Even before the first operational flight of the U-2 spy plane, aircraft designers began work on the type's replacement. The result was the SR-71. This book examines the impact this aircraft had, not only on North Vietnam but during the Cold War as a whole.
Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most iconic and famous jets ever built. Assembled in secret at Lockheed's Skunk Works, the Blackbird's vital statistics remain phenomenal, decades later. It holds the airspeed record for a manned jet aircraft, operated at an altitude other aircraft could barely touch, and was a marvel of technical engineering. Drawing on declassified material, leading SR-71 expert Paul Crickmore reveals the history of this fascinating aircraft, accompanied by a range of fantastic illustrations, photographs, and facts about the world's most secret spy plane.
During the early years of the Cold War, the most effective way to gather strategic intelligence about the Soviet Union and its allies was manned overflight. This book covers a two-seat variation of the design built as an advanced interceptor - the YF-12.
Throughout its 34-year Cold War career with the USAF and CIA, the top secret Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. Dedicated to strategic reconnaissance, the Blackbird was so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. The co-authors are world authorities on the Blackbird and give rare insights into the secret world of the SR-71, its genesis, construction and anatomy (including its use of stealth technology), and its operation and maintenance in peace and war.
An icon of American military might during the Cold War (1946-1991), the Lockheed SR-71 'Blackbird' had covered itself in glory during the aircraft's debut in over-flights of North Vietnam and North Korea. When the US intelligence community realized that the aircraft could fly faster and higher than any Soviet fighter, and outrun most surface-to-air missiles, they instructed the United States Air Force to establish a European detachment of the aircraft.In 1976, SR-71 Det 4 commenced operations from the Royal Air Force base at Middenhall in the United Kingdom. Its mission was to monitor Warsaw Pact troop movements along the Iron Curtain and photograph the various ports with access to the Batlic and Barents Seas that were home to the Soviet Union's nuclear submarine fleet. Despite the best efforts of the USSR, they were never able to intercept a 'Blackbird' in flight.The SR-71 continued its success during several missions over Libya. After surprise military strikes against several targets in 1986, the SR-71s managed to fly over a sophisticated and fully-integrated defense system in order to take bomb assessment photos.Written by an expert on SR-71 operations, this book picks up where Combat 76: Lockheed SR-71 Operations in the Far East left off.
Focusing on the SR-71 Blackbird, this book highlights its status as a symbol of American technological prowess during the Cold War. Paul Crickmore, a recognized authority on the subject, utilizes newly declassified information to provide an updated and comprehensive exploration of the aircraft's history and significance.
Developed by the legendary Lockheed 'Skunk Works,' the F-117 Nighthawk was a phenomenal technical achievement. This book tells the story of the design of the machine, from the revolutionary materials used to the highly advanced computer technology that was employed to make the Stealth Fighter invisible to enemy radar.
By the time the so-called 'Stealth Fighter' was acknowledged to the world in November 1988 it had already been in service with the USAF for five years. A product of the Lockheed Skunk Works, the F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft to be designed around stealth technology. Although popularly known as the stealth fighter it was actually a ground-attack aircraft.
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