'We got every one and broke it' - The SR-71's Start Cart

[@hugolafhugolaf]

This guy is a national treasure.

[@brianjones6500]

How can you not like this guy? He has engineering access to things that if you stood in the presence of some "fun items to play with"... commands me to not only inquire but to say that ''''I require'''' one [ea] 400 ci Buick motor from 1960. I will pay with deep fried turkeys and home made chicken noodle soup. My storage space for one of these monsters is exactly 400 ci.

[@skydawg98]

I'm a veteran of destroying two engines! one had a connecting rod put a hole in the block. Later in the program they switched to Chevy 454 engines. They had Holley double pumps running on 100 ll avgas.

[@TheMNrailfan227]

I bet switching to a Big Block Chevy was a very smart choice in the long run

[@paulwilhelmsen1602]

Awesome….early am launch particularly

[@chuckp1832]

"Hello, this is Joe's salvage, whatcha need?" "This is the USAF and we need all the 401 Nail Heads in your inventory!"

[@danfreeman9079]

I was standing at the back of the open shelter during start up when a startcart threw a rod at max rpm, some of the shrapnel got sucked up in the Blackbirds inlet. Crew chiefs motions to shut it down and that birds mission was canceled. I was always notified to support launches. Basically, we just sat in our vans with tools ready and watched as the SR-71's disappeared into sky. The noise and rumble of the Blackbirds afterburners shook the van like crazy.

[@brianjones6500]

Not as loud as the snap crackle and pop of a F-111. The F-111 aardvark defines aircraft noise.

[@GradyGillis]

My equipment (CAPRE SLR system) was on the front end, but whenever I could be out there for an engine start, I'd get to the rear of the aircraft. The sound of the start carts, the smell, the green flash of TEB are memories that are with me forever. 79-88 at Beale, Kadena, and Mildenhall.

[@ToliniDaniel]

I've watched this whole series from home and boy, does the curators at the AirZoo brings it home! Can't wait to visit the museum and staff if I ever come close within 180miles of Kalamazoo, MI!

[@dondamon443]

As a former Air Force NCO, I personally witnessed those start carts and heard that deafening engine top out many times. There are some videos on KZbin of these start carts and the sound they make if you interested in something very cool. I was at Beale from 1980-1986. Glorious times when the SR-71 was still flying TS missions all over the place. But those "Start Ups" were the highlight of an early morning or late night "launch". It still sends sends shivers throughout my body when I hear it. And the smell of burning Jet Fuel was always a plus too.

[@waynescott9218]

I had the honor and experience of working on the SR Program in Palmdale Ca and Mildenhall England. The “Buicks” as they were known were great to operate and I ran plenty of them. It took a smooth pull on the throttle and a quick chop off to get a good start. But there is a few thing’s missing in this story. The engine oil at ambient temperature is thicker than molasses in January. We had to use ground heaters blowing hot air for several hours into the Nacelles before we could start the engines. Sometimes the periscoping drive would get locked up and we had a safety release valve under the cart and we would dump the hydraulic pressure and have to man handle the drive and cart violently to get it to disconnect and then pull the Buick cart out from under the aircraft. When they ran out of Buick Wildcat engines, Big Block Chevy 454 engines were worked over to duplicate the torque and horsepower urge of the Buick engine. The reason for the single boat throttle is that the components to couple the drive to the single shaft came from the designers at Chris Craft boats who were friends with Kelly Johnson. The boat throttle was a single smooth mechanism to connect two carbs in sync.

[@lnknprkfn]

I belive theirs a buick start cart at my localish museum of aviation in warner robins, Ga in addition to a whole spare engine for the SR-71 as well 😂

[@2packs4sure]

Oh man I would have love to have heard that start cart screaming,, though I really don't understand the choice of Buick nailheads.. There's there's a whole list of early 60's V8's better than the Buick nailhead..

[@2packs4sure]

@E Van Thanks man,, I found it. I have a feeling by then they weren't using Buick nailheads anymore though... kzbin.info/www/bejne/paHCfIqqgsd5rtE

[@Gamer_mii]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJvHqoSmerqMsKs This seems to be one. It does sound good, but hearing a big block rev so high makes me feel a little concerned.

[@mindeloman]

Chrysler 413 would've been a good choice. Pontiac 426. Maybe a 406 Ford which later became the 427.

[@jayyoung4055]

Buick Availability had a lot to do with it. That factor was mentioned in a longer video.

[@2packs4sure]

@@mindeloman Yeah the 413 was the first thing I thought of..

[@Emlizardo]

There's a nice video on KZbin called "SR-71A evening launch Okinawa late 80s" showing the start carts in action and the flash when the engines start. And the fuel leaking all over.

[@TheBeingReal]

An overrunning clutch at the right-angle gearbox output shaft would have saved those engines from being dragged along to high rpm and exploding.

[@carriersignal]

Yes, exactly.

