File A121-R-61-7981SR-71CArticle 2000

61-7981

SR-71C · Article 2000
The Bastard
On displayHill AFB (near Roy / Clearfield), Utah

Hill Aerospace Museum
Hill AFB (near Roy / Clearfield), Utah, USA · 41.16, -112.02

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

61-7981
2000
SR-71C
556.4
14 March 1969
Preserved, on display
Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB (near Roy / Clearfield), Utah, USA

Career

  • Only SR-71C built; last Blackbird completed
  • Hours exclude 180.9 h flown as YF-12A 60-6934
  • Early yaw problem traced to a misaligned pitot boom, then fixed

Fate

Built as a trainer to replace SR-71B 61-7957 (lost January 1968) from the aft fuselage and wing of YF-12A 60-6934 and a forward fuselage from an SR-71 static test article; last flew April 1976 and was removed from flying status June 1976. Assigned to Hill Aerospace Museum in April 1990, flown in by C-5 and reassembled by October 1991.

Where the record disagrees

Article number 2000 per Baugher and the Roadrunners production list; thesr71blackbird.com uses 2001 (which duplicates 61-7950). Hill museum gives first flight only as March 1969; habu.org gives 14 March 1969. Hill describes the forward fuselage as 'a functional engine mock-up of a SR-71A'; others say static test article. Often misquoted as 64-17981. Coordinates are the museum site (Wikipedia infobox, cross-checked against OpenStreetMap).

Sources

  1. Hill Aerospace Museum (Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah). Lockheed SR-71C Blackbird. Open · Archived · In the register
  2. Habu.org. 61-7981 (Blackbird Photo Archive). Archived copy · In the register
  3. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org), via Internet Archive. SR-71A #61-7981 gallery page (archived copy). Open · In the register
  4. Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981). Open · Archived · In the register
  5. Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (Word document). Open · Archived · In the register
  6. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org), via Internet Archive. SR-71 Locations (archived copy, lists serial / Lockheed article number and fate). Open · In the register