The TEB produced a characteristic green flame, which could often be seen during engine ignition. This portion of the skin was only supported by widely spaced structural ribs. European operations were from RAF Mildenhall, England. On 28 July 1976, SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h), approximately Mach 3.3. SR-71s first arrived at the 9th SRW's Operating Location (OL-8) at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan on 8 March 1968. In addition to reaching altitudes higher than 25,908 meters (85,000 feet) and cruise at speeds greater than Mach 3.2, it could survey up to 160,934 square kilometers (100,000 square miles) of territory in just one hour. [72] The ANS could supply altitude and position to flight controls and other systems, including the mission data recorder, automatic navigation to preset destination points, automatic pointing and control of cameras and sensors, and optical or SLR sighting of fixed points loaded into the ANS before takeoff. No. [52] One response to a single unstart was unstarting both inlets to prevent yawing, then restarting them both. During the Cold War, pilots of the Concorde were asking air traffic control to move the SR-71 out of its way so it could proceed to New York's JF as well as other destinations. This unusual instrument projected a barely visible artificial horizon line across the top of the entire instrument panel, which gave the pilot subliminal cues on aircraft attitude. [N 1] It was operated by the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA.[1]. On Jul. [103], While deployed at Okinawa, the SR-71s and their aircrew members gained the nickname Habu (as did the A-12s preceding them) after a pit viper indigenous to Japan, which the Okinawans thought the plane resembled. Brandt, Steven A., Randall J. Stiles and John J. Bertin. [123], Retired USAF Colonel Jay Murphy was made the Program Manager for Lockheed's reactivation plans. [112][113][114], On 29 June 1987, an SR-71 was on a mission around the Baltic Sea to spy on Soviet postings when one of the engines exploded. Early A-12s were tested with Pratt & Whitney J75 engines in 1961, but were retrofitted with J58 engines optimized to meet the speed rating of Mach 3.2 once they became available in 1963. Just to put the speed of the SR-71 into . [40], The second operational aircraft[41] designed around a stealth aircraft shape and materials, after the Lockheed A-12,[41] the SR-71 had several features designed to reduce its radar signature. [56], The SR-71 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) axial-flow turbojet engines. Such generals had an interest in believing, and persuading the services and the Congress, that the SR-71 had become either entirely or almost entirely redundant to satellites, U-2s, incipient UAV programs, and an alleged top-secret successor already under development. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. Lockheed found that washing welded titanium requires distilled water, as the chlorine present in tap water is corrosive; cadmium-plated tools could not be used, as they also caused corrosion. Goodall, James and Jay Miller. Kansas City, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., distance 942 miles (1,516km), average speed 2,176 miles per hour (3,502km/h), and an elapsed time of 25 minutes 59 seconds. [8] As of 2023[update] the SR-71 holds the world record it set in 1976 as the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12. The aircraft flew at an altitude of over 80,000 feet (24,000 m) and at speeds over 2,190 miles per hour (3,520 km/h). [33] Research was conducted on a liquid hydrogen powerplant, but the tanks for storing cryogenic hydrogen were not of a suitable size or shape. Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/27/2021 | Content www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site. Due to budget concerns, this model never went into production. SR-71 was designed to outperform every Soviet aircraft and missile with speed and altitude, following the 1960 incident, when the Soviets shot down CIA reconnaissance aircraft 1960 and captured its pilot Gary Powers. [38], The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. The squadron finally closed in mid-1990, and the aircraft were distributed to static display locations, with a number kept in reserve storage.[26]. An SR-71 during a test flight handled by NASA. USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation and wanted the RS-71 to be named SR-71. "Lockheed's SR-71 'Blackbird' Family A-12, F-12, M-21, D-21, SR-71". Johnson decided to counter this criticism by revealing the existence of the YF-12A USAF interceptor, which also served as cover for the still-secret A-12[20] and the USAF reconnaissance model since July 1964. According to Richard Graham, a former SR-71 pilot, the navigation system was good enough to limit drift to 1,000ft (300m) off the direction of travel at Mach3.