File A121-R-61-7959SR-71AArticle 2010
61-7959
SR-71A · Article 2010
Big Tail
On displayEglin AFB (near Valparaiso), Florida
Air Force Armament Museum
Eglin AFB (near Valparaiso), Florida, USA · 30.47, -86.56
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
61-7959
2010
SR-71A
866.1
Not confirmed
Preserved, on display
Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin AFB (near Valparaiso), Florida, USA
Career
- Only "Big Tail" SR-71: a 9 ft tail extension carrying extra sensors and ECM equipment
- Rolled out 16 Aug 1965
- First flight in Big Tail configuration 3 Dec 1975
- Tests showed little performance loss but little sensor advantage, so the fleet retrofit was cancelled
Fate
Withdrawn after the Big Tail program was dropped and flown to Eglin AFB in October 1976 for display at the Air Force Armament Museum.
Where the record disagrees
Last flight date disagrees: 29 Oct 1976 (sr-71.org, TheSR71Blackbird.com) versus 23 Oct 1976 (Baugher, Warbird Registry). Original first flight date not found; habu.org says it began service in 1966.
Sources
- SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). SR-71A #61-7959 (17959). Archived copy · In the register
- Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7959. Archived copy · In the register
- TheSR71Blackbird.com. SR-71A Blackbird #17959 / #2010. 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 Flight Hours (data from Peter Merlin, NASA Dryden, as of 21 May 2006). Archived copy · In the register
- Warbird Registry. SR-71 Blackbird/61-7959. Open · In the register
- Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
- OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocode). Map coordinates: Air Force Armament Museum. Open · In the register