Mysterious X-Plane from NASA

[Hood]

When we see the real aircraft I'll get excited. Until then it's just a slideshow image that could be anything of any origin.

 

[bob225]

It would make sense to use existing, proven systems on such a machine and when it comes to high-speed aircraft, you need to be able to stop. So re-use of the SR-71's undercarriage, or components of it would be understandable.

Bob225 - I agree with your sentiment on these multi-post threads (TL;DR) but I think I mentioned on another thread that we had our stab at all this speculation in the 1990s (I assume you were around then), so why not let the new 6th generation black aircraft chasers have their AI/not AI fun?

I use the 'Ignore' function.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Good point, yep i was around in the 80's & 90's getting excited by the EAP, B2, F117 etc.

Lived not far from Mildenhall & Lakenheath at time, so saw the SR-71 fairly often, and saw the F-117's arrive at Lakenheath for the first time.

Ignore is fast becoming my good friend, perhaps it's just my age? certainly turning into a grumpy (er) middle aged man.

 

[Moose]

AvWeek reporting SR-71 return to flight work started a few months ago.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3CXhRotie0

 

[NMaude]

Because SecAF who killed them was turned down by the Blackbird program due to not being a good enough pilot and he wanted to make sure that the retirement could not be undone.

That's McNamara levels of petty-spite, he should've been dismissed as SecAF for pulling that stunt and perhaps spend a nice "Vacation" in the Big House.

 

[Sundog]

My guess is this is the rumored hypersonic aircraft LM has been working on for a while now and the SR-71 is being refurbished to act as the highest speed chase plane available. It won't be able to chase for the full envelope, most chase planes can't, but I'll bet the SR-71 can chase for somewhere between 60% to 75% of the new vehicles' flight envelope.

 

[serg.gonzp]

I don't want to sound ignorant or foolish... but could this have something to do with a certain aircraft that was rumored to exist in the 90s—one that is soon to be declassified and handed over to NASA for research?

 

[scautomoton]

My guess is this is the rumored hypersonic aircraft LM has been working on for a while now and the SR-71 is being refurbished to act as the highest speed chase plane available. It won't be able to chase for the full envelope, most chase planes can't, but I'll bet the SR-71 can chase for somewhere between 60% to 75% of the new vehicles' flight envelope.

This is probably the most plausible theory I've yet seen for this SR-71 "disappearance". Its mental to think that the SR-71, as far as manned, high speed flight goes, is still state-of-the-art.

Another thought; I wonder what the maintenance cost per flight hour would be now? It was something like $80k per hour in the 80s.....

 

[Scott Kenny]

Another thought; I wonder what the maintenance cost per flight hour would be now? It was something like $80k per hour in the 80s.....

Easily 200k an hour, just from inflation alone.

Then digging all the old Habu Brats out of retirement to work on the thing.

 

[Nigelhg]

Easily 200k an hour, just from inflation alone.

Then digging all the old Habu Brats out of retirement to work on the thing.

There was a rumour a couple of years back the pratt and Whitney were buying j58s from museums

IIRC, the engines were not loaded with long-term-storage preservative oils, so while the blades may not be destroyed the internals are.

Because SecAF who killed them was turned down by the Blackbird program due to not being a good enough pilot and he wanted to make sure that the retirement could not be undone.

There's was a rumour a couple of years back the pratt and Whitney were offering to buy j58s from museums.

 

[NMaude]

so while the blades may not be destroyed the internals are.

Pratt&Whitney would have to completely dismantle and rebuild the engines.

 

[sqd5driver]

Not sure about anyone else, but I definitely never even considered “F-14s and SR-71s flying again” for spots on my 2026 BINGO card. Now it’s looking like a person can bring the possibility up in conversation and not be laughed out of the room.

 

[Flyaway]

Perhaps Isaacman has found the aircraft once spotted over the North Sea in a hanger and fancies flying it.

 

[scautomoton]

Not sure about anyone else, but I definitely never even considered “F-14s and SR-71s flying again” for spots on my 2026 BINGO card. Now it’s looking like a person can bring the possibility up in conversation and not be laughed out of the room.

I mean, if said person happens to be a billionaire pilot who runs NASA, then yes, I'm sure even the X-15s might get recommissioned some time soon.....

 

[TomcatViP]

Oh, that!

 

[NMaude]

Sandboxx has put out a short video concerning the speculation that NASA's mystery X-plane is going to be a recommissioned SR-71A:

The last SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest piloted jet in history, has gone missing from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at the same time as NASA has teased a new high-speed aircraft X-Plane program. So, what exactly does any of that mean, and can we expect to see this legendary aircraft return to the skies? Let’s run down what we know.​

 

[CJGibson]

Sandboxx has put out a short video concerning the speculation that NASA's mystery X-plane is going to be a recommissioned SR-71A:

Ha ha, a very funny man. I'm sure he'll be spot-on as usual.

Chris

 

[NMaude]

Ha ha, a very funny man. I'm sure he'll be spot-on as usual.

Chris

He wasn't claiming that it would be recommissioned just addressing the speculation of its' potential reactivation (Which could be done but it would be horribly expensive and time-consuming to do).

 

[archipeppe]

Marty, I will bring you back to the.....past!!!!

 

[Sferrin]

When we see the real aircraft I'll get excited.

Disappointed, more likely.