[73]. [11] That same day SR-71 serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2mph; 3,529.6km/h), approximately Mach3.3. During one mission, SR-71 pilot Brian Shul flew faster than usual to avoid multiple interception attempts; afterward, it was discovered that this had reduced fuel consumption. Much of the needed material came from the Soviet Union. [12], The A-12 first flew at Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada, on 25 April 1962. The media transcript given to the press at the time still had the earlier RS-71 designation in places, creating the story that the president had misread the aircraft's designation. If internal pressures became too great and the spike was incorrectly positioned, the shock wave would suddenly blow out the front of the inlet, called an "inlet unstart". The aircraft flew at more than 2200 mph (Mach 3+ or more than three times the speed of sound) and at altitudes over 85,000 feet. [89], Blackbird pilots and RSOs were provided with food and drink for the long reconnaissance flights. The chines also acted like leading-edge extensions, which increase the agility of fighters such as the F-5, F-16, F/A-18, MiG-29, and Su-27. As the U-2 was called Kellys Angel, or Angel, Lockheeds designs for its successor were designated with an A prefix for Archangel. The CIA gave the contract to Lockheeds A-11, which was modified and secretly re-designated the A-12. Kelly Johnson realized that the A-12 airframe might work, and designed an interceptor version of the A-12. [66] However, the amount of fuel that leaked was not enough to make the refueling necessary; the planes refueled because the maximum speeds of the aircraft were only possible with aerial refueling. The Blackbird was designed to provide reconnaissance in defended airspace while improving aircrew survivability. Congress reauthorized the funds, but, in October 1997, President Bill Clinton attempted to use the line-item veto to cancel the $39million allocated for the SR-71. The SR-71 originally included optical/infrared imagery systems; side-looking airborne radar (SLAR);[74] electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering systems;[75] defensive systems for countering missile and airborne fighters;[76][77][78][79] and recorders for SLAR, ELINT, and maintenance data. [57], Air was initially compressed (and heated) by the inlet spike and subsequent converging duct between the center body and inlet cowl. These same factions also forced expensive sensor upgrades to the SR-71, which did little to increase its mission capabilities, but could be used as justification for complaining about the cost of the program. The primary consumers of this intelligence were the CIA, NSA, and DIA. No. The one record that it still holds is a cross-country flight, zipping from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in just 64 minutes 20 seconds. SAS, autopilot, and manual control inputs would fight the yawing, but often the extreme off-angle would reduce airflow in the opposite engine and stimulate "sympathetic stalls". Myagkiy and its Weapons System Officer (WSO) were able to achieve a SR-71 lock on at 52,000 feet and at a distance of 120 Km from the target. When the A-12's performance potential was clearly found to be much greater, the USAF ordered a variant of the A-12 in December 1962,[17] which was originally named R-12 by Lockheed. For comparison, the best commercial Concorde flight time was 2 hours 52 minutes and the Boeing 747 averages 6 hours 15 minutes. The SR-71 Blackbird set speed and altitude records that stand to this day. [98] On 21 March 1968, Major (later General) Jerome F. O'Malley and Major Edward D. Payne flew the first operational SR-71 sortie in SR-71 serial number 61-7976 from Kadena AFB, Okinawa. In 1976, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird broke the worlds record for sustained altitude in horizontal flight at 25,929 meters (85,069 feet). [30] Metallurgical contamination was another problem; at one point, 80% of the delivered titanium for manufacture was rejected on these grounds.[31][32]. [19] It is a common misconception that the planes refueled shortly after takeoff because the jet fuel leaked. 61-7978) arrives at, 21 March 1968: First SR-71 (AF Ser. Central Intelligence Agency", "The Advent, Evolution, and New Horizons of United States Stealth Aircraft. They maintained that, in a time of constrained military budgets, designing, building, and testing an aircraft with the same capabilities as the SR-71 would be impossible. One plane was almost hit by a missile on 26 August 1981 over the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea but managed to evade and out-fly it. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. The KC-135Q had a modified high-speed boom, which would allow refueling of the Blackbird at nearly the tanker's maximum airspeed with minimum flutter. The SR-71 Blackbird cruises above Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound). ", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham Veteran Tales", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-86", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-99", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-123", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-129", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-132", "SR-71 Online - SR-71 Flight Manual: Section 4, Page 4-146", "First man to fly the world's fastest aircraft dies in Rancho Mirage", "SR-71 Pilot Interview Richard Graham, Veteran Tales interview at Frontiers of Flight Museum (at 1:02:55)", "Memorandum for the Chairman, Sanitization and Decontrol Working Group Black Shield Photography", "Bye Bye U-2: CIA Legend Allen Predicts End Of Manned Reconnaissance", "SPIONFLY, DEN KALDE KRIGEN - Spionfly landet i Bod", "TV: Krnvapenskra bunkern styrde flygplanen", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:1/2", "4 Swedish