumference that are hinged at the top and tie together at the bottom for access to the engine. These frames not only help carry the trust load of the engine but also the load from the outer wing. The velocity of that air shouldn’t be very high. I’ve seen other illustrations on how the SR engines work. One that was correct. Assuming that it’s now declassified you can find it on the Internet. The overall thrust that the SR has is not just from the engine and afterburner but also comes from the inlet. At cruise the spike with its shape has high pressure behind it and low pressure near the front. The spike pulls the airplane along. If the correct position for the spike at a certain speed and condition is not maintained, a condition call an inlet unstart will occur. This causes a violent aircraft yaw slamming the Pilot and RSO heads against the canopy. Also causes skid marks.

[@ryanboles8590]

Skid marks? Didn't unstarts only occur when adjusting the spike at high speeds?

[@rexlee3710]

Ryan Boles. This is unscientific. The skid marks that I was referring to are the ones that comes from pooping yourself resulting in stains (skid marks) in your underwater.

[@ryanboles8590]

@@rexlee3710 ahhh, it would indeed cause those

[@WhitestManAlive303]

What the hell?

[@aaronreveles4482]

Rex lee what kind of math did you have to use

[@giantnardman]

The men who designed this engine were simply geniuses. Just 20 years after the ME 262 was introduced, the SR 71 was flying.

[@chadgdry3938]

+ResistCom wow, you are correct. This fact is and was completely missed by me and is make some this astounding even more so. great catch..

[@tigo8341]

+giantnardman

[@turboslag]

+giantnardman And just 5 years after the first flight of the SR71 was the the first flight of Concorde. A passenger jet capable of transporting around 100 people at mach 2, in comfort with little sensation of anything beyond a normal jet flight. I think that is a comparable technical achievement to the SR71 and actually possibly greater. I was fortunate to have been a passenger on Concorde 4 times and although it was little different to flying in any other large passenger jet there were 2 notable features of the flight experience. One, the rotation angle and climb rate, much steeper and faster, and two, the transition from subsonic to mach 2, it really pushed you back into your seat when reheat came in. Concorde's achievements have not been surpassed.

[@turboslag]

giantnardman £3500 from Heathrow to Nice. It was quite an experience. Actually, even to watch Concorde land, or especially, to take off, was quite a thing. I was dismayed and very sad and upset when a Concorde crashed in France. Such a tragic incident for all concerned. Bringing a premature end to it's service.

[@turboslag]

giantnardman Copy that, it was intended for the privileged so unfortunately many that would have liked the experience didn't have the means. I was lucky enough to have been making some money back then so I just had to do it. And I'm very glad I did because the memory is for life. However, I do regret not paying more attention to it than I did, you don't miss it until it's gone! We just took it for granted at the time. Now I wish I'd just watched it more at Heathrow. There was a club of enthusiasts at the time it was in service, they just sat and watched them depart and return from outside Heathrow, the runways are very close to many roads in the area. It is very unfortunate that non are now flying, even for airshows. Richard Branson wanted to buy them all to continue in service but BA refused. So, just museum pieces now, :(

[@lardawg6794]

One of my friends (Robert G Sowers)was selected from the B-58 program to be the first instructor pilot for the SR-71 . Funny story he told me.....He flew the SR-71B model trainers of which there were only 2 made. In 1967 him and his student had to eject because of a double generator failure and engine flameout 7 miles from Beale AFB. Since there were only two B models trainers he "destroyed half of the fleet". When his fellow pilots teased him about crashing and destroying half of the fleet he responded with " I didn't crash it, I wasn't even in it".

[@pg1171]

I read somewhere that on 1, that I seem to remember was designated as an SR-71C was built later, and put into service. It was supposedly converted from and A model. Not too sure about it, but it's an interesting story. Hey! I found it! Ironic that it was built from the one that you were talking about...www.avgeekery.com/there-can-be-only-one-the-saga-of-the-only-sr-71c-ever-built/

[@henryross4343]

That is tooo funny

[@susankean2049]

Pg1171 - That’s funny I forgot about the C model. It was probably kinda weird to use it as a trainer since the rear seat doesn’t sit above the front seat so the instructor could see what was happening.

[@wizardwingman3654]

The C-model was built from the aft fuselage of a crashed YF-12A and a forward fuselage that was an engineering static test article, the two were mated together. This aircraft, nicknamed "the bastard", currently resides at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Roy, UT.

[@wizardwingman3654]

The rear seat in the SR-71C does in fact sit higher than the front seat, you can visit the Hill Aerospace Museum in Roy, UT and see for yourself.

[@LoneWolf-yp2mo]

Proud to say that I worked at Pratt and Whitney for 37 years. I heard so many stories of the people that created such marvels !! I was there to see the last of these magnificent engines being built and had the honor of working on them. . I worked in guarded cages on such incredible engines. The people that created these machines were nothing short of GENEOUS. It was an AWESOME job. I learned fast and ended up with a great career. Also proud to say that Pratt had enough confidence in me to send me all over the world to do maintenance of many aircraft, commercial and military. Sad to say that Pratt is only a shell of it's former glory.

[@mdlanor5414]

The people that designed this engine are absolute geniuses. The SR-71 first flew in 1967. Kelly Johnson was an absolute genius. The design of the SR71 was so futuristic and a modern marvel. The fuel tanks leaking while the SR71 was on the ground. Shows just how ingenious the people involved with the SR71 were. The Titanium used for the airframe and skin of the SR71 had to expand. From the friction of the Atmosphere, before the fuel tanks stopped leaking. SIMPLY AMAZING

[@joesimon2018]

oh...yeah...not complicated after all....

[@ketsis9717]

Joe Shmoe i mean if you like engines it is really simple

[@wardedthorn6523]

At least not as complicated as it looks in the diagrams

[@boomstick900]

I built one with K'Nex!

[@sheepherd2210]

Joe Simon i mean, im just getting into engines and stuff but since i still have more to search about what are those parts called, i can make this complicated things go with my shower thoughts

[@The_Mimewar]

Joe Simon yeah, I think I’ll bang one out with hot glue and popsicle sticks.

[@nawtynick9]

One of the best explanations of this engine i've ever seen. Really impressive.

[@ericbeltrami2718]

what an amazing engine, and just to think they designed this 50 some odd years ago, the people that created that engine must have been absolute genius level in engineering. What a machine!

[@JamaicanMeCrazy]

I think I have enough information now. I'm gong to build one.

[@MrBrew4321]

Lolz.. and sell it to old kim right? Go to iran or Egypt, I'm sure they have lots of spare parts for you to get started, and caves to hide from the CIA in lolz.

