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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Lockheed A-12 / SR-71 Blackbird
    Latest Model:SR-71A Blackbird
    Last Military Serial:61-7973 USAF
    Construction Number:2024
    Compressed ID:Lockheed SR-71A sn 61-7973 USAF cn...
    Latest Owner or Location:Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, California

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a SR-71A.

    22 December 1964

    First flight.
    Flown from Lockheed Plant 42.

    Circa 1964

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 61-7973.

    Transferred to Edwards AFB, CA.
    Extensive flight testing.

    January 1966

    Transferred to Strategic Air Command (SAC), Beale AFB, CA.

    Transferred to Kadena AB, Japan.

    Transferred to RAF Mildenhall, England.

    21 July 1987

    Damaged.
    Damaged during a demonstration flight at RAF Mildenhall.

    21 July 1987

    Last flight.
    Flown from Mildenhall to Plant 42 at Palmdale, CA. Landed with a total of 1,729.9 total flying hours.

    6 March 1990

    Set a transcontinental coast to coast record, flying 2,404 statue miles in 68 minutes and 17 seconds.

    Restored.
    The work was carried out by the Lockheed Advanced Development Company.

    To National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    Loaned to ASC DET 1/SFQ, Palmdale, CA.

    1996


    Photographer: Tom Tessier
    Notes: At Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, CA

    Circa 2003

    Placed on display with Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, CA.
    View the Location Dossier

    26 May 2013


    Photographer: Terry Fletcher
    Notes: At the Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, California

    29 April 2016


    Photographer: Mike Henniger
    Notes: Photographed at the Blackbird Air Park in Palmdale, California.
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Blackbird Air Park
    National Museum of the United States Air Force
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Individual Contributors
     Mike Henniger
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