Lockheed SR - 71 Blackbird The Lockheed SR - 71 Type A Aka Blackbird Is a strategic reconnaissance aircraft ( hence the " SR " : Strategic Reconnaissance ) long - range developed by Lockheed from the projects YF - 12 and A - 12 . Description . The famous Clarence " Kelly " Johnson is the name behind many of the advanced concepts of aerodynamics that airplane . Its fuselage was made of alloys titanium to withstand the high temperatures around 200 - 300 degrees Celsius caused by air friction due to the high speed attained . As its fuselage was made on plates in order to swell during the flight , the SR - 71 is known to leak when they ' re down , by its hydraulic fluid freeze at temperatures of 30 °C and the peculiar mode of activation of the engines . Because the J - 58 turbine large and too heavy ( 9 - stage axial flow compression ) to a common pneumatic system , the activation was done by a V - 8 engine poisoned by gears connected directly to the turbine shaft in the first years ( now the activation was done otherwise written below ) . His flight at high temperatures would not be possible without the special fuel developed for him , the JP - 7 and little sticky so volatile that it was possible to erase easily a match in a bucket of JP - 7 . JP - 7 not burning with the engine cold , so at the hour of departure was necessary to preheat the turbines with another " formula for witch , " the Trimethyl borate - that was a characteristic green flame . The Blackbird was originally built with a nacelle , for only one pilot , were named A - 12 in its second version , called the SR - 71 , had two nacelles for two crew seats in tandem , leaving the pilot in nacelle front , while the operator of going back in the cockpit . There was also the B version used for training , which had two nacelles , and accommodated two pilots in the cockpit rear was higher for the lead . For missions at high altitudes and speeds , both the crew wore a pressure suit , reminiscent of the early costumes astronauts . For its construction , machines were developed tools ( machine tools ) with the specific purpose of building components to this plane . When the closure of its production , the machines were destroyed , making it impossible so new parts and / or units of the SR - 71 would be made again , and with the end of Cold War , Was no longer viable after using a plane flying hour cost as high . For various reasons , the SR - 71 was disabled . Among them , political factors , operating costs and the advent of satellites . Only three are held in place by NASA to study . This plane was flying so high and so fast that , pursued by a ground to air missile the classic avoidance maneuver was simply to accelerate . Based on Beale in California , The unit equipped with SR - 71 were on different bases , mainly in England and Japan , To provide air cover in the world . In the operational altitude , the SR - 71 could do the surveillance of an area of 270 , 000 square kilometers per hour , allowing it to operate in North Vietnam , in China , in Soviet Union , in Cuba or North Korea without entering its airspace . None of the 33 SR - 71 was shot made until today , although 12 units were lost in accidents . In one of his last flights outside the U . S . , an SR - 71 was shown on air on Monday Paris , And returning to the U . S . hit a new record speed . Due to time zone , the plane came to the U . S . about four hours before the time when it took off from Paris . kool now can u please edit this and tell me about the flight control and the fuelage more thanks lol . .