[@ponchott]

If U need a test pilot !et me know 🗻✈✈🚀

[@Mary-80]

Jamaican Me Crazy .... ROFLMAO... This is a very sophisticated team Sorry Jamaican Me.. that's not happening

[@Mary-80]

ponchott .

[@abhisohal4556]

ponchott 💥💣🔥🏥🤕

[@autarchprinceps]

How is it, that this still seems advanced in 2019?

[@chadyoung9934]

Because it IS still advanced, the SR-71 is still the fastest aircraft ever created. The reason we retired it is because of the much more effective strategy of using satellites and that the weapons it goes up against are faster than it is now, in terms of aircraft though, it still is the king of speed.

[@GalileoAV]

Because it is.

[@glennchartrand5411]

@Jabroney look up "Tory 2C Reactor". It's no longer classified. Because it was 50 years ago. The SR-71 is not the fastest aircraft anymore Russia recently had a nuclear accident trying to "catch up".

[@glennchartrand5411]

@Jabroney its the reactor that powered it. Its also a safe bet we have an unmanned spy plane that uses a similar reactor.

[@stuartd9741]

One possible answer. Is that the sr71 was designed for a specific purpose. Not a multitask vehicle. Again with the cause of reconnaissance almost - money no object in its development. It also combines two technologies. Turbo and ramjet.

[@johnshupek8311]

From 1964 to 1966 I worked at P&W's FRDC (Florida Research and Development Center). My job was to design the internal cooling for the hi-pressure first stage turbine blades and vanes for the JT11D-20/22 (USAF J-58). Basically my job was to make sure the the turbine blades and vanes didn't burn up and destroy the engine and the aircraft. At that time we were doing major upgrades on the engines to put them in the 34,000 lbs s.t. range. These were not production line engines, they were all hand-built. As a young Engineer straight out of the "Cookie Jar" (Cal Poly Pomona Aero Engineering) this was a great job! We engine people always looked at the SR-71A "Blackbird" as a couple of J-58s with a bunch of Titanium wrapped around them. I'm sure that Lockheed didn't see it that way! Buy the way, we designed these engines using slide rules. We used an IMB 1620 (16K) card-reader and an IBM 360 (360K) mainframe for our overwhelming computer power! Think of it ... 360K of computing power, who could possibly need anything more powerful that that! The J-58/SR-71A will always have a soft-spot in my heart! Years later I retired from Northrop Grumman as one of their Program Directors on the F/A-18E/F "Super Hornet" program. I currently own and operate the Skytamer Images website at www.skytamer.com. Concerning the comment about a Mach 3.2 video of the SR-71A. It's tough enough to take a video or even snaps of a Cessna 172 from a Cessna 150. I've done it. Possibly the CIA or the USAF could have asked the Russians if they could borrow a recce MiG-25 Foxbat for an in-flight photo shoot.

[@TechLaboratories]

+John Shupek Awesome, thanks for sharing!

[@antiquatedflatulence1607]

+John Shupek - With what I've heard and learned about the SR-71 Blackbird I believe it could travel faster than just mach 3.2 for short periods. I heard a pilot say once while flying over North Vietnam he outran some surface-to-air missiles and saw numbers on the air speed he'd never seen before. I also want to point out the ram jet works best at mach 5. Thank-you for your contributions.

[@pjm780]

+John Shupek Excellent info! They could have asked North American Aviation and Later NASA to borrow the XB-70 for a few minutes to take a picture at speed! ;)

[@BlueChrome]

+John Shupek - Can you tell us what the turbine blades were made out of?, I thought I read that it was some kind of high temperature sintered material. But I'm damned if I can find the website where I saw that.

[@lardawg6794]

Since you worked for P&W I was wondering how much you know about the bleed schedule for the bypass tubes. I have been trying to find answers to a few questions but its tough to find someone who knows. I know it is controlled by the fuel control and is based on CIT and engine speed but how is it mechanically actuated open and closed ?

[@FredPilcher]

What an incredible feat of engineering genius it was, from tip to tail, and all done without computers.

[@bomb_and_gouge]

sure it want illuminati?

[@WilliamStewart1]

+Wilddog73 Satan doesn't exist.

[@WilliamStewart1]

Wilddog73 Yes, much more plausible.

[@huverdoose]

I pulled my bilogocal once. Took months to heal.

[@AckzaTV]

without digital computers

[@seankirby7055]

The wing's pointy parts make it go fast and the wings spinny parts make that possible.

[@e.c.listening326]

Summary for dummies in a nutshell

[@gtbkts]

Your not wrong.... But, I'd suggest some more reaserch before you try to fix it. Lol

[@robertsaidel6707]

great comment 🤣

[@av8644]

I just know you're the guy that's always in the left lane way under the speedlimit getting passed by school buses and dump trucks but steadfast refusing to get in the right lane

[@TheOpticalFreak]

🤦🏻‍♂️🤣

[@islamkillsAmericans]

To my eye, there is no man made machine more beautiful and awe inspiring to behold than the "blackbird". The importance of the fact that it flew the highest and the fastest seems to only add icing on the cake. When I first saw one, close up, less than ten feet away, I was struck by it's sight. Without explanation or understanding of it's stats, just by witnessing it's size, lines, shape and gargantuan engines, intuition alone communicated the greatness of this awesome flying beast. The thing impresses itself not so much as a magnificent artifact from the past but rather one seemingly granted to us from the future. It's seamless matte black titanium skin, known to perspire while in full flight, wore evidence of it's experience in extreme and unreachable environments, The blazing torch it flew against had left it with a multicolored patina on it's glass "wind shield". . To all servicemen and scientist with first hand knowledge of this great machine, please do not divulge technical aspects which the current tyranny we face may use\

[@Fudmottin]

No Autocad. No Solid Works. They used slide rules to design this sucker. SLIDE RULES!

[@BMarauder]

fucking badass

[@inkydoug]

+Fudmottin Computers are just tools. They speed up some steps a whole lot,granted,but they don't do so much for vision, which is what this plane took.

[@ericgandler2945]

Yeah, but real SR-71 designers would have used an abacus. Slide rules are for lazy rocket scientists.

[@Fudmottin]

Eric Gandler LOL

[@Fudmottin]

inkydoug There was a lot of vision in the SR-71. Unless the Aurora exists, no one has built the equal or better of the SR-71.

[@Jyoumon]

This is still one of the most amazing freaking aircraft ever built and most ludicrously built engines are a perfect fit for it, This is one of those times where Math, Art, and Science all come together absolutely beautifully.

[@MasterMayhem78]

Absolute geniuses designed, built, piloted, and maintained this incredible machine.The SR-71 Blackbird is in my families blood. I miss you Grandpa.

[@jacobmcmahon1915]

As an engineering student this is the kind of video I look for. Great job. I can’t imagine all the math the engineers who worked on this had to do. It really is beautiful.

