SR-72

[Richard]

"I feel the need...the need for speed!"

Richard

Hypersonic Successor to Legendary SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Unveiled
Wired, 1 Nov 2013

Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works has finally unveiled the long-awaited successor to the SR-71 Blackbird. Aviation Week and Space Technology’s Guy Norris pulled the covers off the project that Lockheed Martin is simply calling the SR-72. The new airplane will be roughly the same size as the record-setting Blackbird, but will be able to fly twice as fast as the jet that still holds the speed records.

The new spy plane will be capable of Mach 6 cruise speeds, making it the first hypersonic aircraft to enter service should it be produced. Only the rocket-powered North American X-15 was able to regularly fly those speeds, and the three examples built were used for research. The SR-71 Blackbird is legendary in aviation circles for its Mach 3 capabilities, and different iterations served as a spy plane for 35 years until its retirement in 1998. It still holds several records, including a flight from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in 64 minutes, 20 seconds.

The new SR-72 has long been rumored and debated, and is part of the U.S. Air Force’s plan for hypersonic capabilities that will allow fast reaction for gathering intelligence around the world. A Mach 6 airplane fills the gap between current surveillance aircraft that can loiter for long periods of time, but don’t have the ability to transit to a new area quickly. The SR-72 is also expected to have optional strike capabilities, according to Aviation Week.

The key to the new airplane, as it was with the SR-71, will be the engines. Lockheed Martin told Aviation Week the company has been working with Aerojet Rocketdyne to build an air breathing engine that combines both a traditional turbine and a scramjet to deliver the Mach 6 performance.

Normal turbine jet engines have problems operating at speeds beyond Mach 2. The original SR-71 used a complicated system of a movable nose cone on the engine, along with vents that prevented shockwaves from interfering with the flow, and slowed the air down enough so that it could be ingested by the engine. Though “unstarts” were a regular problem for Blackbird pilots, and caused problems throughout the life of the airplane.

The new SR-72 will use a turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) that will employ the turbine engine at lower speeds, and use a scramjet at higher speeds. A scramjet engine is designed to operate at hypersonic velocities by compressing the air through a carefully designed inlet, but needs to be traveling supersonic before it is practical to begin with. So far research projects from NASA, the Air Force and other Pentagon entities have not been able to solve the problem of transitioning from the subsonic flight regime, through hypersonic flight with a single aircraft.

Lockheed Martin told Aviation Week it has found a way to use existing turbine engines, and by lowering the operating speed of the scramjet, make a transition to hypersonic speeds possible.

The aerospace company says it may have a scaled demonstrator of the SR-72 technology flying by 2023. That airplane would be smaller, about the size of the current F-22 fighter and would be optionally piloted. The SR-72 could enter service by 2030.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/11...-martin-sr-72/

[Mustang Man]

Very cool plane, but with spy satellites nowadays what is the point of still having high altitude spy planes?

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Mustang Man

Very cool plane, but with spy satellites nowadays what is the point of still having high altitude spy planes?

Satellites aren't very maneuverable and have a limited fuel supply.

TR

[Oldrotorhead]

The ability to get photo coverage anywhere on Earth in hours and the aircraft is a harder target to hit than something in space slowly changing position.

[Richard]

Also the advancing of the technology with the hyper-speed aircraft and propulsion systems to one day be able to "skip" into space and return to Earth at will.

Richard

[mojaveman]

When the SR-71 was unveiled 50 years ago it was years ahead of it's time. No other military aircraft producers in the world could even come close to designing something like it. Now comes the SR-72. Correct that manned aircraft can't fly as high as satellites but they are more versatile. Hats off to Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, those guys are brilliant.

[Oldrotorhead]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

When the SR-71 was unveiled 50 years ago it was years ahead of it's time. No other military aircraft producers in the world could even come close to designing something like it. Now comes the SR-72. Correct that manned aircraft can't fly as high as satellites but they are more versatile. Hats off to Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, those guys are brilliant.

But satellites can be launched from the aircraft at least to low earth orbit, much quicker than preping a rocket.

[JJ_BPK]

"I feel the need...the need for speed!"

Hypersonic Successor to Legendary SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Unveiled
Wired, 1 Nov 2013


The new SR-72 has long been rumored and debated, and is part of the U.S. Air Force’s plan for hypersonic capabilities that will allow fast reaction for gathering intelligence around the world. A Mach 6 airplane fills the gap between current surveillance aircraft that can loiter for long periods of time, but don’t have the ability to transit to a new area quickly. The SR-72 is also expected to have optional strike capabilities, according to Aviation Week.

Is this technology needed? If we need to develop a engine system capable of sustained and repeatable space flight, this is good news. The Mach 6 speed would allow a crew to blast out to an orbiting platform and return,, Good Idea.

If on the other hand, if this is another "tom cruise" jet jocky's wet dream, this is a no-go in my book. The "strike capabilities" would make me think it is.

We already have a 300 m USD F35 boondoggle. We don't need another..

Frankly, I do not see any "military" GAP to be filled at Mach 6..

My $00.00002

[Oldrotorhead]

JJ_BPK

Even if we make say 20 of these. They will be a research platform. Will force high-teck enemies to defend against it. Offer a quick long range recon platform. A munitions test bed. Is this paid for out of a DOD or black budget?

If I were god I would replace the A-10 before any otheraircraft are developed, but alas.

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by Oldrotorhead

JJ_BPK

If I were god I would replace the A-10 before any other aircraft are developed, but alas.

[MR2]

Heh, heh, wasn't the original SR-71 platforms called A-10's.

[GratefulCitizen]

Originally Posted by MR2

Heh, heh, wasn't the original SR-71 platforms called A-10's.

A-11, A-12, YF-12A

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by MR2

Heh, heh, wasn't the original SR-71 platforms called A-10's.

Close but no cigar. The SR-71 predecessor AC was the A-12. http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/a-12/. Still some controversy about the way the development decisions were reached.

This is allot of good info on the A-12 and Operation Oxcart. Thanks BMT!


http://www.foia.cia.gov/collection/1...-documentation

This document is especially interesting.



http://www.foia.cia.gov/sites/defaul...0001473841.pdf