JA-37 Viggen pilots receives medals for SR-71 Blackbird rescue operation 1987 Part:2/2", "SR-71 World Record Speed and Altitude Flights", "A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events", "Spy Plane Sets Speed Record, Then Retires. From 80,000 feet, an SR-71 could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth's . Once the first J58 engine was started, the cart was repositioned to start the aircraft's other J58 engine. [N 4] The challenges posed led Lockheed to develop new fabrication methods, which have since been used in the manufacture of other aircraft. (In order to be selected into the SR-71 program in the first place, a pilot or navigator (RSO) had to be a top-quality USAF officer, so continuing career progression for members of this elite group was not surprising.) It was a slow craft and visible on radar, but it compensated for these deficiencies with its high-altitude capability. Kloesel, Kurt J., Nalin A. Ratnayake and Casie M. Clark. "[122], Macke told the committee that they were "flying U-2s, RC-135s, [and] other strategic and tactical assets" to collect information in some areas. Here's a list the top speed, highest and quickest distance between two points. [28] During its service life, no SR-71 was ever shot down. [69] As an aid to the pilot when refueling, the cockpit was fitted with a peripheral vision horizon display. "[104] It was agreed to add $100million to the budget to return three SR-71s to service, but it was emphasized that this "would not prejudice support for long-endurance UAVs" [such as the Global Hawk]. ", "Exclusive: Skunk Works Reveals SR-71 Successor Plan", "Skunk Works reveals Mach 6.0 SR-72 concept", "EXCLUSIVE: Secret New UAS Shows Stealth, Efficiency Advances", "There Can Be Only One: The Saga of the Only SR-71C Ever Built", "U-2 and SR-71 Units, Bases and Detachments", "Aircraft On Display: Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird. [70], Nortronics, Northrop Corporation's electronics development division, had developed an astro-inertial guidance system (ANS), which could correct inertial navigation system errors with celestial observations, for the SM-62 Snark missile, and a separate system for the ill-fated AGM-48 Skybolt missile, the latter of which was adapted for the SR-71. [104], Congress's disappointment with the lack of a suitable replacement for the Blackbird was cited concerning whether to continue funding imaging sensors on the U-2. It was found that the plane was in obvious distress and a decision was made that the Swedish Air Force would escort the plane out of the Baltic Sea. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a two-seat twin-engine long-range supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft produced by Lockheed Corporation. [29] To control costs, Lockheed used a more easily worked titanium alloy which softened at a lower temperature. . Book Synopsis. The SR-71 carried a Fairchild tracking camera and an infrared camera,[80] both of which ran during the entire mission. However, a bomber variant of the Blackbird was briefly given the B-71 designator, which was retained when the type was changed to SR-71. No. Before the July speech, LeMay lobbied to modify Johnson's speech to read "SR-71" instead of "RS-71". In 1989, SR-71 operations were suspended, and the SR-71 program was soon terminated after flying for 24 years with the Strategic Air Command. Originally planned as a high . They cost $2,300 and would generally require replacing within 20 missions. Hall also stated they were "looking at alternative means of doing [the job of the SR-71]. On one occasion, one complete wing with engine was replaced as the easiest way to get the plane airborne again. No. Only one crew member, Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight-test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, was killed in a flight accident. Finally, scramjets with supersonic combustion cover the range of high supersonic to hypersonic speeds. [19], During the 1964 campaign, Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater repeatedly criticized President Lyndon B. Johnson and his administration for falling behind the Soviet Union in developing new weapons. Aerodynamicists initially opposed the concept, disparagingly referring to the aircraft as a Mach 3 variant of the 1920s-era Ford Trimotor, which was known for its corrugated aluminum skin. Soviet overflights ceased and the U-2 continued flying missions over places with less sophisticated air defense systems. 3. [18] The A-12 flew covert missions while the SR-71 flew overt missions; the latter had USAF markings and pilots carried Geneva Conventions Identification Cards. These generals were adept at communicating the value of the SR-71 to a USAF command staff and a Congress who often lacked a basic understanding of how the SR-71 worked and what it did. Morrison, Bill, SR-71 contributors, Feedback column. [N 2] This USAF version was longer and heavier than the original A-12 because it had a longer fuselage to hold more fuel. 98, 100101. Tweet Print Number of views (3119) Tags: Aircraft Records SR-71 Record List During unstarts, afterburner extinctions were common. "Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1994 and The Future Years.". On 26 April 1971, 61-7968, flown by majors Thomas B. Estes and Dewain C. Vick, flew over 15,000 miles (24,000km) in 10 hours and 30 minutes. There were two routes. 