File A121-R-61-7957SR-71BArticle 2008

61-7957

SR-71B · Article 2008
Lost11 Jan 1968

No display location
Dots mark every surviving airframe

No photo on fileNo openly licensed photograph of this airframe is in the archive yet. If you took one or know of one, it can be added with your permission.

Record

61-7957
2008
SR-71B
Not published
Not confirmed
Lost
Destroyed

Career

  • Second of only two SR-71B trainers built
  • Only SR-71B lost; its loss led to the hybrid SR-71C (61-7981) being built as a replacement trainer
  • Flew its 100th sortie on 17 Mar 1967 and gave Gen. Bruce Holloway (CINCSAC) a Mach 3 ride on 4 Oct 1967

How it was lost

Crashed 11 January 1968 on approach to Beale AFB, about seven miles out, after a double generator failure followed by a double flameout from fuel cavitation. Instructor Lt Col Robert G. Sowers and student Capt. David E. Fruehauf ejected safely.

Where the record disagrees

Article number: 2008 per Baugher, the Roadrunners production list and a Lockheed construction photo on habu.org showing build number 2008; the sr-71.org losses page lists it as 2007 (apparently an error, since 61-7956 is 2007). First flight date and total hours not found.

Sources

  1. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). Blackbird Losses (data courtesy of Peter Merlin). Archived copy · In the register
  2. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7957. Archived copy · In the register
  3. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7957 (page 3). Archived copy · In the register
  4. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). SR-71B #61-7956 (17956). Archived copy · In the register
  5. Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
  6. Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (article numbers). Open · Archived · In the register