[@cs512tr]

the science and physics behind this is incredible

[@williampittmon3845]

I was serving at Beale afb in 1975. I worked in transportation shuddling flight crews to their planes from main base.Beale was quite a large SAC base and kept about 10 or so b 52's loaded down with bombs at the head of the runway. A friend and I had the privilege of making sure all flight crews vehicles at the alerted pad were in perfect functioning condition in case of an emergency. This was a restricted area and wasn't even visible to the main base. Although it was also the runway for the SR71. Quite a few times we watched as the pilot and navagation officer emerged from the motorhome- looking vehicle that took them up to the store. They appeared to be wearing Gemini type pressured space suits.my friend and I were amazed as the two man crew climbed into the cockpit. At that time cables we're plugged in from the start carts which were almost louder than the jet. (Open header exhaust). The start carts would spin the motors up until they fired.(Awesome spectical). One of the things about the blackbird is that it was built for speed and didn't perform well at low speeds. This is why from the wheels starting to roll to being up and out of sight seemed to take mere seconds. The fact that they would stretch several inches at cruising speed they were very loose and leaky on the ground. The hanger floors were covered in fuel oil and didn't really look safe. The Air Force maintained a small museum that featured the extreme camera equipment showing photos from 80000 ft. The resolution was so good, the pictures could be blown up to clearly read a license plate on a vehicle or the number on the jerseys of school kids playing football. That amazes me to this day. I would not trade those memories for anything. At time they flew practice flights with a T-38 off his wing. Every once in a while you would hear an explosive Sonic boom only to look up and see that the SR had disappeared.im still blown away by the fact they built this awesome machine without the aid of computers or many of the devices we take for granted today and is still the fastest airplane we know about.

[@Nonotkidding]

I love the air shows around our nation. The Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, just to name a few. I also miss the amazingly universal cohesion, that until recently, our country enjoyed. I enjoy watching and saluting 'Ol Glory' in parades, at baseball games and during events. I love our country and the power we have given much of the world. However, the fundamental structure of our amazing, first ever, American experiment in fundamental human rights and responsibilities is internally and externally threatened. America is still powerful, but like the powerful engines of the Mighty J58 - The SR-71's, wear and tear maintenance of our moral, historical and fundamental foundation for being the great nation we are, is threatening our existence as the great American nation by 'We the People". I am shocked by the invisible threats threatening our nation. The physical aspects of America are still awesome. With an amazing President, unafraid of the Swamp, we can revitalize the 'grass roots' strength of this tall nation. We must properly educate, walk alongside and empower our young countryfolk. They are the underpinnings of the future of America, and we are their guides. Some among us are not for America as the great republic of 1776. Some among us seek to 'remake' America into an entirely different country. They seek to abandon our mostly free, not always satisfied, but always free, nation model and become a mostly controlled, supposedly economically fair country, like Russia, like some European countries, like Cuba and several South American countries, much of Africa and much of the Near East. I grew up knowing our military up and down was true blue. As a nation we have become soft. I am amazed that the Berlin Wall was not the end of communism, just the relocation of the barrier. As spies infiltrate our country, our younger generation threatened, we must invest the time and knowledge of sharing the worth of this great nation or we will loose it in this generation. I was astonished by the rapid takeover of the business college I graduated from, between time I begun and the time I finished. The first semester seemed almost as good as being in the military from a patriotic point of view. Pro-communist lecturing was required in my senior year. I and only one other in my senior business class, rebuked the communist indoctrination as being against my capitalistic expectation for by MBA. Do it, or else, was the pronouncement from the registrar, dean and advisor. I nearly vomited just to get out. The few years in college is a nightmare for most untrained youngsters and parents too busy to know. Not grounded in basic American history, busy parents and expensive grants for paying for decreasingly useful college, young Americans are improperly taught about the virtues and not the destruction of socialistic/communistic nation states, by deliberate lies, censored and altered American history and life, by change agents in our schools. Bands of elected Socialists compel the corrosion of our republic, that we warriors, and the like, must regain through true-historical and patriotic education, that revitalize our republic. We are facing serous threats to America as a God fearing, freedom loving, capitalistic republic with the best military in the world. They threats to patriotism unlike any other generation in American history. The children in school, colleges, universities, trade schools and in unions, are our future. They will make our history. We must intervene.

[@oscaryeung3601]

Omg you think anyone is going to read to whole thing William and Jonathan really

[@oscaryeung3601]

@JASON VOORHEES lol

[@texassabre7214]

Thanks for the story!

[@bpp325]

You may have run into Sgt Doug Sapula, at Beale with the 9th SRW at some point. He and I were stationed at Pleiku AB in '67. RIP Doug.

[@dannz2603]

I have looked at this aircraft up-close and it is a great design. The genius that went into this design is now nearly sixty years old and still beats anything remotely comparable with what we have today. The Blackbirds are an everlasting tribute to the men and women that conceived and built them. Awesome!

[@stephenharper8935]

+Dan NZ Except F22 and Mig29... Genius is still running amok!

[@chadgdry3938]

+Dan NZ yep, but that "...still beats anything remotely comparable with what we have today. " I wonder what they developed to replace the SR-71. Hopefully, we will not have to wait 50 years for someone spill some good technical details on its build details... 60 years from first flight to this and as many have passed again..

[@jlester42]

+Paul Gdry SR-72 www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/features/2015/sr-72.html

[@dannz2603]

+Stephen Harper Yes indeed, these aircraft are awesome machines but unlike the BlackBird the focus has now tilted more toward control as in the use of advanced avionics, i.e. computers and software whereas the BlackBird's genius lay in its radical design and engineering.

[@dannz2603]

+Mamahabu I totally agree with you, the first time I ever saw a BlackBird (SR-71) I was struck by the sheer size of the thing, it's massive! You can still see some of these aircraft in museums, I saw one about 12 years ago parked out in the open exposed to the elements, what a crying shame.

[@Nephermoore]

Oh my lord the engineering. I'm gonna have to watch this one a couple times.

[@themagicayrtonsenna]

This video is fucking awesome, it makes easier to understand the part of the Blackbird that made it so great. Amazig they designed this in the 1960s

[@Pasovineyard]

The first parts arrived before 1960.

[@sjion]

24 December 1957: First J-58 engine run

[@themagicayrtonsenna]

sjion bloody amazing, just 20 years after the first proper jet plane. And in 2014 we don't have a plane/engine comparable to the SR-71/J58

[@sjion]

Ayrton Senna It's as amazing as it is sad that we reached the pinnacle of flight so long ago. In many respects we have gone backwards since then. We don't even have Concord any more.

[@MrBen527]

Excellent vid and description! You covered it all. Thanks

[@Ucceah]

this was incredibly satisfying to watch! very comprehensible, not dumbed down or sensationalized at all, great audio and video quelity and simple but flawless editing.