61-7972, when the Astro-Inertial Navigation System (ANS) fails on a training mission and they accidentally fly into Mexican airspace, 5 February 1968: Lockheed ordered to destroy A-12, YF-12, and SR-71 tooling, 8 March 1968: First SR-71A (AF Ser. The gone but not forgotten Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird takes flight at sunset on its way to making a Mach 3.2 thunder run. Flights often lasted more than six hours and covered more than 11,265 kilometers (7,000 square miles). YF-12A # 60-6934. The strategic reconnaissance aircraft could operate at an altitude of . They refueled from a KC-135, accelerated. [104] In 1996, the USAF claimed that specific funding had not been authorized, and moved to ground the program. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up, with thermal expansion of several inches. The 1960 downing of Francis Gary Powers's U-2 underscored the aircraft's vulnerability and the need for faster reconnaissance aircraft such as the A-12. [49] Its "blue light" source star tracker, which could see stars during both day and night, would continuously track a variety of stars as the aircraft's changing position brought them into view. The event had been classified for over 30 years, and when the report was unsealed, data from the NSA showed that multiple MiG-25s with the order to shoot down the SR-71 or force it to land, had started right after the engine failure. Maximum speed limit was Mach 3.2, but could be raised to Mach 3.3 if the engine compressor inlet temperature did not exceed 801F (427C). 831 officially delivered to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at, 28 September 1994: Congress votes to allocate $100million for reactivation of three SR-71s, 28 June 1995: First reactivated SR-71 returns to USAF as Detachment 2, 9 October 1999: The last flight of the SR-71 (AF Ser. ", "NASA Dryden Technology Facts - YF-12 Flight Research Program", "A Technology Pathway for Airbreathing, Combined-Cycle, Horizontal Space Launch Through SR-71 Based Trajectory Modeling. [16], During the later stages of its testing, the B-70 was proposed for a reconnaissance/strike role, with an "RS-70" designation. Named Blackbird due to its unique blue to black color, this aircraft would set numerous world records for speed and altitude. [88] The same air-conditioning system was also used to keep the front (nose) landing gear bay cool, thereby eliminating the need for the special aluminum-impregnated tires similar to those used on the main landing gear. More than a decade after their retirement the Blackbirds remain the world's fastest and highest-flying production aircraft ever built. No. In the later years of its operational life, a datalink system could send ASARS-1 and ELINT data from about 2,000nmi (3,700km) of track coverage to a suitably equipped ground station. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. It reached 20,000 feet (6,100m) of altitude in less than two minutes, and the typical 80,000 feet (24,000m) cruising altitude in another 17 minutes, having used one third of its fuel. As space-based surveillance systems became more sophisticated and air defense systems became more effective, the Air Force chose to end the expensive program. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. Due to the excessive cost of operating both A-12 and SR-71 programs, the SR-71 was chosen to take over Operation Black Shield at Kadena in 1968. The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. [81] Initially, the TEOCs could not match the resolution of the A-12's larger camera, but rapid improvements in both the camera and film improved this performance. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. [138][139] However, the USAF is officially pursuing the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 UAV to assume the SR-71's strategic ISR role. While the SR-71 carried radar countermeasures to evade interception efforts, its greatest protection was its combination of high altitude and very high speed, which made it almost invulnerable. [105] Five flights were attempted but on each occasion no photographs of the flight path were obtained due to low visibility.[106]. The aircraft was flown to the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio in March 1990. [2] If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. Credit: NASA Concordski: What ever happened to Soviets' spectacular rival to Concorde? Rob Vermeland, Lockheed Martin's manager of Advanced Development Program, said in an interview in 2015 that high-tempo operations were not realistic for the SR-71. [26] Dick Cheney told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the SR-71 cost $85,000 per hour to operate. [23] Production of the SR-71 totaled 32 aircraft with 29 SR-71As, two SR-71Bs, and the single SR-71C.