Date: 2024-09-27 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00026568
AIRCRAFT
SR-71 BLACKBIRD
How did the SR-71 Blackbird achieve stealth without using radar-absorbing materials or coatings?
SR-71 BLACKBIRD
How did the SR-71 Blackbird achieve stealth without using radar-absorbing materials or coatings?
FROM: QUORA
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
Written by Erika Fernandez ... Works at Freelancer, Novelist, Writer9mo
The SR-71 Blackbird is a fascinating aircraft that was designed for strategic reconnaissance missions during the Cold War. It was able to achieve stealth without using radar-absorbing materials or coatings by relying on its shape, speed and altitude.
The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the Lockheed A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. The SR-71 had a triangular planform and a chined fuselage that deflected radar waves away from the aircraft. It also had canted vertical stabilizers and recessed engine nacelles that reduced the radar reflections from the tail and the engines.
The speed of the SR-71 was another factor that made it stealthy. The SR-71 could fly at over Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound), which meant that it could outrun any surface-to-air missile (SAM) or interceptor that tried to catch it. The SR-71’s engines, the Pratt and Whitney J-58s, were unique in that they could operate as both turbojets and ramjets, depending on the airflow and the throttle setting. The SR-71 also had movable inlet cones and bypass doors that controlled the airflow into the engines and prevented them from stalling at high speeds.
The altitude of the SR-71 was another factor that made it stealthy. The SR-71 could fly at over 85,000 feet (about 26 kilometers), which was well above the operational ceiling of most SAMs and interceptors. The SR-71’s airframe was made of titanium, which could withstand the high temperatures and pressures at such altitudes. The SR-71 also had a sophisticated inertial navigation system and electronic countermeasures that helped it avoid detection and jamming by enemy radars.
It was a remarkable aircraft that set many records and performed many missions that are still classified to this day.