[@daleherd723]

I was a firefighter at Beale from 1985 to 1990. I was lucky enough to take some photos of the J58 engine on a test stand. ! will never forget the raw power it produced the noise was deafening and the outer casing glowed from the heat. When the SR-71 was sent out on training flights we had to stand by when the oxidixer tanks were filled. Called TEB, it would burst into flame the minute it was exposed to oxygen....at a very high temperature to ignite the JP-7 fuel. The TEB tanks and the whole system was purged with nitrogen gas. What was funny and this stuck with me was all this technology and millions of dollars was how they would stop a minor TEB leak and fire....was a bucket of wet rags.

[@thenerdyouknowabout]

I love how fast this guy talks, he knows what he's talking about and it's obvious... Also it stands to reason that people watching this would be of an engineering disposition so wouldn't want to feel patronised by slow narration... This pays dividends to a truly stunning piece of engineering... Nice job :D

[@aluisious]

+StarlightVisual Good observation, I didn't even notice it. It's nice to find a video that's not being brought to a common denominator beneath who would actually be interested in the first place.

[@dannz2603]

+aluisious Exactly.

[@bobnob3496]

+StarlightVisual Either that or hes reading something he found on the internet at a fast pace.

[@aluisious]

Possibly reading something on the internet he found, yes. He posted a snarky reply about "research" to a comment I made in another video and wouldn't back it up when I asked for sources (I knew he Googled it and read the first inaccurate result). Seems like his style.

[@thenerdyouknowabout]

Someones butthurt...

[@BASavage81]

Excellent video! The ramjet portion of this amazing engine and nacelle design was genius. I spoke to a SR pilot and he told me that when they began to run low on fuel they would speed up to make use of the ramjet system. While many say we spent too much money on this program. The SR-71 program along with its predecessor the A-12 , was so effective at gathering intel that its said to have stopped some conflicts from starting. The thing was worth every penny.

[@Rich77UK]

What you can't get from this is a sense of size. Duxford museum in Cambridgeshire has an SR71 and as one of my favourite aircraft, I've spent some time looking about it. The engines and the nozzles are immense. Compared to a F86 or even 70s fighters they are collosal. The SR71 is an engineers wet dream and an amazing feat of human design. My genuine admiration goes out to every person involved in its design and development.

[@jpjpjp453]

Seen them a few times coming into and taking off from Nellis AFB. Massive aircraft compared to the tactical birds that were the norm at that base. Really eerie looking in the bright desert air as well.

[@AZIARGROUS]

As an aerospace engineering student just starting to look at the basics of propulsion, this is a really astonishing level of complexity and understanding of aerodynamics. Better than porn, much better

[@SrinivasKowtal]

Actually porn is not all that good. Reality is way more effing amazing.

[@methink7225]

you are wrong, this is porn

[@rasonjason4066]

Gay af

[@OMP25]

@JASON VOORHEES or he caught his gf with his best friend watching....porn 😮

[@scottgorman7166]

Can't imagine what they dream up now Some engineering student at Embrey Riddle just developed a new camera for astronauts. NASA just invited them to Houston to try them out in the zero gravity pool. Is that cool or what

[@hellcat1988]

For someone who has very little background in avionics and a limited understanding of the compressor design required for jet engine operation, this video is paced quite fast. While I don't claim to have gleaned a complete understanding of the engine's operating processes, it does help me to understand both turbo jet and ram jet technology to a much greater degree than before. Thank you for creating this video.

Yes the narration is way too fast.....

[@paulbrouyere1735]

I saw one flying middle of the ‘80’s at an air show in Belgium. I could smell the combustion before I saw the plane. It is truly awesome! Unbelievable Kelly Johnson and his team achieved this wonder of technology in the ‘50’s.

[@PeterKKraus]

Pratt & Whitney designed and built the J58, not Skunk Works. The rest of the plane was designed and built by Skunk Works.

[@egoruderico3038]

It’s has been 4 years since this video and I am still waiting for a similar video on the Rolls Royce/Snecma Olympus engine of the Concorde.

[@george1la]

Fantastic, I worked on the exterior of the hottest section of the engines. This is what I trained on. Very good experience. The Skunk Works was the only super place to work in aerospace while Kelly Johnson ran it as he did not take crap from the military. In fact, if a project they put him on was not working out he stopped it and gave back the money. Engineers there treated you like real people and asked the worker what the fix should be as the worker knew more about the part than anyone. Not normal in that business when I was in it and must be must worse now. Thank you for the information. Later I learned what the high structure was in the middle of the building. It was for the Mach 5 China drone. My dad was one of his top flight test engineers since 1936 and was on the 180 day wonder, first U.S. jet plane. We both worked for Kelly Johnson on the SR-71 while top secret and did not know it. That was security.

[@manga12]

+George Buzzetti if your story is true then our contry owes you a great debt in its aeronautic history, and worked for a very special ledgendary figure in american aviation, I heard about the L-1 a month or 2 ago, and might have seen it in documentries on discovery back in the day when they actually showed informative educational stuff, not adding drama that was not there. Of course Mr Johnson was one of those guys that was a thorn in the side of the brass and a fighter, on of those revolutionary figures, like disney, steve jobs, bill gates, howard hughes, edison, tesla, el cord, enzo ferarri, robert goddard, and werner von braun, the wright brothers, henry ford, true ledgends in their fields, true definers of an era they helped usher in, and had a genious that few could match. oh and lets not forget mr john moses browning who made an indelable mark on gunsmithing, or mr stoner creator of the armalite wepons, or the creativity of mikhal klashnikov of the ak 47 fame.

[@lardawg6794]

@ George Buzzetti - How much you know about the bleed schedule for the bypass tubes. I have been trying to find answers to a few questions but its tough to find someone who knows. I know it is controlled by the fuel control and is based on CIT and engine speed but how is it mechanically actuated open and closed ?

[@trainman675]

George Buzzetti Did you work with John Carr?

[@Cyba_IT_NZ]

Classified huh?

[@JViello]

"Engineers there treated you like real people and asked the worker what the fix should be as the worker knew more about the part than anyone." It's absolutely horrible now. I can recall some 15 years ago interning at an aerospace company that did shop work for Hamilton Sunstrand; a machinist with 35+ years coming into the engineering "room" with a printout saying "You can't do that...the tool will not take it. Something something something..." The computer warriors all argued for 45 minutes on how the machinist was wrong and it would be just fine. Finally the machinist threw down the printout, simply turned around, walked out. 5 minutes later he returned and threw the broken mill end at the engineers and said something like "You get paid to talk about what if's, I get paid to produce parts. Now fix the f****** design I have work to do." LOL True story, I never forgot.

