File A121-R-61-7963SR-71AArticle 2014

61-7963

SR-71A · Article 2014
On displayBeale AFB (near Marysville), California

Beale AFB static display (Heritage Park)
Beale AFB (near Marysville), California, USA · 39.11, -121.39

SR-71A 61-7963 on static display at Beale Air Force Base, California, on 2 January 1992.
SR-71A 61-7963 on static display at Beale Air Force Base, California, on 2 January 1992.André Gerwing · 1992-01-02 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Record

61-7963
2014
SR-71A
1,604.4
9 June 1966
Preserved, on display
Beale AFB static display (Heritage Park), Beale AFB (near Marysville), California, USA

Career

  • Displayed at Beale, home of the 9th SRW and the SR-71 fleet
  • Code One (Lockheed Martin) and habu.org say Helt and Elliott flew this aircraft for the 28 Jul 1976 altitude record of 85,069 ft after a problem with their assigned aircraft (disputed)

Fate

Last flew 28 October 1976 and was then cannibalized for parts; now on static display at Beale AFB beside a D-21 drone, on a pad shaped like the Mach 3+ crew patch.

Where the record disagrees

See 61-7958 and 61-7962 for the altitude-record dispute. Display is on an active base and may need base access. Coordinates are for the aircraft from Warbird Registry.

Sources

  1. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). SR-71A #61-7963 (17963). Archived copy · In the register
  2. Code One Magazine (Lockheed Martin). Absolute Blackbirds. Open · Archived · In the register
  3. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7963. Archived copy · In the register
  4. 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
  5. Warbird Registry. SR-71 Blackbird/61-7963. Open · In the register
  6. Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
  7. Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (article numbers). Open · Archived · In the register