[@stephenmonken1337]

I was stationed at Beale when they had the SR-71. I worked on the other side of the flight line, B-52's and tankers, but could hear the engines roaring when they started the Blackbird. I always thought it was a fuel truck, or some other large vehicle, that need to shift gears. It roared and kept on going until it powered down. Later I learned about the start carts. Did hear a story that the maintenance crews would go to the local auto parts store to purchase hot rod items. Seems everybody had high performance spark plugs and wires.

[@brianjones6500]

Side by side Buicks driving a single start shaft. Thank you Sir! your explanation makes perfect sense to me! For years the legends said that 2 four barrel carbs had to be synced and the motors were driving some wild gearshaft with 2 face to face Buicks. It confuses me that there's a start cart video for this modern marvel that demonstrates [1] start [2] start where you hear one Buick go then start [1] then a second Buick [2] starts the second jet. Am I not insane if I agree with the side-by-side coupled to a reduction and tandem single shaft method that starts both engines at the same time? I'd rater just use a A/M 32A-60A or a MA-1A.

[@jimpikoulis6726]

We got every one and broke it' - The SR-71's Fart Cart. You can be breaking my Fart Cart. I need a clear passage out of my bowel movements 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@fredthebulldog529]

More videos like this please!!

[@Triple_J.1]

The Air Zoo is incredible. If not for the Planes, then the hand painted Mural on the wall thats over 100 yards/meters long.

[@soberek]

'Murica, fuck yeah.

[@brianjones6500]

Aside from his facts. I know that every time one of my carts started an SR; my cart could be 100 percent reset and placed back into service the next day.

[@followyourbliss101]

Start the Buicks! lol... i recall later they also used chevy 454 big blocks - i have a CD somewhere with sounds of both carts starting up sr 71s... blasted that through my roadmaster's speakers a little too loud one time and blew one of the rear speakers - had the windows down and timed it with accelerating down the road windows down... i think it was worth it, lol

[@50shadesofbeige88]

Someone call Derek from Vice Grip Garage lol

[@joeblow5037]

That's cool as hell 🙂

[@mtkoslowski]

We got every ONE. -everyone-

[@ChaseWatkins.]

No -60’s huh? I wonder if an ATS would’ve worked.

[@jaybee9269]

Heck of a story…I’d heard the plane had to use TEB to start the engines too? Or am I incorrect.

[@mrs6968]

so dope

[@ToliniDaniel]

You're 100% correct. JP7 has a very high flasing point, so you needed Triethilborane (I think that's how it's spelled) to pretty much jumpstart the flame reaction on itself. Pretty crazy.

[@mrs6968]

@@ToliniDaniel every last item on that blackbird was crazy and insane. I heard a old myth that it had to emergency land on a street in the dessert and people were surrounding it the pilot got out took a piece of paper pressed it to the body and it instantly caught flame. As to say to bystanders extremely hot do not touch Now I'm sure this was all made up yet it makes for a great tale

[@skydawg98]

We serviced it with 16 oz TEB before flight. If you watch video of a start that is green flame you see and only one oz

[@AnasHart]

1:30 It should be illegal to say a sentence that cool and not show the audio damnit! XD

[@allclassicmotors]

Very cool! With regards to reliability, the HUGE USAF Buick junk pile speaks volumes! Buick??? Buick was never a consistent leader of the racing pack - NASCAR, Drag Racing or Off road. 1960 - 1962 better, more reliable & plentiful engines include the Ford 390HP & the Mopar 413. Starting in 1963 things got even better with the WINNING race proven Ford 427 & the Mopar 426 Hemi. I would have thought the HIGH priority of consistent & reliable starting of one of the most critical aircraft engines ever produced would have dictated a much better start cart engine. I do agree the sound of a 6,000 RPM open header Buick sounded great, but it is TOTALLY negated by its proven record of RUD!

[@Strike_Raid]

Yeah, those old 401's would not like 8,000 rpm at all; actually, even the 6,000 is pushing it.

[@brianjones6500]

The weak point for the Buick was the crew chief smiling.

[@beyondwhatisknown]

Starter motors on cars have a freewheel, bicycles have a freewheel, wrenches have a ratchet that catches in one direction but not the other. You'd think they could have built a freewheel for either the starter cart or the plane or both. But then again, all these Buick engine explosions were operator error. You need to idiot proof...everything...in the USA.

[@MarcKemp-q6n]

430 nailhead iirc. Nope, 401

[@lossexe6331]

Why didn't they just put a freewheel unit like a helicopter transmission has?

[@jakeh3144]

I was about to be like "wow way to steal another channel's video and claim it for your own" then saw you were the original uploader 😅

[@321ssteeeeeve]

Back when horsepower was politically correct

[@basiltaylor8910]

What a waste of classic big block Buick 'Nailheads', why did the cart designers not include, a tamper proof governor, an over-run HeleShaw clutch pack which trips at 3000 rpm ?. Using car engines to start aero engines is not new, yes cats&kittens Mr Hucks mobile starter based on Ol, Henry Ford,s Model'T'.

[@MegaJohnhammond]

is it true the start cart engines were all hand built by Ed Pink?