Arnie Gunderson explains the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird starting procedure 

All done with slider ruler. Kelly Johnson was a frigging genius

They have a museum in Seattle with one of these jets and they occasionally throw raves in the hanger so i have pictures of my friends dancing underneath these planes 😂

The Air Force also procured as many of those drivetrains as possible out of junkyards to maintain the start carts until they were forced to replace the old Nailhead drivetrains with Chevrolet racing engines. Jokes have been made that the relative scarcity of the 401/455 engine is due to the those efforts. Turbomachinery requires a lot of horsepower to turn. An engine the size of the J58 requires that 600 hp or 450 kW. The core of the J58 is essentially a 3/4 size version of the JT9D, the engine used on the Boeing 747-100. The Lockheed Skunk Works was good about solving a problem only once. TEB, the 401 engine, PowerGlide transmission, boat throttle, and periscope-based quill drive are all good examples of that in the A-12/SR-71 programs.

Wow😮

Thank you sir, very informative

Awesome history lesson, thank you Sir!

Another tech forced into existence, years before it should have been possible. Amazing they got the actual engineer that build the thing, as a guide.

Absolutely fire video

I think they used multiple engines as they were available. They may have started with the 401 nailhead but I've also read they also used 425 cu in. Buick wildcat nailhead engines up until around 1970 when most switched to chevy 454 cu in engines. I've read some auxiliary bases never got rid of the nailhead engine carts and continued to use as needed.

I love how this kind of technique to start an engine externally to save weight, found it’s way into Motorsport. there’s no need to carry the weight of the starter if there’s no requirement to start it without assistance.

Amazing how they can engineer a state of the art jet, yet, they use lego pieces to put the starter together

Dude. The USAF MD-3 motor generator. Same Generator that started the F-86 using DC. McChord AFB winter of 87 with cowling off. Short stack exhaust. Blue flames popping up side by side and I'd give it the throttle and load bank the hell out of that bitch to see how high the blue flames would go!

You mentioned TEB, are the igniters TEA-TEB, like in rocket engines?

1961... 2 Buick 401 V8s wound out with 2 P&W J58s spooling up. Hearing protection isn't a thing yet. 2023....The VA has determined your hearng loss is not service related.

Later in the 60’s and 70’s they used LS7 454 big block Chevy engines.

I love this bit of history on the SR71. If you can adjust the audio it would really help the quality of your video. The disparity between the both of you is a little difficult to listen to. A funny add note they got rid of the V8 start system because the were becoming difficult to get ahold of.

DINSTARR!!!! No Air Power without Ground Power!!!

That's a pretty American style way to start a pretty American style secret military aviation platform 😂 🇺🇲 👍

Does anyone know the timeline of when the public first got spy photos, then next the public announcement of the SR-71 existence?