Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 I was just watching a video of Major Brian Shul. An Air Force Vietnam pilot. Oh........and he happen to be an SR-71 Pilot, and this was a pic (what kids would call today a selfie) in his rear view mirror. Why they would have a rear view in the worlds fastest ever plane just makes you laugh. Bad screen cap, but still a cool picture. Well, at least in my little lizard brain. Pic taken at mach 3+, by the way. Apparently the major was known for keeping a camera with him. He loves photography. Shocker....especially of fast flying birds. Too fukin cool. Love that aircraft. 100% American. Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed skunkworks at their best. Carry on.
edgecrusher Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 Those guys were awesome. The SR-71 is a onetime achievement in aviation. Completely amazing
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 He's a historic legend. Here's an infamous story from him - this is him speaking...
Sisco Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) That is a great story. Did you know that the fuel tanks leaked and it was impossible to stop it? I saw a YF12, the fighter prototype of the SR71 close up one time. A very amazing bird. Also the AIM 47 Phoenix that the F14 Tomcat carried, was originally designed for the YF12. Edited January 21, 2019 by Sisco
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 This plane - and this specific pilot, MAJ Shul - hobby of mine for a long time. Amazing. Here's a good one.
308kiwi Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 When we were in New York we went on board the USS Intrepid, there is an SR71 on the flight deck, very freakin cool to walk around it.
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 Just now, 308kiwi said: When we were in New York we went on board the USS Intrepid, there is an SR71 on the flight deck, very freakin cool to walk around it. Crazy how big they look in pictures - and how small they are in reality... It's amazing that the front of that thing is just over 6 feet off the ground. It looks, in pics, like it would be 20 feet off the ground... Unreal aircraft. Part of my fascination with them is my work with the predecessor, the U2. I worked with those things in the early 90s, when they were still flying.
308kiwi Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 Yeah I was surprised as well, I mean it's big in it's own way but until I saw it in the flesh all I had ever seen was pics and video and yeah that sure doesn't offer scale. Lots and lots of other very cool aircraft on board as well, including the space shuttle Enterprise, we spent hours looking around, I'm very fortunate to have a wife that loves the same things I do so there was no hurry?
Armed Eye Doc Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 18 minutes ago, 308kiwi said: When we were in New York we went on board the USS Intrepid, there is an SR71 on the flight deck, very freakin cool to walk around it. I have been there as well. It is amazing.
308kiwi Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 1 minute ago, Armed Eye Doc said: I have been there as well. It is amazing. Totally, one of the highlights of our weekend in New York.
Armed Eye Doc Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 26 minutes ago, Sisco said: Did you know that the fuel tanks leaked and it was impossible to stop it? I thought it was because the surface was designed to stretch during supersonic flight.
Armed Eye Doc Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 2 minutes ago, 308kiwi said: Totally, one of the highlights of our weekend in New York. I was there about 15 years ago. The shuttle was not there. One of the Concordes was though. The historic planes in the lower deck were amazing as well.
Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Posted January 21, 2019 A buddy of mine works at Air & Space. He works in the restoration Garber facility just outside of DC. They've got so many cool aircraft. They've recently been moved to the Hazy facility at Dulles. Something about the blackbird though. That thing is too cool.
308kiwi Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 Just now, Armed Eye Doc said: I was there about 15 years ago. The shuttle was not there. One of the Concordes was though. The historic planes in the lower deck were amazing as well. We were there October 2016, the whole rear of the flight deck is a space museum, the shuttle, a lunar capsule, heaps and heaps of stuff from the space program, just so cool to see it all close up.
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 At 37:23 in that video I linked above, Brian Shul talks about his book he made. Sled Driver. If you ever find this book, prepare to pay. Last I looked, it was over $700... !!!... !!!...
Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) GREAT fukin book! Edited January 21, 2019 by Rsquared A Warbird from the 60's
Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Posted January 21, 2019 Nope, you can find it cheaper brother. A damn good book.
Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Posted January 21, 2019 I count myself lucky. The friend of mine, gave me personal tours on weekends throughout their facility before they moved it from Suitland Maryland to Dulles Virginia. Some awesome aircraft from all of the different era's. From the early days in flight, to some modern (for the Smithsonian) birds. We were able to crawl through some of those old warbirds and get the feel of being inside them. Once again. Totally awesome experience. Some of the old WW2 German stuff is amazing when you crawl around in it. Simple....yet totally functional. Brilliance from an engineering design (which I think they were known for). He even has pictures of him sitting in the blackbird that they received (in the drivers seat of course) as well as the original Enterprise shuttle. They've got so much cool $hit that it can't be summed up in a couple of paragraphs. They've still got the original Apollo "suits" in an area that's sealed off from everything. WAY FUKIN COOL!
Rsquared Posted January 21, 2019 Author Report Posted January 21, 2019 6 minutes ago, 98Z5V said: Not new, you can't. It's up there. Oh hell no. Definitely not new. You're right. You'll pay for a new copy of that.
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 I'd love to hear the back-story on this SR-71 deal, right here... As a former USAF C-130 crew dog, I can really appreciate the humor in this. Especially, the Navy must die now comment! I still remember hearing a story of a SR71 crew coming out of altitude requesting flight level 600 (60,000 ft). You could almost hear the snicker from the controller saying, "copy, climb to and maintain flight level 600". "Negative", the crew replied, "we are descending to flight level 600". I'm sure it's not true but it's still pretty funny.
shepp Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 3 hours ago, Sisco said: That is a great story. Did you know that the fuel tanks leaked and it was impossible to stop it? I saw a YF12, the fighter prototype of the SR71 close up one time. A very amazing bird. Also the AIM 47 Phoenix that the F14 Tomcat carried, was originally designed for the YF12. I understood they leaked static but which flying everything expanded and they no longer leaked
shepp Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 3 hours ago, 98Z5V said: Crazy how big they look in pictures - and how small they are in reality... It's amazing that the front of that thing is just over 6 feet off the ground. It looks, in pics, like it would be 20 feet off the ground... Unreal aircraft. Part of my fascination with them is my work with the predecessor, the U2. I worked with those things in the early 90s, when they were still flying. Met a guy on a forum for my tl1000r he’s maybe a little younger than you, in the army, His first wife was a u2 pilot. that place was a lot like this forum. He bought an 88 mustang convertible on eBay, didn’t realize it needed to be picked up a month before he got home from Iraq. I went and picked it up for him stored it at my parents, Fun fucking car!!!
washguy Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, shepp said: Part of my fascination with them is my work with the predecessor, the U2. I worked with those things in the early 90s, when they were still flying. U2's still be flying brother...they are bad azz https://www.usni.org/u-2s-still-flying-high Wash
98Z5V Posted January 21, 2019 Report Posted January 21, 2019 22 minutes ago, washguy said: U2's still be flying brother...they are bad azz https://www.usni.org/u-2s-still-flying-high Wash Oh, I know, brother. They're invaluable in South Korea, not looking at South Korea.... I made a call every morning down to them, based on predicted weather, telling them what sensor package to fly that day.
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