SR-71B #61-7956 (17956)
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SR-71B #61-7956/NASA 831 went on display at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum on the morning of 23 April 2003. The planned display day was actually the day prior but inclement weather postponed moving plans. The morning of the 23rd was a crystal clear day, allowing me to take these beautiful photos.
#956 is in good shape thanks to a thorough cleaning. The nacelle chine damage discussed on arrival day has since been fixed due to the arrival of some spare panels from the SR-71 parts warehouse at Beale AFB, CA. No restoration was done to this aircraft, which is amazing after seeing its condition from the arrival day.
I am proud to say that SR-71B #61-7956 could not have a finer home than at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. It is among a minority of indoor Blackbird displays, keeping it in good condition for many years to come. The only immediate concern is that there is a lot of crowding amongst displays at this museum due to limited indoor floor space. However, this problem will soon be resolved as the museum is breaking ground on a new addition that will triple their hangar space. I am told that only 25 aircraft will share this space, allowing for more room.
