File A121-R-61-7950SR-71AArticle 2001

61-7950

SR-71A · Article 2001

Lost10 Jan 1967

No display location
Dots mark every surviving airframe

SR-71A 61-7950, the first SR-71 built, in flight, in a U.S. Air Force photograph.U.S. Air Force (National Museum of the U.S. Air Force) · USAF VIRIN 061122-F-1234P-054 · Public domain (US government work) · Source

Record

Serial61-7950

Article2001

TypeSR-71A

Flight hoursNot published

First flight22 December 1964

StatusLost

Where it is nowDestroyed

Career

First SR-71 built (prototype)
First flight 22 Dec 1964 from AF Plant 42, Palmdale, flown solo by Lockheed test pilot Bob Gilliland, landing at Edwards AFB
Delivered to Palmdale 29 Oct 1964 (sr-71.org timeline)

How it was lost

Destroyed 10 January 1967 at Edwards AFB during an anti-skid braking system evaluation: the main tires blew, the magnesium wheels caught fire and the fire spread as the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. Lockheed test pilot Art Peterson survived.

In the chronology

22 Dec 1964

SR-71 first flight SENIOR CROWN
Lockheed test pilot Bob Gilliland flew the first SR-71A, 61-7950, from Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, and landed at Edwards AFB to begin the flight test program.

Where the record disagrees

Total flight hours not published in the Merlin flight-hours list (shown as unknown).

Sources

Lockheed Martin. SR-71 Blackbird (Lockheed Martin history feature). Open · Archived · In the register
SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: SR-71 Timeline. Archived copy · In the register
SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). Blackbird Losses (data courtesy of Peter Merlin). Archived copy · In the register
Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (article numbers). Open · Archived · In the register
This Day in Aviation. 22 December 1964. Open · Archived · In the register