Specifications of the J58
Compressor: 9-stage, axial flow, single spool
Turbine: two-stage axial flow
Thrust: 32,500 lbs. with afterburner
Weight: approximately 6,000 lbs.
Maximum Altitude: above 80,000 ft.
These engines use low volatility JP-7 since the frames reach such high temps
at mach 3. With the low volatility fuel used, Triethyleborane (TEB) is added
to lower the flash point at the moment of ignition. This way the plane does
not have to worry abotu spontanious combustion. And yes, NASA currently uses
a couple of them for research still. There were also only three YF-12A high
speed interceptors built. It was armed with 3 Hughes GAR-9/Aim 47-A missiles
with these having a max speed of Mach 4. The onboard radar was reported to
have a range of 200 - 300 miles when used in conjunction with the infared
trackers onboard also. There was also the M-21, a modified "Blackbird" that
was re-engineered to launch the D-21 hypersonic drone while in the air. This
idea was scrapped after a M-21 lurched upward and collided with a just
released D-21. Another interesting fact is that the nose cone of the J58
actually move. At high speeds (above ~2,000mph) the nose cones moves out by
about 2" to make the operation of the J58 go from a standard jet engine to
that of a ram-jet engine (my Grand-father help design this piece and the
actuators to move it!!). And yes they do leak fuel till the body warms up.
They also have to use modified KC-135Q tankers to pump their unique JP7 fuel.
Another fact (Firestone should listen now), the tires are Nitrogen filled
and are impregnated with powered Aluminum to with stand the high temps. The
nose cones are interchangable quickly so as to change the recon equiptment
within the nose quickly. There is only one flight simulator built to train
pilots for the SR-71. The whole front of the fuselage is mocked up and it
even includes an artificial horizontal laser line like the real SR-71. Oh
yeah, it is not "black", it is indigo blue FS 35402. And just think, this
things weighs 60,000 lbs completely unloaded!! Talk about acceleration
power!! Bernd, don't get any ideas, I think the J58 will require major mods!
I am still digging through files about this plane. I have over
(geusstimation) 1,000 pages of info (un-classified) and I have about 20 files
which have a classified stamp on them, but I am sure they are un-classified
by now. It is going to take a long time go through all these. Hopefully I
can find something quite interesting in this somewhere.
Will
96 Paxton huffed 408 Dakota
Look out Lightnings! Here comes a MOPAR!!!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:57:58 EDT