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The SR-71 Blackbird, originally named the RS-71, but renamed when Lyndon Johnson accidentally rearranged the letters during his 1964 announcement of the existence of the SR-71 (or RS-71?). Anyway, it was designed by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, at that time vice president of the Skunk Works. The project began in February 1963. The SR-71/RS-71 was built to be a strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Its first flight was on Dec. 22, 1964.

Regarding cost, the SR-71 was not cheap. The cost of running the SR-71 fleet in the 1980s was $260 million annually and It costs $50,000 an hour to fly the SR on a routine basis.

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Demond Stroman

Lvl 10
2y ago

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