[@CadillacPat1]

Navy vet here, proud of the F-14 Tomcat, which also needs no introduction, but the Blackbird is also an awesome jet. Also, while not a jet mechanic (auto instead, but also an ex-nuke on the USS Texas (CGN-39)), I found this video to be excellent, being concise, and still doing a great job of showcasing the J58's features-I had no idea of how sophisticated it was, but knew of the cone movement and it being a turboramjet. Finally, I live near WAFB, home of the 379th SAC, where we had a dozen 52's and 135's stationed until '93. I have seen numerous flights, and take-off/landings when I worked on base, including runway snow removal in winter. P.S. I got to my ship by way of landing on the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) by the COD (a Grummun C-2 Greyhound) and flew on a Huey when it visited 5 years ago-I want one!

[@lazaglider]

Congratulations on making a clear and concise video on a fairly tricky subject, that can be understood by the layman. Very very good.

[@jimritzheimer7465]

yeah i got all that. I'll start mine this weekend

[@Zulikas69]

so, how its going?

[@alamp7640]

so, how is it going?

[@jimritzheimer7465]

Jason Joslin dude i'm still scratching my head. Any pointers?

[@alamp7640]

jim ritzheimer Have you tried black magic?

[@jimritzheimer7465]

Jason Joslin ha

[@greggarner4477]

I am schooled on aircraft. Graduated in 94. These are absolutely amazing aircraft! Well ahead of their time... Hell, well ahead of 20 years in the future. A true Modern Marvel! Hats off to all who designed, built, maintained and flew these babies!

[@umarluxat7174]

Ow Ow Ow ...can you slow the explanation to speed Mach 1 please ?

[@godfreypoon5148]

Yeah. The wave drag as this video got going ripped the cones clean out of my speakers. Unsubscribed.

[@jfloresmac]

Ok, I say sonic, you say boom...

[@vitorstreetboys]

if was possible slow down to my sleepy mind matching speed please

[@entiller]

This is the first explanation I've seen on the J58 that makes any sense. Thank you. Well done!

[@cipmars]

Imagine the insane ammount of man hours and brain power that went into this!

[@mobius-1503]

Fallen Angel intervention

[@flakgun153]

@Chris surprisingly few man hours. This whole thing was designed with a couple dozen engineers

[@richarddrum9970]

Must have been a thrill to work in the skunkworks in those days. What an amazing piece of design and engineering work.

[@Zopdoz]

The science & engineering team that pulled this off are fucking legends! True piece of engineering excellence from its time!!

[@FunStuffForSteve]

Kelly Johnson @ Lockheed

[@roberth.goddardthefatherof6376]

Yup, and it's all American made!

[@RockinRedRover]

Don't think they started from scratch tho; all good engineers follow in footsteps of others, even the great ones.

[@SarcasticLampr4y]

Thanks mate, for our propulsion exam, he said we might be doing a ramjet with turbomachinery, had no idea about it, so thanks for the help

[@Lazerus2008]

The SR71 is the greatest machine ever built by man. To think when this was built there was no such thing as cad or computational fluid dynamics, all done with a slide rule and pencils. I used to live next to a US air base in England and I would see this bird take off in the middle of the night , the noise and the distant sight of those two bright purple and orange plumes coming from the engines as it took off on full reheat is something that I will never forget. Jeremy Clarkson was right, that plane has got a 'soul'.

[@simontherm]

Dude, amazing job! Fabulous. Mind-blowing that Kelly Johnson and his team designed this thing with slide rules....geniuses.

[@DavidCurryFilms]

He went from designing the Electra - P-38 - U2 - then SR71. That's a long career in aeroplane years ;)

[@consubandon]

Only because we are computer-dependent imbeciles by comparison. All credit to them. Sad for us.

[@nitemareman1]

I was about 12 or 13 years old and living on Okinawa Japan. My Dad was a Marine aviator and he had dragged us over to The Rock for a 3 year sentence. One day somewhere around 1983 or 84 I was kicking my skateboard down the street on Camp Futenma base housing. I heard a very distinct roar and looked up into the blue and saw an SR-71 with full afterburner screaming through the daylight sky, a very rare sight indeed. I could scarcely get the smile off my face as I rolled home to tell the Old man. We all knew the Habu was stationed at Kadena but they were very rarely seen as most operations were done at night as to conceal the missions. I can only assume this must have been some kind of maintenance test, as there would seemingly be little reason to be burning afterburners right over the island like that. I'm one of the lucky few to have seen these monsters raging in all their glory!

[@ploignon]

Finally!!! Best explanation seen yet on the inlets. I have 500 hours as a RSO and give multiple presentations yearly on the Blackbird

[@ace1usmc]

The most astounding part is that this was all designed, engineered and built in a time before a simple calculator ever existed. They used slide rules to help with the calculations required. How many people alive today even know what a slide rule is???

[@nigelalderman9178]

Plenty in their sixties and above I guess. I used one at school and university. I think it's still in my office somewhere.

[@JayVal90]

Slide rules are more useful than calculators imo. You get a better "sense" of the numbers from one.

[@calvinnickel9995]

This was well into the computer age and there were plenty of mechanical adding machines. Slide rules were used for simple calculations and checking.

[@alanstevens1296]

@@calvinnickel9995 :: Plus batch programs run via decks of punch cards on mainframe computers, with aeronautical engineering programs.

[@calvinnickel9995]

Yeah if you want to talk punch cards and mechanical computers you can go all the way back to the 18th century with programable weaving looms. The French also had things like control characters for their network of optical semaphore stations in the 18th century. Baudot code-the first punch card code specifically made for transmitting messages electrically (and where we get the term Baud from) was available in the late 19th century. ENIAC, the first electronic computer, was made at the end of the war. By the time the SR-71 was designed, Mainframe and even mini computers were commonplace like the IBM 1400 and Honeywell H200. A slide rule was more like a calculator was in the 1980s or 1990s or like a smart phone is today. It’s portable and convenient and good for doing quick math or checking gross errors. But from 1980 to today you use a microcomputer (PC) with a CAD or spreadsheet program to do actual design or complex calculations.

[@ztwntyn8]

I’m a car guy but this is my fav plane and jet engine. It’s just so unique and I appreciate all of the effort and thought in developing it.

[@CorekBleedingHollow]

Wow those numbers and charts and the design diagram made my head hurt. Whoever designed this aircraft are really smart. Especially the part talking about the air intake at supersonic speeds... ugh... that's beyond me. I have no idea how smart some people are.

[@1asdfasdfasdf]

And with slide rules to boot!

[@hangfried9429]

That is exactly what I thought, damn those people were smart.

