Written by an expert on the SR-71 Blackbird, this book offers readers a short, fascinating history of this incredible military aircraft .
Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird is one of the most iconic and famous jets ever built. Assembled in secret at Lockheed's Skunkworks, the Blackbird's vital statistics remain phenomenal decades later. It holds the airspeed record for a manned jet aircraft, operated at an altitude other aircraft could barely touch and was a marvel of technical engineering.
Drawing on declassified material, leading SR-71 expert Paul Crickmore reveals the history of the most fascinating of aircraft, accompanied by a range of fantastic illustrations, photographs and facts about the world's most secret spy plane.

Paul F. Crickmore is the author of the much-acclaimed Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions. He was commissioned to write his first book for Osprey 35 years ago and that since then he has written 20 books, including 12 for Osprey. He is also an honorary member of several A-12 and SR-71 veterans' associations.

List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Chronology
A-12 Design and Manufacture
A-12 Oxcart Operations
Tagboard and Senio Bowl, the M-21 and D-21
Kedlock, the YF-12A
Senior Crown, the SR-71
Flying the SR-71
NASA Operations
Surviving Aircraft Histories
Appendices
Index