SR-71 scrapyard survivors

After the first *retirement* a load of parts ended up in SoCal salvage yards. I remember seeing rudders in the local paper advertised for $500.

The story told by one of the SR-71 back seaters amused me. He claimed that they were fired at over Viet Nam and the threat warning rader was lit up like a Christmas tree. Reckoned that none of the missiles came anywhere near them and put it down to the fact that they had missiles that could reach that altitude and missiles that had the speed-just not in the same package.

That’s a great link – thanks Curlyboy. Interesting to read about Rapid Rabbit and that it was supposed to ahve been buried!

I think all the blackbird remains were recovered as much as possible, the air force spent a small fortune raising the wreck of 974 from the south china sea, considering the naure of the blackbird and it’s mission they would want to protect it’s secrets at all cost.

For more info on survivors try http://www.blackbirds.net/sr71/srloc.html

curlyboy

I think all the blackbird remains were recovered as much as possible, the air force spent a small fortune raising the wreck of 974 from the south china sea, considering the naure of the blackbird and it’s mission they would want to protect it’s secrets at all cost.

For more info on survivors try http://www.blackbirds.net/sr71/srloc.html

curlyboy

Hello folks

No, the retired ones all found homes, I was wondering about those lost under non-operational conditions – there were quite a few and at least one A-12 or SR-71 dived into the ground completely buring itself, minus crew. That would be an interesting dig.

Doesn’t look like there are any remains lying around on the surface.

I don’t think any of them have…

Thanks for the explanations chaps……….a little less confusion to worry about!!!

Regards

John.

I don’t know the circumstances as to exactly why the museum at Edwards AFB was closed, but according to their website, it’s due to increased security restrictions.

True, however base tours are now going again. If you use Google Earth & look at Plant 42 I think there are 7 or 8 laying about including at least 1 white version…

In regards as to why two of the museums on the list were closed due to 9/11:

As far as I know, none of the museums closed for economic reasons. Neither of the two that closed charge anything for admission.

I don’t know the circumstances as to exactly why the museum at Edwards AFB was closed, but according to their website, it’s due to increased security restrictions.

As to the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, I live right nearby, and it closed after 9/11 for a year or two because the ANG needed the hangars they were using for various purposes due to increased activity and security, and all the aircraft and artifacts were moved outside or into storage.

However, the museum has reopened, and I visited it in May of last year, and actually got to sit in the cockpit of their A-12 Blackbird.

On the subject of deterioration, I actually got to see five other blackbirds on a road trip I took last week (YF-12 and SR-71 at the USAF museum, SR-71 at the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center, A-12 at the USS Intrepid museum, and an SR-71 at the Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond, VA). The A-12 at the Intrepid didn’t look that bad, but that might of been just because it had a new coat of paint. The SR-71 at the Virginia Aviation Museum, on the other hand, did look a bit rough. I’ll try and post pictures of them later.

paaln, I had a look at the site and it was interesting, But what suprised me was a couple of the museums had ‘closed due to 9/11’.

There must be an economical reason for the closures but why blame 9/11?, I know there is a potential to p!$$ a lot of people when there is talk of 9/11 but I am just curiouse as to why a museum which houses defunct airframes has to close due to this very sad event.

Someone enlighten me please 🙂 .

Regards

John.

This is a list of the survivors and where they are located.
http://www.visi.com/~jweeks/sr71/index.html

All survivors have found good homes…or fairly good (USS Intrepid).

During their operational carrer a few were lost. There is a famous tale,(which might be true) that when one crashed in Okinawa, the remains were quickly buried. There might be a few pieces from wrecks about, now whether the USAF would dispose of those pieces they way they would from other AC crashes (which have been known to end up in local scrapyards) I don’t know.

BTW, the U-2 that crashed at Fairford in the 90s…(95-96?) ended up in a dumpster. It was in a shed but dumped when I was deployed with the
B-1//B-52 force in 1998.

I don’t think any of them have…

Hello everyone

Does anyone out there know of any surviving SR-71 wrecks in US boneyards? I doubt they would survive for long due to the titanium in them, but just wondering…

Thanks
Elliott

Have any been scraped ? considering how few there were ,like Concorde, when retired I would guess they all went to museums