Incredibly Secret and Extremely Fast

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird remains the world's fastest jet-propelled aircraft of all time. Built in the early 1960s, it was able to reach speeds of Mach 3.3 at over 90,000 feet. If missiles were launched at it, the Blackbird simply outflew them. That's how fast it was.

In its three-decade history with over 2,800 hours of flight time, the Blackbird flew covert operations over Communist skies to gather classified information. It was the perfect reconnaissance aircraft.

Still, its development was surrounded by secrecy and controversies that only increased the public's interest, and the US government continually tried to keep classified information from reaching the Soviets with middling success.

The Lockheed SR-71 ultimately embodied the pinnacle of aviation technology during the Cold War, and its unmatched speed, state-of-the-art technology, and effective performance elevated it to legendary status.


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Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.

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