[@josiahpolite9181]

they didnt just arrive at this, there probably were many prototypes and generations. many people may have worked on it as well

[@romirder]

The people at Skunkworks you mean? Yeah, the best of the best probably. You can find a book about this plane and the F117A stealth airplane on Audible. Yeah it's 12 hours. Yeah it's totally worth it.

[@sherwoodtheginger]

Shock expansion theory is a relatively simple concept if you can understand basic thermodynamics. You can make a lot of assumptions when designing these structures!

[@LipitzanerStallion29]

Absolutely badass, anyone wondering how to properly use the Toridal Aerospike, Shock Cone Diverter Intake, Intake Bypass Assemblies, and the Turbo Ramjet Engines in Kerbal Space Program this video will teach you how. Excellent!

[@PavloLukashuk]

30 years ago, studying at the aviation university, I was amazed that such an engine was developed! 🤔 I couldn't believe that it was possible! 🤷 Thanks for the video,- the best explanation of how the engine works in different air mod! 👍

[@AsjadSS]

Salute to the guy who made this beautiful beast.

[@MrS22222]

My mom worked on this lel

[@3xfaster]

It’s Skunk Works, they ain’t gotta explain squat! You clearly had fun explaining this marvel of engineering! It might be me, I had some trouble digesting, not because of detail, but speed of the explanation. Awesome stuff!

[@soaringvulture]

It wasn't just the Skunk Works. That's Pratt & Whitney's engine and I'm sure they're pretty proud of it.

[@Mike-gp9tv]

Amazing how they were able to develop complex projects using slide rules and drafting tables. When the SR-71 first flew in 1964, that was long before there was MS Project, Excel, PowerPoint, email, desktop PCs, CAD/CAM or even fax machines. Imagine a status meeting without PowerPoint slides!

[@SandrisUpitis]

Something amazing, taking in mind that it's designed, built around 60 years ago...

[@AntonFetzer]

Mind bending engineering and awesome video !

[@donmiles109channel]

My brother was a mechanic on the LOX for the computers. He gave me a nylon parachute line I used as a tow rope. Unbreakable.

[@joesc641]

Lots of Mig 25 engines were cooked trying to catch the SR-71. And the Mig 25 to this day is one of the fastest interceptors ever built.

[@virtualinfinity6280]

This engine is an awesome masterpiece by all means. Ever since the 80s, when I learned about it, it fascinated me. The turboramjet is a genius concept and the implementation in the J-58 is beautiful. As a German engineer, this tickles every gene I've got :) I could easily imagine, that single-engine unmanned fast strike drones could be equipped with a turboramjet. In unmanned combat aircraft, you can skip the added safety of two engines. Fast and efficient engage and disengage with the ramjet in operation coupled with the controllabiliy of a turbojet for takeoff, landing and over the mission objectives.

[@deezynar]

They built a single engine drone based on SR-71 features. You can find it on KZbin.

[@rexlee3710]

Most permanent locations for the SR provided high pressure air that spun a turbine with a spline gear engaged in the engine accessories box. Secondary Start Carts was used when required. Each cart had 2ea General Motors Buick V8 engines that were connected in tandem. They were soup-up boat racing engines tied to a spline gear to engage the engine. One cart could start one engine at a time. I guess 2 would be more convenient. I’ve only seen 1 used. The SR71 used JP7 fuel. The only aircraft that used it that I know. The fuel had such a high flash point that the regular igniter used in usual turbojet engines wouldn’t work. The fuel had to be ignited using the liquid pyrophoric chemical TEB (Triethylborane) with so many shots available for each engine. TEB ignites when in contact with air.

[@jancuscadden4504]

How did Kelly Johnson & his team work that one out, my hats off to them, wish it was still flying !!

[@timpeterson2738]

They had help from guys that worked on the Avro Arrow which was running into the same issues.

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@timpeterson2738 never heard that one......

[@themanginaman]

so simple I might just go build one myself

[@kopfjager6833]

Lol

[@SomeKidsAtHomes]

+panda44r he was joking...

[@SomeKidsAtHomes]

panda44r yea, with that huge comment i bet you were ultra serious

[@azzym312]

+themanginaman It is a minor undertaking. Even the Chyneez can do it. They have already but stopped because there is no buyer interest on Ebay.

[@themanginaman]

Azzy M lol

[@freeagent8225]

A bunch of guys coming together to create cool stuff and solve problems. Man at his best.

[@rogerwilco2]

An amazing piece of engineering. Thanks for explaining it.

[@nadejdakostin8700]

Thanks!

[@sixstringedthing]

"Fuel efficiency" is very much a relative term when talking about the J58. :)

[@protege1717]

Considering this beast would cruise at mach 3.2 for half a day almost indicates it was extremely fuel efficient.

[@Bartonovich52]

Not half a day.. lol. It was out of fuel in a couple hours AFTER being tanked.

[@kidddogbites]

@@protege1717 from what iv read they could suck their tanks dry in 15min if you pinned the throttle to the firewall

[@BobSchmidty]

When I was a kid, I knew an elderly man who was an engineer on the SR-71 project. I was only around 8 or 9 years old, but I remember him telling me about the air intakes. He was responsible for leading the team that focused on those. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[@mrjace3]

about 4 years ago I actually had the pleasure of meeting the man that was the test pilot for the sr71 I think he in his 80's. really nice guy.

[@lardawg6794]

Who was it ?? I know the guy that became the first SR-71 instructor pilot , Robert G Sowers. He also set a speed record in a B-58 Hustler and won the Bendix trophy.

[@Wyrmshadow]

Think about this... the damn CRUISE speed was Mach 3.2.. that's a holy shit number even today. And the faster it flew the more efficient it was.

[@isphius]

in terms of power per fuel used yes... in terms of "miles per gallon" equivalent no not at all lol

[@Stacy_Smith]

No it's not! The "NEW" holy shit number is classified. I can't prove this, but I find it hard to believe that this DINOSAUR holds the record for fastest plane. Satellites work great however they can't always be somewhere when you need it! Cloud cover is another problem. My theory as to why nobody has seen it's replacement: CLOAKING TECHNOLOGY! It's not some Star Trek bull shit either. More like Terminator*. Look how screen technology has advanced over the years with TV's and smartphones. If an aircraft was covered in screens when you looked at the bottom of it you would just see the sky! They are already experimenting with cloaking small radar sites and stuff like that. On a plane you would need an extremely fast processor because the object you are trying to cloak is moving forward while pitching & rolling. *Side note: The movie Terminator was made before the invention of the flat screen. It's amazing how sometimes science fiction becomes science fact.

