{"product_id":"sr-71-blackbird-habu","title":"SR-71 Blackbird - \"Habu\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eDeveloped as a secret project by the Lockheed \"Skunkworks\", the first flight of the SR-71 occurred on\u003cspan\u003e December 22, 1964. More than 60 years later, t\u003c\/span\u003ehe SR-71 Blackbird still remains one of the most incredible airplanes to ever fly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned to fly at speeds well in excess of 2,000 MPH and at altitudes over 85,000 feet, the aircraft worked under extreme conditions. To withstand the incredible heat generated by air friction at such speeds, the airframe was mostly made of titanium. Heat was also mitigated by the black paint which radiated heat more effectively than bare metal. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Blackbird was designed to be hard to spot on radar. The chines along the fuselage sides created a flat, tapered shape which would reflect most radar energy away from the beam's place of origin. Special radar-absorbing materials were incorporated into sawtooth-shaped sections of the aircraft's skin. The SR-71 had the radar profile of a large bird.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe powerplant consisted of two Pratt \u0026amp; Whitney J58 engines and their nacelles and ejector nozzles. The net thrust available was to a large extent controlled by the performance of the inlet and nozzle. Above Mach 3 in maximum afterburner, the Blackbird's inlet contributed 54% of the thrust; the ejector nozzle, 28.4%; and the engine, 17.6%. The inlet spike could recede about 24 inches into the nacelle to adjust airflow as required.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft incorporated an Astroinertial Navigation System (ANS). This was an advanced celestial navigation unit that tracked stars day and night through a quartz window on the top of the fuselage just behind the Reconnaissance Systems Officer's cockpit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1968, aircraft flew from Kadena AB, Okinawa. Missions took place first over North Vietnam and Laos during the Vietnam War, and later over North Korea. Local residents in Okinawa thought the dark, sleek aircraft resembled a venomous pit viper native to the island, and the SR-71 became known as \"Habu\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom 1976, missions were flown from RAF Mildenhall, UK, along the Soviet Union's Baltic and Barents Sea coastlines. The missions over the Baltic Sea became known as \"The Baltic Express\". Flying out of Mildenhall, the route followed a counter-clockwise loop over international waters and lasted about 30 minutes. Route ingress was made about 80 km south of Copenhagen. The aircraft then flew north through the grip of a razor-thin corridor between the Swedish Islands of Gotland and Oland. Proceeding far over the Baltic Sea, the turnaround took place under a high G left turn to arc the aircraft back toward the south and west. The aircraft had to slow down to about Mach 2.5 to avoid crossing into Swedish airspace. Egress was made over the exact same point it entered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis artwork is a depiction of the Habu during the high-G turnaround maneuver along the Baltic Express.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mark Karvon Art Studios","offers":[{"title":"11\" x 14\" Archival Matte Paper","offer_id":54053018730680,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16\" x 24\" Archival Matte Paper","offer_id":54053018763448,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20\" x 30\" Archival Matte","offer_id":54053018796216,"sku":null,"price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16\" x 24\"  Ltd Edition Canvas Print (Qty. 71)","offer_id":54053018828984,"sku":null,"price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20\" x 30\"  Ltd Edition Canvas Print (Qty. 71)","offer_id":54053018861752,"sku":null,"price":150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0049\/7729\/5427\/files\/SR-71Blackbird3B11x14Print800.jpg?v=1788784824","url":"https:\/\/markkarvon.com\/products\/sr-71-blackbird-habu","provider":"Mark Karvon Art Studios","version":"1.0","type":"link"}