Lockheed SR-71B Cockpit Design
Among the 32 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbirds built, only two were equipped with two seats as trainers. The example shown here went on to log nearly 4,000 hours of flight time – more than any other Blackbird – and is now on display at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Topics Related To: AVIATION HISTORY
Helicopter Rescue Operations Without a Tail Rotor
An McDonnell-Douglas MD-900 Explorer EMS helicopter conducts rescue operations in Lofer, Austria. While the word “Notarzt” on the side directly translates to “emergency doctor,” it unintentionally also identifies a key feature of the MD-900 – the “NOTAR” system that replaces the tail rotor.
NASA’s Shuttle Training Aircraft – A Gulfstream Business Jet, Repurposed
The Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor takes on US Navy aircraft carrier cargo and personnel transport duties as it replaces the Grumman C-2 Greyhound fixed-wing aircraft.
Three Ways the Ford Trimotor Revolutionized Air Travel
While many undoubtedly recognize the Ford emblem and the vehicles it adorns, Ford manufactured another machine that few may recognize today, but which revolutionized the 1920s and 1930s. It was a flying machine called the Trimotor.
XB-70 Valkyrie Drooping Wingtips
Among the historic and innovative aircraft on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the Bede BD-5 showcases a legacy that belies its diminutive size.
NASA Lockheed Jetstar
Originally designed as one of the first purpose-built business jets, the Lockheed L-1329 Jetstar cast a formidable shadow even before the installation of NASA’s experimental equipment. Unlike most business jets, the Jetstar utilized four engines – and it did so with the unique rear-mounted arrangement seen here.
