File A121-R-61-7958SR-71AArticle 2009

61-7958

SR-71A · Article 2009
On displayWarner Robins (Robins AFB), Georgia

Museum of Aviation
Warner Robins (Robins AFB), Georgia, USA · 32.59, -83.59

SR-71A 61-7958 on display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, on 18 April 2013, seen from above and behind.
SR-71A 61-7958 on display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, on 18 April 2013, seen from above and behind.Alan Wilson (Flickr) · 2013-04-18 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

Record

61-7958
2009
SR-71A
2,288.9
15 December 1965
Preserved, on display
Museum of Aviation, Warner Robins (Robins AFB), Georgia, USA

Career

  • First "regular" (non-test, non-trainer) SR-71 delivered to the Air Force (habu.org)
  • 27 Jul 1976: world speed record over a 1,000 km closed circuit, 2,092.29 mph, Maj. Adolphus "Pat" Bledsoe and Maj. John Fuller
  • 28 Jul 1976: FAI absolute world speed record, 2,193.167 mph (3,529.56 km/h) over a 15/25 km course, Capt. Eldon "Al" Joersz and Maj. George Morgan; still stands
  • First flight by Bill Weaver and George Andre

Fate

Flown to Robins AFB on 23 February 1990 by Don Watkins and Bob Fowlkes after the USAF retirement; displayed indoors in the Museum of Aviation's Century of Flight hangar.

In the chronology

27 Jul 1976Closed-circuit speed record: 2,092 mph SENIOR CROWN
Capt. Adolphus 'Pat' Bledsoe and Maj. John Fuller set the world record for speed over a 1,000 km closed circuit, 3,367.22 km/h (2,092.29 mph), in 61-7958 flying from Beale AFB.
28 Jul 1976Absolute speed record: 2,193.17 mph SENIOR CROWN
Capt. Eldon Joersz and Maj. George Morgan flew 61-7958 over a 15/25 km straight course at 3,529.56 km/h (2,193.17 mph). FAI record 8879, the absolute speed record for air-breathing aircraft, still stands.

Where the record disagrees

Records flights took off and landed at Beale; timing was on Edwards AFB instrumented ranges (Code One). This Day in Aviation and the sr-71.org gallery page also credit 958 with the 28 Jul 1976 altitude in horizontal flight record; Code One (Lockheed Martin) and habu.org say Helt and Elliott flew 61-7963 after a problem with their assigned aircraft, while IWM and an FAI 2026 news page say 61-7962. The FAI press release confirms two aircraft flew that day but does not name serials. Treat the altitude-record airframe as disputed. Baugher misdates the speed record to 1979.

Sources

  1. Code One Magazine (Lockheed Martin). Absolute Blackbirds. Open · Archived · In the register
  2. Museum of Aviation. Faster than a speeding bullet. Open · Archived · In the register
  3. FAI (World Air Sports Federation). Two crews, three world records, one historic day: 50th anniversary of the SR-71 Blackbird FAI World Records (press release, 29 Jun 2026). Open · In the register
  4. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). SR-71A #61-7958 (17958). Archived copy · In the register
  5. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7958. Archived copy · In the register
  6. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). Blackbird Flight Hours (data from Peter Merlin, NASA Dryden, as of 21 May 2006). Archived copy · In the register
  7. Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
  8. Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (article numbers). Open · Archived · In the register
  9. This Day in Aviation (Bryan R. Swopes). 28 July 1976. Open · Archived · In the register
  10. OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocode). Map coordinates: Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB. Open · In the register