In this article:
Blackbird flying with just one engine in full afterburner
The SR-71 spy plane, the most advanced member of the Blackbird family that included the A-12 and YF-12, was designed by a team of Lockheed personnel led by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, then vice president of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Company Projects, commonly known as the “Skunk Works” and now a part of Lockheed Martin. The Blackbird completed its first flight on Dec. 22, 1964.
The SR-71 was designed to cruise at “Mach 3+,” just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet.
The cool photo in this post features an SR-71 Blackbird flying with just one engine in full afterburner.
Why is that?
Stormy Boudreaux, SR-71 Blackbird pilot, explains;
‘This is a photo of a practice Single-engine go-around. In this photo the left engine is in idle, the right engine is in full afterburner. Pilot has pushed in full left rudder and is just starting into a right bank – all to keep the aircraft going straight. Additionally, he has retracted the landing gear. A very unique design feature for the SR was that both the left or right hydraulic systems could retract the gear.
The only aircraft with two methods to retract the gear
‘During a Single-engine failure if the pilot decides to either continue the takeoff if the engine failure occurs while taking off or if he has to execute a go-around and not land – both incidents as the massive thrust on only one of widely spaced engines will force the airplane into a significant yaw. Besides banking into the good engine and full rudder against the yaw, it was critical to retract the gear. Why? Because the nose gear down with the aircraft flying in a huge yaw, the nose gear acted like a canard or a fin stuck out in the airflow causing the yaw to become even greater.
‘It would quickly be out of control if the gear could not be raised, specifically the nose gear. During certain low speed conditions in this situation the recovery would not be possible if the nose gear could not be retracted. So, the SR-71 is the only aircraft I know of that has 2 methods (using hydraulics of either side) to retract the gear. Most aircraft have a normal and an emergency method to lower the gear but only one system to retract the gear.
‘But it was so critical to get that nose gear retracted at low speeds during single engine operations that Lockheed designed it so that if either engine failed the landing gear could still be retracted. However, it is noted that the SR only had one hydraulic system to lower the gear, if that failed there was a manual method to unlock the gear and allow it to free fall as the backup.
A very Interesting story
‘This is a very Interesting story – what are the odds that during a practice single-engine approach was made even more exciting by having the engine that was to power the practice single-engine approach and go-around blowup! This made the practice turn into a real single engine go around!’
Boudreaux concludes;
‘The Blackbird pilot rapidly brought up the idled engine and used it for the power needed (full afterburner) I’ll bet he was praying that the idled engine would smoothly and flawlessly go from idle to full afterburner when the other engine blew up. I’m sure there was puckered seat cushions before this was under control – amazing story!’
Be sure to check out Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) Twitter X Page Habubrats SR-71, Instagram Page SR71Habubrats and Facebook Page Born into the Wilde Blue Yonder Habubrats for awesome Blackbird’s photos and stories.
Photo credit: HAEAHDDANCER7
