From the Archives: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Using Drag Chute During Landing
With a touchdown speed of approximately 155 knots (178 miles per hour) and a design landing weight of 68,000 pounds, the SR-71 had significant energy to dissipate upon landing. To assist with this, a massive drag chute was deployed after touchdown.
Topics Related To: AVIATION HISTORY
The Spacemobile: NASA’s Secret Weapon for Winning America’s Hearts
In the 1960s, NASA rolled out a fleet of educational vans called Spacemobiles. They traveled the country building enthusiasm for the Apollo program, turning Americans into space race supporters, one science demonstration at a time.
The Goodyear Gizmo: A 290-Pound Helicopter, Inflatable Rotors, and Convertiplane Dreams
The Goodyear Gizmo was a 290-pound helicopter from the 1950s that almost nobody knows about. Here’s the story of Goodyear’s helicopter experiment and its inflatable rotor blade ambitions.
The McDonnell XP-67 “Moonbat” Represented Ambition Outpacing Engineering
The McDonnell XP-67 “Moonbat” combined cutting-edge technologies, including a blended-wing body and Continental XL-1430 engines, in pursuit of 472 mph performance. Engine overheating and aerodynamic instability ended the ambitious program before it could reach production.
