Hobby Master 1/72 HC1301 SR-71A Blackbird 17958, USAF, Beale AFB, 28th July 1976 “world absolute speed record holder” - £144.99

This Limited Edition model of only 600 worldwide

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Reserve this model today for only £1, with the balance (£143.99) RRP £166.99 due once the model is received into stock. With free Cancel anytime prior to dispatch.

On July 28, 1976, Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird serial number 61-7958 set the absolute world speed record for an air-breathing, manned jet aircraft, a record that still stands today. Flown by Capt. Eldon W. Joersz with Maj. George T. Morgan Jr. serving as Reconnaissance Systems Officer (RSO), the Blackbird averaged 2,193.167 mph (3,529.56 km/h, Mach 3.32) over a 15/25-kilometer straight course at Beale Air Force Base, California. The record surpassed the previous mark held by the Lockheed YF-12A and highlighted the extraordinary performance of the SR-71's twin Pratt & Whitney J58 turbojet/ramjet engines. The day before, the same aircraft also established a 1,000-kilometer closed-circuit speed record.

During these runs, 61-7958 had a large white cross temporarily painted on its underside to act as an optical reference point for ground-based tracking cameras. The markings made it significantly easier for ground observers and tracking lenses to pinpoint the exact attitude, orientation, and location of the aircraft when it was zooming overhead at speeds over Mach 3 and altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet.

More than 50 years later, 61-7958 remains the fastest manned air-breathing jet ever officially recorded and is preserved at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

Designed as a long-range, strategic reconnaissance aircraft, The Lockheed SR-71 first flew on December 22, 1964. Nicknamed "The Blackbird," this highly-advanced aircraft was believed by many to be ahead of its time. It was capable of mach 3 and still holds the record for the fastest "air breathing manned aircraft" in the world. Its speed and ability to operate at high altitudes served as a defensive feature; when attacked by surface-to-air missiles, the pilot needed only to accelerate to avoid being struck. Only 32 SR-71's were operated during its 34-year service history, and though 12 were destroyed in accidents none were lost to enemy attack.