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Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc
Sexiest aircraft? Besides the P51, it has to be this:
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Agreed that the SR-71 was one of the most amazing techincal achievements of the last hundred years of aviation. And yet, the cost was incredible. Every SR-71 mission involved many KC-135Q tankers with complicated fuel offloads etc. The SR-71 had recon capabilities beyond that of satellites in many cases but the extreme cost killed the program. Of course, recon satellites are also incredibly expensive.
On several occasions when I was stationed in Okinawa (1972-74) the SR-71 did a local training flight practicing takeoffs and landings and it would fly right over the little base I lived and worked. Amazing airplane!