Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird airplane model.
The SR-71, developed over 30 years ago for the USAF as a reconnaissance aircraft, remains the fastest and highest-flying production aircraft in the world. Capable of exceeding 2200 mph (Mach 3+ or more than three times the speed of sound) and operating at altitudes above 85,000 feet, the SR-71 was equipped with advanced synthetic aperture radar system [ASARS-I], an optical bar camera, and a technical objective camera wet film system, all part of its original equipment.
The SR-71 was the brainchild of a Lockheed team led by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, then vice president of the company's Advanced Development Projects, also known as "Skunk Works." The A-11, its first iteration as a CIA reconnaissance aircraft, took flight in April 1962. The A-12, which followed, featured a reduced radar cross-section. In 1963, an interceptor variant, the YF-12A, was developed. The SR-71, a USAF reconnaissance version, first flew in 1964. The A-12 and SR-71 designs incorporated high-temperature fiberglass-asbestos laminates on their leading and trailing edges, which helped to minimize radar detection. President Lyndon Johnson publicly disclosed the aircraft's existence on February 29, 1964, revealing that an A-11 had achieved sustained speeds of over 2000 mph during tests at Edwards, California.
Mahogany wood, scale 1/63, wingspan 12 inches, length 21 inches.
