The SR-71 Blackbird
The old site
Here are the famous stories about the SR-71. Yes, the fastest speed over the West Coast is here. But you might find that the 'Slowest Flyby' is as thrilling. You decide how much is fact and how much is just a great story!
The Air Zoo is a world-class, Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science museum, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with over 100 air and space artifacts, inspiring interactive exhibits, full-motion flight simulators, indoor amusement park rides, a theater and over 100 education programs!
The AG-330 Start Cart orginally were Buick wildcat 401 cubic inch V-8 engines developing 400 horsepower. There were two Buick engines mounted tandem side by side with automatic transmissions. They were coupled together with a steel woven drive belt to drive a vertical shaft that was inserted into the starter mechanism on the bottom of the SR-71's engine.
By the end of 1962, only two A-12s were engaged in flight tests. Full test speeds could not be reached since the J-58 engines were not fully available and were experiencing problems.