[24]. The Air Force decided to order its own two-seat version of the A-12, a refined reconnaissance version for the Strategic Air Command. [62] Maximum flight speed was limited by the temperature of the air entering the engine compressor, which was not certified for temperatures above 800F (430C). [26], In 1988, Congress was convinced to allocate $160,000 to keep six SR-71s and a trainer model in flyable storage that could become flightworthy within 60 days. On September 1, 1974, Major James Sullivan and his backseater, Major Noel F. Widdifield, set a speed record in SR-71A serial no. From the operator's perspective, what I need is something that will not give me just a spot in time but will give me a track of what is happening. "[99], From the beginning of the Blackbird's reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam and Laos in 1968, the SR-71s averaged approximately one sortie a week for nearly two years. The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. On that same day, the aircraft set the Speed Over a Closed Course record of 2,193.167 mph. Due to unease over political situations in the Middle East and North Korea, the U.S. Congress re-examined the SR-71 beginning in 1993. Lockheed SR-71 (Blackbird) High-Altitude, High-Speed Reconnaissance Aircraft [ 1966 ] The SR-71 maintained an excellent operational service record during its Cold War tenure, though a dozen were lost to accidents. Several aircraft have exceeded this altitude in zoom climbs, but not in sustained flight. This flight was awarded the 1971 Mackay Trophy for the "most meritorious flight of the year" and the 1972 Harmon Trophy for "most outstanding international achievement in the art/science of aeronautics".[132]. Retired USAF Colonels Don Emmons and Barry MacKean were put under government contract to remake the plane's logistic and support structure. Less than two weeks . [86] The cabin needed a heavy-duty cooling system, as cruising at Mach3.2 would heat the aircraft's external surface well beyond 500F (260C)[87] and the inside of the windshield to 250F (120C). Itek KA-102A 3648in (9101,220mm) camera. [4], On most aircraft, the use of titanium was limited by the costs involved; it was generally used only in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust fairings and the leading edges of wings. The limitations of reconnaissance satellites, which take up to 24 hours to arrive in the proper orbit to photograph a particular target, make them slower to respond to demand than reconnaissance planes. On July 27, 1976, the SR-71 set a Speed Over a Closed Circuit record at a speed of 2,092.294 mph. These SR-71 photos were photographed by civilians or members/veterans of the US. [26] At sustained speeds of more than Mach 3.2, the plane was faster than the Soviet Union's fastest interceptor, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, which also could not reach the SR-71's altitude. [63], Originally, the Blackbird's J58 engines were started with the assistance of two Buick Wildcat V8 internal combustion engines, externally mounted on a vehicle referred to as an AG330 "start cart". Fuselage panels were manufactured to fit only loosely with the aircraft on the ground. The Blackbird landed at over 170 knots (200mph; 310km/h) and deployed a drag parachute to stop; the chute also acted to reduce stress on the tires.[39]. Marshall, Elliot, The Blackbird's Wake, Air & Space, October/November 1990, p. 31. a list of stars used for celestial navigation, 4200th (later, 9th) Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, National Museum of the United States Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Aircraft in fiction Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, List of military aircraft of the United States, List of United States Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, "The SR-71 Blackbird: The Super Spy Plane That Outran Missiles", "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: SR-71 Blackbird", "U.S. Pushes Hard To Build SR-72 Hypersonic Fighter", "Records: Sub-class: C-1 (Landplanes) Group 3: turbo-jet. [49], At the front of each inlet, a pointed, movable inlet cone called a "spike" was locked in its full forward position on the ground and during subsonic flight. Show more Show more 7:16 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The SR-71 also holds the "speed over a recognized course" record for flying from New York to Londondistance 3,461.53 miles (5,570.79km), 1,806.964 miles per hour (2,908.027km/h), and an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 secondsset on 1 September 1974, while flown by USAF pilot James V. Sullivan and Noel F. Widdifield, reconnaissance systems officer (RSO). By the time the SAM site could track the SR-71, it was often too late to launch a SAM, and the SR-71 would be out of range before the SAM could catch up to it. Another project stemming from the development of the A-12 was the M-21 aircraft and the D-21 drone. May 01, 1965. Working through Third World countries and bogus operations, they were able to get the rutile ore shipped to the United States to build the SR-71. ", "Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challenges and Lessons Learned", "Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" - Air Power Provided", "SR-71 Blackbird: The Cold War's ultimate spy plane", "OXCART vs Blackbird: Do You Know the Difference? [90][40], The first flight of an SR-71 took place on 22 December 1964, at USAF Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, piloted by Bob Gilliland. [68], Specialized KC-135Q tankers were required to refuel the SR-71. SR-71 "Blackbird". What would happen if an SR-71 tried to surpass that altitude? On 6 March 1990, Lt. Col. Raymond E. Yeilding and Lt. Col. Joseph T. Vida piloted SR-71 S/N 61-7972 on its final Senior Crown flight and set four new speed records in the process: These four speed records were accepted by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), the recognized body for aviation records in the United States.