SR-71B #61-7956 (17956)
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SR-71B #61-7956/NASA 831 is on display at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum in Kalamazoo, MI. It was delivered on 28 March 2003 and went on display on 23 April 2003. Please take a look at the 65 images of this aircraft being unloaded at its new home in Kalamazoo, MI and 55 photos from its first day of display. It is the only remaining SR-71B in the world. This aircraft is characterized by its raised rear-cockpit for the Instructor Pilot (IP) and by the two fins that are found under each engine nacelle. Assembly of #956 started on 18 June 1964 and its roll out was on 20 May 1965. The first flight of the aircraft was on 18 November 1965. #956 is only one of two production B model SR-71s. The other, #61-7957, crashed on approach to Beale AFB on 11 January 1968. Since half of the SR-71 trainer fleet was lost on that day, a trainer replacement aircraft was built. Designated as the SR-71C, it was built from the aft fuselage of YF-12A #60-6934 and a static model from Lockheed. This aircraft never lived up to the usability of the SR-71B as it had irregular maintenance procedures and its aftermarket construction caused the aircraft to fly in a constant yaw. Consequently, the SR-71C was used on a limited basis from 1969-1976. |
SR-71B #956 served under the USAF until the program was initially cancelled in 1990. It was operated by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, CA from 1991-1997 and was used jointly by NASA and Detachment 2 at Edwards AFB when the USAF program was reactivated in 1995. This SR-71 has more flight hours than any other serial of its type, 3,967.5 hrs. The last flight of this aircraft was on 19 October 1997 at the Edwards AFB Open House. It is believed that SR-71B #61-7956 has also been photographed more times than any other Blackbird.
Do you have any historical photos of SR-71B #956 that you would like to contribute?
Please send them in.