[@penart8079]

It is actually the fastest plane till now

[@Dominikmj]

....What kind of medication are you taking? By the way, you have got something, which is called stealth - no science fiction at all, but pretty successful. While American stealth jets and bombers are well known - I would not be very surprised, if there would be a range of stealth reconnaissance aircrafts which are still classified. And you have got also stealth drones (the RQ-170 have been in Iran a couple of years ago), which are also reality. So - no - we don’t use a cloaking technology, because you simply don’t need it. Especially UAV’s are so small, that they are not seen by eye in medium altitudes - and they are not picked up by radar (especially when it comes to stealth UAV’s).

[@isse6790]

SR-71 is not the fastest plane, the X-15 is.

[@longfade]

I'm a jazz musician with no engineering bones in my body, but this presentation somehow made sense to me (after a lot of pauses and rewinds, but still). Thanks for a very informative post.

[@MicJaguar]

Has always been my favorite plane since I first saw it as a kid at Kelly Airforce base. Protected by armed guards. The explanation was good and I liked the diagram explanation to what everything does. Must have been a lot of work for the pilots to keep track of fuel consumption, cooling and flying all at the same time. Wish I could fly in one just once. Well, maybe in VR I might. lol :D

[@otanguma]

KELLY AFB in SATX?

[@ChristianStout]

The fact that we went from the P-80 to the SR-71 in only 20 years is just astounding.

[@clownslapper5270]

10 years.

[@sukhoisu-24fencer3]

The Pratt and Whitney J58 turbo ramjet. Now that's what I call a real powerhouse of an engine. This thing looks pretty awesome.

[@chadgdry3938]

and this was developed without computers using pretty much paper, chalk boards and slide rulers.. crazy..

[@RockinRedRover]

and human brains...

[@benjamin7114]

Big balls too , don't forget those .

[@artilleryfire6576]

dont forget diet water

[@rearspeaker6364]

@@artilleryfire6576 diet water, before it was much commercialized.

[@aluisious]

The thing that blows me away was how this was designed. The people who made these engines were kicking down the limits of science and engineering with minimal tools day in and day out. Today all we seem to get is thinner phones, and we have every tool to do barely that.

[@sidharthtalia]

+aluisious the thing is, doing the math for these things doesn't require an extra-ordinary person, making it not melt in the air is the real challenge.

[@consubandon]

...and thinner phones do not make us Gods Who Walk the Earth. The supposed "tech" of this century has given us little more than a load of junk toys we can wank off to.

[@heitikei]

simple and minimal. my favourite qualities in any industry. thank you.

[@8fox261]

Overheard the following radio transmission between a Minneapolis Center Air Traffic Controller & an incoming SR-71: SR-71 Pilot: "...Minneapolis Center, Blackbird 06..." MPLS ATC: "...Blackbird 06... Roger, go ahead..." SR-71 Pilot: "...Blackbird 06 requesting Flight Level 650 (65,000 feet AGL)..." MPLS ATC: "...Ahhh... (snickering over the mic)... roger, Blackbird 06, if you can get there... you're cleared, climb & maintain Flight Level 650..." SR-71 Pilot: "...roger, sir, Blackbird 06 DESCENDING to Flight Level 650; thank you much..."

[@offplanetevent]

LMFOA

[@halesworth01]

Sorry to blow your idea out of the water but it is a commercial airline SwedJet Airways from Sweden that uses the "Blackbird" callsign...also the Blackbird SR71 was completely retired and taken out of service in 1998 form USAF and 1999 from NASA

[@8fox261]

Transmission took place 34 years ago, 11 years before SwedJet existed.

[@jonnie2bad]

ever hear this one...kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnLceXtvfJ6YqpI

[@panderson9561]

The SR-71's did not use the call sign "Blackbird." The SR-71 used the call sign "Aspen."

[@onimusha410]

Incredible technology and information! Average people only see metal.

[@tommy1273]

“This symmetrical spike” Shows distinctly asymmetrical spike

[@considernick]

Well the spike itself is symmetrical, it's position isn't though.

[@tommy1273]

An Avid Viewer Take another look. It definitely isn’t symmetrical

[@debaronAZK]

the 'spike' part is symmetrical, the rest isn't

[@ryanboles8590]

@@tommy1273 it definitely is, from an overhead view, this is from the side, please actually listen to the points people make instead of just calling them wrong.

[@tommy1273]

Ryan Boles thank you Ryan. I love you, bye.

[@michaellewis1844]

In a recent meeting I told a group of young computer engineers all about the incredible Blackbird. At the end I told them it was the last US military aircraft to be designed entirely using a slide rule by the geniuses who built it. I then asked them if there were any questions. An engineer raised his hand and asked, "we're all very curious, what's a slide rule...?"

[@Made_In_Heavenn]

And what is that???

[@shannonchurchill4556]

It’s similar to a rotary dial phone… 😂

[@kriscrnomarkovic7639]

Logarithms, physicalized.

[@pmp1337]

I studied mechanical eng in 2008 and I now that I googled what it is, I never seen one. Where I studied there were a bunch of jet engines(most FIAT G91 engines) just parked in the halls, so I've seen more turbojet engines than I've seen the slide rulers that designed them.

[@richardkell4888]

Slide rules are wonderful in that we can deal with variables and get instant (and pictorial) results. Anyway, 3 sig figs is all me ever need, we are not accountants!

[@GeneralPadron]

You did well. I learned all of this when I borrowed the Jet Propulsion text from the Cannon Air Force Base library. Thumbs up brother.

[@kenmvilla]

I saw another video and the guy mentioned that the temperatures the engine works at would heat the metal so much that the whole engine would grow a whole 6 inches in length, and 3 inches in diameter. This property had to be accounted for in the design. Amazing technology.

[@bluetannery1527]

Can you make more videos like this? The animation and voiceover are really nice; and I learned a ton. Maybe talk about different engines?

[@TechLaboratories]

+William Tannery I've thought about it, but it took me three months of full time work when I was unemployed, and I unfortunately can't dedicate that much time to a video at the point. Someday I hope to get back to doing more like it!

[@bluetannery1527]

+TechLaboratories it certainly shows - it's a super high quality video dense with useful information the layman can understand.

[@TROllingNINJA2031]

Flares? who need flare when you can just outrun the damn missile

[@epicbastard1]

1970's missile*

[@TROllingNINJA2031]

Stoyan Todorov truu

[@Bartonovich52]

You can't. In fact, this was why they never used the SR-71 over Russia.... and the similarly performing XB-70 was cancelled.

[@ericw.1620]

+Bartonovich52 Blackbirds have actually outran missiles before......

[@zimrileisher]

Back then, you definitely could. There were actually a few documented cases of literally outflying missiles. And there were multiple missions deep into the heart of Russian territory with the SR-71, most of which were never even engaged because they didn't want to waste missiles on them.

[@MrPLC999]

This engine is over 50 years old and still holds a place of honor in the hi tech aerospace world. A truly remarkable piece of engineering.