 

[Sferrin]

My guess is this is the rumored hypersonic aircraft LM has been working on for a while now and the SR-71 is being refurbished to act as the highest speed chase plane available. It won't be able to chase for the full envelope, most chase planes can't, but I'll bet the SR-71 can chase for somewhere between 60% to 75% of the new vehicles' flight envelope.

 

[Scott Kenny]

My guess is this is the rumored hypersonic aircraft LM has been working on for a while now and the SR-71 is being refurbished to act as the highest speed chase plane available. It won't be able to chase for the full envelope, most chase planes can't, but I'll bet the SR-71 can chase for somewhere between 60% to 75% of the new vehicles' flight envelope.

I really hope you're right.

Not only because we get a Blackbird flying again, but it's flying as a chase plane!!!!!eleventy-one!!! squeeeee!

 

[TomcatViP]

I have to say that I don't understand what's behind a chase plane at Mach 3+. Blackbird flight path weren't the kind of neat and precise trajectories to make formation flights. Blackbird would be of not much use here unless the flight controls are seriously modified.
Then for testing, launching a vehicle or use high altitude and speed as a way to sense or sensor track a faster vehicle longer, yes. But that would be like calling the B-52 a chase plane to the D-21 or a RC-135 one to the SR-71.

 

[NMaude]

but it's flying as a chase plane!!!!!eleventy-one!!! squeeeee!

You sound like a Blackbird fanboy there.

 

[Scott Kenny]

You sound like a Blackbird fanboy there.

Is there anyone on this forum that isn't?

 

[Sferrin]

I have to say that I don't understand what's behind a chase plane at Mach 3+. Blackbird flight path weren't the kind of neat and precise trajectories to make formation flights. Blackbird would be of not much use here unless the flight controls are seriously modified.
Then for testing, launching a vehicle or use high altitude and speed as a way to sense or sensor track a faster vehicle longer, yes. But that would be like calling the B-52 a chase plane to the D-21 or a RC-135 one to the SR-71.

The B-58 was chase to the XB-70. Sure, it couldn't chase to Mach 3 but it could be used for everything else.

 

[serg.gonzp]

https://aviationweek.com/defense/ai...al-former-sr-71a-staffers-help-secret-restart

 

[patryk]

I have to say that I don't understand what's behind a chase plane at Mach 3+. Blackbird flight path weren't the kind of neat and precise trajectories to make formation flights. Blackbird would be of not much use here unless the flight controls are seriously modified.

I recall reading that M-21 (#134) actually flew as chase (above Mach 3) for the other M-21 (#135) in 1966. See, for example: https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Blackbird-Aircraft/m-21-blackbird-06941-135m

 

[dark sidius]

https://aviationweek.com/defense/ai...al-former-sr-71a-staffers-help-secret-restart

Case solved not new mystery X-Plane just SR-71 REVIVAL.

 

[Training_Dummy]

It has come to my attention that there has been a soft outreach to SR-71 crew and support personnel about their interest in a return to flight program.

Putting aside the discussion about the best use of scarce agency resources, if NASA returned a handful of Blackbirds to regular flight plus the incredibly complex ecosystem to support flight operations, that would be an incredible technical achievement, in my view.

If the purpose of returning Blackbird to flight was to support the successful execution of an important new hypersonic NASA program that magically decloaks in the next two or three years, well, Jared would have my full attention and enthusiasm.

 

[Hydroman]

Maybe to use the SR as a lead-in to a new much higher mach number platform?

 

[FlyGuy369]

-OR- New engine development types!

 

[Sferrin]

Case solved not new mystery X-Plane just SR-71 REVIVAL.

Wow. That's an even bigger letdown than I feared. So they're going to drag it out of a museum and tootle around for what?

 

[gtg947h]

My thought was more that they were trying to at least partially get it working again on the ground so a new batch of engineers can pore over it and learn how they did it back then before making a new M3+ aircraft. Sort of like how SpaceX TPS engineers got some up close time with one of the shuttles as part of the Starship program.

 

[Sferrin]

My thought was more that they were trying to at least partially get it working again on the ground so a new batch of engineers can pore over it and learn how they did it back then before making a new M3+ aircraft. Sort of like how SpaceX TPS engineers got some up close time with one of the shuttles as part of the Starship program.

I hope it's something like that. If it's just to put it in the sky and say some dumb shit like, "we're back baby", uhm, no.

 

[Not James Stockdale]

I'd like to see skin and canopy material testing and potentially something with propulsion, but I would rather see it with a ramjet or scramjet vehicle at even higher Mach numbers.

If the plan is to get an SR-71 flying again, would they need a tanker to support it? The KC-135Qs that supported the Blackbird program were all converted to KC-135Ts, which are still in Air Force service with their original plumbing configuration. Calling the Air Force for tanker time would probably be easier and cheaper for NASA than trying to get a T from the Air Force and operate it themselves.

 

[Sferrin]

I'd like to see skin and canopy material testing and potentially something with propulsion, but I would rather see it with a ramjet or scramjet vehicle at even higher Mach numbers.

Better to just build a test vehicle. Gain experience in design and build. Think X-10, X-15, Hermeus, etc.

If the plan is to get an SR-71 flying again, would they need a tanker to support it? The KC-135Qs that supported the Blackbird program were all converted to KC-135Ts, which are still in Air Force service with their original plumbing configuration. Calling the Air Force for tanker time would probably be easier and cheaper for NASA than trying to get a T from the Air Force and operate it themselves.

What about the fuel itself?