SR-71 is faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than 90 locomotives
• http://mach3ti.com/EACH OF THE SR-71 ENGINES PRODUCES THE POWER OF 45 LOCOMOTIVES! The muzzle velocity of a high powered, 30-06 rifle bullet is 2910 feet per second. The Blackbird can fly at 3226 feet per second. Of course that bullet starts to slow down as soon as
Of course we may never know how fast it REALLY was, its classified.
Yes, that's correct we will never know the Blackbird's "Posted" speed limit. Why? because it really doesn't have one.
The Blackbird's design speed is regulated by the pilot not to exceed the parameters as regulated by the propulsion systems Inlet air temperature.
That temperature was set at 427 degrees. The temperatures of the airframe exceeded 1100 degrees at cruise and the dynamic atmospheric environment at MACH 3+ at the edge of space created those temperatures by atmospheric frictional loads.
Now consider that as the aircraft flew higher the air becomes thinner and results in less friction. This also effects the air on the flight control surfaces.
The Blackbird's inlet produced better than sea level air pressure at 80,000 ft. That's why when the aircraft was running low on fuel the course of action was to speed up.
Pilot "Unofficial" reports during evasive maneuvers from SA-5 missiles stated that as the aircraft pushed past MACH 3.5 the ride became very smooth and felt as if could go faster.
Many factors must be considered such as over shooting refueling tanker support, damage to the airframe, etc.
Now let's see. The Blackbird was flying as far back as the early to mid '60s. Nobody ever stops R & D.
At higher, cooler altitudes, speed must be increased to "scoop" in enough not-so-easily-burnable air to burn with the fuel.
With advances in technology since the '60s, more than likely, rocket power would have been added to the Blackbird to be used at altitudes too high for any usable air to be found.
The result is, that moving at a tangent to the earth's gravitational pull, a rocket-assist powered Blackbird would be able to make it into outer space beyond the atmosphere, perhaps beyond the gravitational pull of earth. And then it could come back again.
More than likely, the whole space shuttle program was camouflage to cover up the fact that a later design of the SR-71 was making regular flights into space, to the moon, and maybe beyond.