Ooops, sorry Camel Pilot :O

I will of course be happy to pass on the relevant details.

pilot-lite

SR-71
 

Willamp - I have a feeling he was either having you on or perhaps wasn't up to date with the SR-71 program's status. I suspect the USAF is happy to allow the 'SR-71 still being in service' myth to survive, perhaps in an attempt to divert attention from a more advanced platform? :hmm:

After the USAF fleet was canned in 1990, NASA retained two A models and the sole remaining B model in flying condition, plus a couple of flyable storage. Two single seaters were re-generated in late 94 for the USAF to fill a need, but were retired again on 1997. NASA hasn't flown its SRs since about 1999 when the now cancelled X-33 engine test program ended.

The last remaining unaccounted for jet to have been kept in flyable storage at NASA was the two seater, -956, and I believe this was cut up and transported by road to a museum earlier this year. :{

The only jet that used the JP7 was the SR, but all the remaining dedicated KC-135Q tankers have been retired to the boneyard or converted over to -135R/T standard via the BAE Pacer Crag programme, and I believe only the NASA NKC-135s retain the capability to offload that fuel now. The SR could use normal JP4 in an emergency, but had performance (M2.0) and altitude (50K) limits imposed when doing so.

Brian Shul's 'Sled Driver' book is indeed a 'special' and I was fortunate to have been given a signed copy a few years ago by an ex USAF buddy of mine. :ok:

I regret that I shall never see an SR fly :( , but I'll be paying a visit (making a pilgrimage?) to the Blackbird Airpark at Palmdale later this year to pay my respects to Kelly Johnson, Ben Rich, and all Roadrunners and Sled drivers out there.

Magoo

If you can't get hold of 'Sled Driver', try looking for 'SR71 Revealed - The Inside Story' which gives a good insight into life in the Habu community. Plus a considerable amount of technical information about the jet.

www.habu.org says of the Col's book:

"SR-71 Revealed: The Inside Story" (Richard H. Graham)

Buy this book. Written by a retired blackbird pilot who went on to head the entire Program, this is THE book to get if you want to learn about the blackbird. If you had a son who was accepted into the Program, wrote you every week and told you everything that was going on, you would have something like this book (assuming that your boy didn't land in the stockade for treason, of course). It's all here... technical info, war stories, anecdotes, everything you were looking for. Col. Graham donates all proceeds from his book to the J.T. Vida Memorial fund. You can get it from your local bookstore, but you can order an autographed copy directly from the author.
ISBN: 0760301220"

There's a link on the site to tell you how to order from the author. Incidentally, all royalties go to a fund dedicated to the high time Habu, J T Vida, who passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Cheers BEags,

Will try and get hold of this instead,

Thanks very much :ok:

Sheesh,
I see that just after my copy of Sled Driver turned up in the post..
:D

956 (NASA 831) is now at the Kalamazoo museum. Cut up may be a bit harsh, although I understand the sentiment :(

It's back in one piece and there is a montage of the movement here

Fortunate enough to meet the man himself (Brian Shul) last year. Amazing guy who spent a year in hospital before being cleared back to flying status, and eventually flying the sled.

Wish I had bought a copy of the new edition. If the old one goes for $400.............. it must surely justify the new one? Mebbe the girlfriend will see it that way? Mebbe not.

Just out of interest I visited a 'famous internet book site' which sounds remarkably like a South American River :rolleyes: They have new copies of Sled Driver, dispatched between 1-2 days for a mere £394.95 :eek:

I saw a copy of Sled Driver in Waterstones in Cardiff a few years ago and baulked at the cover price then, wishing Id bought it now :mad:

G'day Whiz,
I went to the site in the US and bought Sled Driver directly from the author. I got the visa card bill and it's around the 290 quid mark. :D (inc postage) :D

It's a brilliant book. :ok:

Sled Driver
 

Bought my copy several years ago, about A$80 (?) new then. Super stuff. Brian Shul sure has a knack with the Nikon. Does the new limited release version contain much more?

Not sure that I could justify it though .... things like mortgage and dependants and electricity bills get in the way.