{"product_id":"sr71-the-complete-illustrated-history-of-the-blackbird-the-worlds-highest-fastest-plane-0752748343276","title":"SR-71: The Complete Illustrated History of the Blackbird, The World's Highest, Fastest Plane","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSR-71: The Complete Illustrated History of the Blackbird, The World's Highest, Fastest Plane\u003c\/strong\u003e by Graham, Richard H.. hardcover edition. ISBN: 0752748343276.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the height of the Cold War in 1964, President Johnson announced a new aircraft dedicated to strategic reconnaissance. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane flew more than three-and-a-half times the speed of sound, so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. Above 80,000 feet, its pilots had to wear full-pressure flight suits similar to what was used aboard the space shuttle. Developed by the renowned Lockheed Skunk Works, the SR-71 was an awesome aircraft in every respect, and it took the world by storm. The SR-71 was in service with the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998, when it was withdrawn from use, superseded by satellite technology. Twelve of the thirty-two aircraft were destroyed in accidents, but none were ever lost to enemy action. Throughout its thirty-four-year career, the SR-71 was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. It set world records for altitude and speed: an absolute altitude record of 85,069 feet on July 28, 1974, and an absolute speed record of 2,193.2 miles per hour on the same day. On September 1, 1974, it set a speed and time record over a recognized course between New York and London (3,508 miles) of 1,435.587 miles per hour and an elapsed time of 1 hour, 54 minutes, 56.4 seconds. SR-71 covers every aspect of the SR-71’s development, manufacture, modification, and active service from the insider’s perspective of one its pilots and is lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Zenith Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44887356211253,"sku":"ByrdShop_0760343276","price":229.44,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/ByrdShop_0760343276_3731d1d7-6e7d-4ac8-88b7-8bfb6c5e20a9_d8434889-c444-4460-88e1-457776f6b841_e4cf56be-ac7e-4e30-9847-ccae94175280.jpg?v=1790580789","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/sr71-the-complete-illustrated-history-of-the-blackbird-the-worlds-highest-fastest-plane-0752748343276","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}