Beyond Black: #1 The Untouchable SR-71
Mach 3.3+ & The Apex of Air-Breathing Speed
The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft ever built, with an official top speed of Mach 3.32 (2,193 mph or 3,529 km/h) – though rumored to be capable of even higher velocities. Designed for high-altitude strategic reconnaissance, it could outfly and outclimb any threat during its operational life from 1966 to 1998; no SR-71 was ever shot down. Its iconic shape, titanium skin designed to glow cherry-red from aerodynamic heating, and specialized J58 'turbo-ramjet' engines make it an unparalleled legend of aviation.