Dark Eagle
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F-14D,
Thanks for the inputs.
Funny as it may sound, when they were getting rid of the SR-71 related equipment and materials. Det 6 had a big meeting with all the equipment custodians to organize the identification and dissemination of the property.
Normally, every single item would be accounted for and sent back to them. This was not the case, in fact many organizations wanted items cut up and destroyed using Oxy Act cutting torches. We were even tasked to cut aircraft cable tie downs from the concrete, equipment trailers, maintenance stands, tooling, etc.
So many items were being turned in that supply could not handle it all. A lot of items including used SR-71 parts were being collected without paperwork and a "savage yard" was set up to collect it all. We were told that we could turn in items that were related to the Blackbird maintenance and no longer needed (Without Paper Work). We were also told that if we saw something at the salvage yard that out shop could use in the maintenance of the other aircraft we could take it. The remainder of the material was being sold as scrap metal to whoever wanted it. And some people did just that, they went up and purchased materials from the Blackbirds for a penny a pound.
A couple years later when they wanted to reactivate the 3 SR-71's that were put in flyable storage, they sent crews back to all the duty sections to look for all the missing items.
At that point I just laughed at them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There definitely was some sort of political shenanigans going on with the SR-71 deactivation. I think it was just dis-information. Supposedly the the AF or SAC didn't like having to foot the bill for all the other agencies that called the SR's capabilities to task.
The SR-71 was more capable than ever, especially since the new sensor packages were being installed and the fact that the procedures for the rework of the By-Pass doors was streamlined to perfection. The By-Pass Door situation was another indicator that something else was up. Those Forward By-Pass Doors are the heart of the Blackbird and the key to it speed.
We had spent over a year streamlining and perfecting the rework of the by-pass doors. We did this because we knew every detail of this extremely difficult and time consuming task. No deviation from tech data was allowed so we wrote our changes and submitted them through the chain of commanded. There is very heavy oversight in this process especially with Senior Crown material. Every agency involved had to sign off on the change. After quite a while it was finally approved.
When the new changes came out in the tech data, it was completely different than what we had submitted. We were flabbergasted! When the next SR phase started we were strictly told to rework the doors exactly as the tech data stated. This we found was impossible to do within the shorter time frames. So we took it upon ourselves to deviate from the tech data and do it the was we had submitted in the change. "A court marshal offense".
We had also found that some of the edges of By-Pass Door openings had been ground away by ADP. This edge was critical as a reference to mapping and setting the seals on the doors. It became literally impossible to set the seals within the tolerances of the T.O. Hummmm?
As it turned out we rebuilt the doors the best we could, our way and no one knew different. In fact they seemed puzzled by the fact that it went so well. Upon completion of it check flight I ask the head Lockheed Tech Rep, how well it went, he gave me a thumbs up, with a big smile on his face and said that was the fastest an SR-71 that had even flown.
A month later we were told of the program cancellation.
My speculation about the program being cancelled because of the use of cesium in fuel still remains. The new book by Ed Lovick the inventor of the cesium cloaking device states only that they did use it. He also says that "A fuel soluble compound that finally was used in flight test was 30 percent cesium metal in dialkyl phosphite". The last "TEST" of the effects of the fuel additives occurred in mid 1965."
Earlier types of the compound would "HAVE HAD" to be injected. It was highly unlikely that such a system would be installed simply because of the weight. It would also fail to meet security restrictions. I never saw such a system.
The OXCART document was dated 7/68 and it states that "It was eventually a basic part of our cross section reduction methods."
Ben Rich's book came out in 1994 and it states, "We at the Skunk Works believed that the airplane's height and speed, as well as its pioneering stealthy composite materials applied to key areas of its wings and tail, would keep it and its crew safe, but we fortified that belief by adding a special additive, which we nicknamed "panther piss", that ionized the furnace-like gas plumes streaming from the engine exhaust. The additive caused enemy infrared detectors to break up incoherently."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As far as the Booms, I think something landed that may have been diverted for some problem. Just a guess?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did think what I had seen could have been a meteor at a tangent. But it did seem to accelerate a lot, and it appeared to be a rather small vehicle. But, who knows? It was what it was, just another mystery to me.
