Are there actually any SR-71 blackbird "ready to fly", and if yes, where would you need it in our world?

Question

Are there actually any SR-71 blackbird "ready to fly", and if yes, where would you need it in our world?

Answer 1

That answer is no, not even at Edwards AFB, the last one to fly was the "B" model with the extra canopy and used as a trainer, they have all been sent to museums or placed in storage. The reasons are many and the Pentagon would have this answer. It could be used in battlefield surveillance, but now that mission is relegated to UAV's and satellites. Many here say that the Aurora project is underway, I doubt that, the engine technology and budget are not there to support it. Of all the 30 or so A-12's, YF-12A's, and SR-71's built, the tooling was destroyed for the Pratt & Whitney JT-11D-20B or J-58 used exclusively by these Mach 3 spy planes. Costs to start up the program now would be prohibitive........

Answer 2

There is a fleet at edawards AFB but it would take about a month to have them up and ready....

Answer 3

No. NASA might have one of the YF-12's, I think. Everybody thinks satellites are great but how do you redirect one at a moments notice? Hence the Aurora rumors.............We still need fast aircraft! Its easy to keep track of a satellite.

Answer 4

No.

Answer 5

Unfortunately not. Almost all Lockheed Sr-71 Blackbirds are scrapped due to the fact that the soviet union could attempt to steal the technology that it has. Especially the Pratt & Whittney engines they have. They are very expensive. Although there is believed to be one left in Area 51 (if you don't believe in area 51and you think it's a myth, the coordinates are:

                                  lattitude: 37°14'35.49"N

                               longtitude: 115°48'24.11"W

If the American government will release one, NASA would probably buy it to study the outer layers of our atmosphere because the Sr-71 has a cruising altitude of around 100,000 feet(wild guess, technical specs is actually classified).

Answer 6

There are no longer any "flyable" SR-71 Blackbirds in the US inventory. However there are several in mothballs available for restoration.

Most Blackbirds are now in museums around the world.

NASA was the last US agency to fly the SR-71, ending the program in October of 1999.

The link to the wikpedia's listing is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Black...

This is backed up with information from NASA at:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/...

The flying program became to expensive to maintain, considering that satellites could do much of the same type of recon work in real time as opposed to the time it takes to  recover the aircraft and process the information it brings back.

Answer 7

I'm Pretty Sure They decomissioned them due to there costly maintance fees. Plus those things where designed and built in the late sixties. The newest stelth tech is far more sophisticated. And thats the stuff we Know about.

Answer 8

The SR71 was meant to be a Cold War spy plane, before our new Super-Spy Satellites. It is no longer necessary because of our new SPY SATELLITES. The SR71 was a very cool and very fast plane but it outlived its need with new technology.

Answer 9

Persia

Answer 10

Yes, there is one SR-71 that was brought back to operational status three years ago and it is based at Beale AFB CA.  

There are more than 20 on display at various locations, including the NASA space center in Huntsville, AL, and Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, and Richmond, VA.  

If you want to see a video of one with closeups, go to this link: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/588016/sr_...  

There are ten more videos on this link:

http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/srvid~...

None of the SR-71s were "scrapped" and the operational specifications and data are readily available on the Internet.

While everyone knows them as the "Blackbird" the crews and pilots nicknamed them "Habu".

Answer 11

I don't think there are any operational today. If so? I would think it would come in handy if affordable.Where? ICELAND