SR-71 Successor Plan

[Russ]

The part that intrigues me is the propulsion. Another article about the SR-72 inferred that modified off the shelf engines will propel the aircraft. Love to see the technology that allows it. Doubt I will however.

 

[Huggyu2]

While developing something like this will create spinoff technolgies... there really is not much of a reconnaissance need for this. What exactly are you going to do at Mach 6?
Imagery, I suppose. The speed is pretty high to be able to loiter long enough to get good SIGINT.
And how are you going to send the imagery real time? You can't hang an antenna off the jet. However, I'm sure there is some way to do it.

But let's do the math:
Mach 6 is about 4000 knots.
If the aircraft turned using 30 degrees of bank, then:
The turn radius is 405 nautical miles
That means to do a 180 degree turn, the ground track is over 1200 miles. That's just the turn.
And that turn would take 19 minutes.

That's a lot of airspace you'll cover. Just to make a turn is going to potentially have you flying over other countries. Diplomatic clearances can be tough to get.

Also, what about fuel? Just the 180 degree turn and 19 minutes is going to eat up a ton of fuel. I know satellites are fuel limited,... but this SR-72 cannot carry that much fuel.
Think about what it will take to launch it, fly to the target, return and land... and you want to add in some turns?? That's crazy talk!

 

[lowtimedriver]

Very un-Skunky to announce such a program if there's a real RFP on the table.

The plane has probably been operational for the last ten years already.:nuts:

Anyone really believe that they would take the SR out of service without a replacement?

 

[booo]

I got this elsewhere as well as remember reading it when it came out, notice the date when it was published;

http://www.popsci.com/file/mach62jpg

Maybe not out of the realm of possibility that much of the technology/RD has ALREADY happened in one form or another and isn't really that "skunky".

Oh boy! more news from such a reliable such as Popular Science, the same source that said the A380 would be the first aircraft that could have a 1.3 BILLION pound take off weight!

Could they , like , haul New Jersey off in one piece?

 

[dojetdriver]

Oh boy! more news from such a reliable such as Popular Science, the same source that said the A380 would be the first aircraft that could have a 1.3 BILLION pound take off weight!

Could they , like , haul New Jersey off in one piece?

The main point was the AGE of the article, but whatever.....