Thanks for the inputs.
Funny as it may sound, when they were getting rid of the SR-71 related equipment and materials. Det 6 had a big meeting with all the equipment custodians to organize the identification and dissemination of the property.
Normally, every single item would be accounted for and sent back to them. This was not the case, in fact many organizations wanted items cut up and destroyed using Oxy Act cutting torches. We were even tasked to cut aircraft cable tie downs from the concrete, equipment trailers, maintenance stands, tooling, etc.
So many items were being turned in that supply could not handle it all. A lot of items including used SR-71 parts were being collected without paperwork and a "savage yard" was set up to collect it all. We were told that we could turn in items that were related to the Blackbird maintenance and no longer needed (Without Paper Work). We were also told that if we saw something at the salvage yard that out shop could use in the maintenance of the other aircraft we could take it. The remainder of the material was being sold as scrap metal to whoever wanted it. And some people did just that, they went up and purchased materials from the Blackbirds for a penny a pound.
A couple years later when they wanted to reactivate the 3 SR-71's that were put in flyable storage, they sent crews back to all the duty sections to look for all the missing items.
At that point I just laughed at them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There definitely was some sort of political shenanigans going on with the SR-71 deactivation. I think it was just dis-information. Supposedly the the AF or SAC didn't like having to foot the bill for all the other agencies that called the SR's capabilities to task.
The SR-71 was more capable than ever, especially since the new sensor packages were being installed and the fact that the procedures for the rework of the By-Pass doors was streamlined to perfection. The By-Pass Door situation was another indicator that something else was up. Those Forward By-Pass Doors are the heart of the Blackbird and the key to it speed.
We had spent over a year streamlining and perfecting the rework of the by-pass doors. We did this because we knew every detail of this extremely difficult and time consuming task. No deviation from tech data was allowed so we wrote our changes and submitted them through the chain of commanded. There is very heavy oversight in this process especially with Senior Crown material. Every agency involved had to sign off on the change. After quite a while it was finally approved.
When the new changes came out in the tech data, it was completely different than what we had submitted. We were flabbergasted! When the next SR phase started we were strictly told to rework the doors exactly as the tech data stated. This we found was impossible to do within the shorter time frames. So we took it upon ourselves to deviate from the tech data and do it the was we had submitted in the change. "A court marshal offense".
We had also found that some of the edges of By-Pass Door openings had been ground away by ADP. This edge was critical as a reference to mapping and setting the seals on the doors. It became literally impossible to set the seals within the tolerances of the T.O. Hummmm?
As it turned out we rebuilt the doors the best we could, our way and no one knew different. In fact they seemed puzzled by the fact that it went so well. Upon completion of it check flight I ask the head Lockheed Tech Rep, how well it went, he gave me a thumbs up, with a big smile on his face and said that was the fastest an SR-71 that had even flown.
A month later we were told of the program cancellation.
My speculation about the program being cancelled because of the use of cesium in fuel still remains. The new book by Ed Lovick the inventor of the cesium cloaking device states only that they did use it. He also says that "A fuel soluble compound that finally was used in flight test was 30 percent cesium metal in dialkyl phosphite". The last "TEST" of the effects of the fuel additives occurred in mid 1965."
Earlier types of the compound would "HAVE HAD" to be injected. It was highly unlikely that such a system would be installed simply because of the weight. It would also fail to meet security restrictions. I never saw such a system.
The OXCART document was dated 7/68 and it states that "It was eventually a basic part of our cross section reduction methods."
Ben Rich's book came out in 1994 and it states, "We at the Skunk Works believed that the airplane's height and speed, as well as its pioneering stealthy composite materials applied to key areas of its wings and tail, would keep it and its crew safe, but we fortified that belief by adding a special additive, which we nicknamed "panther piss", that ionized the furnace-like gas plumes streaming from the engine exhaust. The additive caused enemy infrared detectors to break up incoherently."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As far as the Booms, I think something landed that may have been diverted for some problem. Just a guess?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did think what I had seen could have been a meteor at a tangent. But it did seem to accelerate a lot, and it appeared to be a rather small vehicle. But, who knows? It was what it was, just another mystery to me.