[@andrew6978]

Just finished reading Ben Rich's book, I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say the whole world owes the continued existence of the human race partly to the Skunk Works.

[@MrJdsenior]

+Andrew Male I do.

[@RCHeliJet]

Very nice Video thanks i have filmed the R/C Model SR-71 Fantastic. Greeting from Switzerland

[@mastr-sf1jv]

Of all the video's on the sr71 you chose though one that least related to your RC blackbird come on man

[@chrisbeecraft]

An absolutely brilliant explanation and diagram of the J58, extremely well done, keep up the good work. The J58 is a most amazing piece of 50's technology - *Slide Rules Rule* !

[@codymartinson9518]

I'm an engineering student and I am so glad I watched this video. I learned a lot, and I think I drooled a little. Understood 80% of it. Does the plane cruise with its nose angled upward slightly? I can't see any other reason for the inlet spikes being angled downward.

[@TechLaboratories]

Cody Martinson Yes. It needs a pretty hefty angle of attack to maintain altitude at such high altitude, even with the Mach 3 dynamic pressure. Tip to tail, the whole body acts as the primary lifting surface, which is why the whole body, including the nose, is angled. At lower speeds its angle of attack is closer to level, but the inlet spikes aren't needed to translate the supersonic dynamic pressure into static pressure in the inlet so the spike and cowl can be angled downwards with (essentially) little consequence.

[@codymartinson9518]

Makes perfect sense. I'm guessing that's why the body is built so flat?

[@TechLaboratories]

Kind of. The body is also flat for maneuverability & reduced radar cross-section. The ideal shape for reduced drag at super and hypersonic speeds is a rocket shape (which is why rockets ARE that shape...) BUT, if you want to be able to maneuver, at least a little bit, and to maintain a steady altitude at those speeds, you need a larger flat section to grab more of the low-density air. That's why the SR-71 was able to out maneuver missiles - missiles couldn't adjust their flight patterns to match small changes in the SR-71's flight path, and by the time they missed, they were so far away they didn't have fuel to catch it. The flat shape also helps with stealth - the segmented top-bottom section helps direct radar signals away from their receivers, reducing the intensity of the return. At Mach 3.2, the dynamic pressure creates a static pressure behind the supersonic shock wave, that the plane rides like a skim board, and the chines help separate the fluid flow to reduce the pressure above the plane and increase lift.

[@stoltheds7698]

much more complex than Kerbal space program

[@Bartonovich52]

As if. That's effectively what's still getting the Americans into orbit.

[@overgoats9260]

Modern rockets are closer to turbojets than you might think. science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2005/14oct_betterrocket

[@georgerussell2947]

Forrest McNabb you can make planes / space planes in KSP

[@yuhno808]

it's not rocket science, it's only a jet engine science

[@imthedarknight-8755]

But that whiplash engine does it all at once

[@ashrraff._]

Thanks for adding this in ppt bill

[@pinky1933]

This video was very easy to understand. I competed this model airplane when I was younger and had it hanging above my bed. Along with the F-14,15,16,18,F-101 Voodoo and a couple others. When younger I wanted to be a fly them in the Air Force, but my eyes are poor and went 11B in the Army instead. 8 years and a deployment later, I wonder what it would have been like in the Chair Force...I mean Air Force.

[@MajorKong1]

Well, you wouldn't have had to dumb yourself down or learn to drag yer knuckles for one thing! Most of the differences my Army friends explained were in how we were treated off duty. In exercise environments for example we usually got more than one porta john out in the field. My first trip to Kuwait we stayed on an Army base and we got 2 to a room and the Army guys were proud that they were allowed to put up cardboard walls. (A kid I was deployed with had made friends with these guys and they were showing off, the idiot upon seeing that said, "Come over and see what we got!" ) Other than that we don't yell as much, but we all seemed to get the job done. My only real frustration with working with the Army was the lack of lateral communication. You wanted to get something done you had to go up through your chain of command across then down through theirs. Much easier to work across in the first place. That seemed to change a bit over time though. Some outfits were better than others, and we all had fun. I was lucky got to play with all the services, even some Coasties.

[@pinky1933]

J Cheatham I ment no disrespect towards Air Force. My dad got his citizenship from the Air Force. My uncles got theirs from the Marines. My brother and I went Army and my nephew is in the Air Force. We are a very military friendly family and enjoy the little "shit talking" towards one another. Put all forces together and shit gets done! But that aside, while I was in Taji Iraq we all slept in a barn with "Jack Shacks". our bunks were so close together your tote could hardly fit between the next bunk. You hang your sheet up tucked under the bunk above you and there you go. 2-4-8-man-rooms were not a commodity we enjoyed. It stunk, it sucked when someones alarm would go off and they sleep through the damn thing...ugh but would I do it again? Sure if I did not have the family I have now. Money was great. Lack of MP's on the base forced my Battalion of 11B to take their place. So the FOBIT life was not that bad compared to sleeping along site trucks in dirt/sand.

[@MajorKong1]

pinky1933 Good for you, I meant no disrespect either, as I've said, I've worked with all branches and enjoyed each of them in their own unique way. (My Dad retired from the Marines and my younger brother joined the Army so I understand where you're coming from on the "shit talking"!) which is all I was trying for here. It's all good natured fun until someone gets an eye poked out, then it becomes interesting!

[@pinky1933]

J Cheatham yeah cause LOD's are hard to get and the medic will give you a band-aid and send you off with a profile saying "wear eye-pro" lol

[@MajorKong1]

pinky1933 You forgot the motrin.

[@barofe]

Engineering wonder, I love these type of engines

[@SAABguyMD]

I watch this about once a month. Such a great, quick explanation of one of most amazing feats of aeronautical engineering ever!

[@DesertDweller1776]

Cruising speed is mach 3.2!!! That thing is a monster

[@HectorDomino.]

Black Bird is the masterpiece of Science.

[@donberg01]

From an A&P point of view, a great explanation & an envy of any power plant instructor!

[@gallantrycrossx1915]

The first time I saw an SR 71 was on Okinawa, it looked like the Batplane. The titanium we got for it came from Russia, through a dummy company so the Russkis wouldn't find out.

[@briancrawford69]

Came from several fake companies the CIA setup. I've seen one on the ground many times and had a former pilot gi a mini plane tour when they have open cockpit days at Castle AFB. It was a b52 base in Atwater CA but was closed, Google bought a big portion of it but the castle afb museum is still open and has a pretty awesome collection and on open cockpit days the guys that flew or maintained the planes come out and explain the different palnes. The sr71 sits right outside the front gate and anyone driving by on freeway 99 can see her sitting there. Also love the b36 on open cockpit days, the b52 and even though u can't go inside the Vulcan they have it so super cool