Paul Shall - Guided Tour Part 8 - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly Virginia
245 views · Published 21 November 2015 · 9:27 · Indexed 12 November 2026
Channel: Jim Ramsay · 2015 · Film & Animation
Friday 20th November 2015 saw me revisit the Air & Space Museum annex for the second time whilst in the DC Area. We met a very knowledgeable gentleman, ex-pilot and volunteer at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centre by the same of Paul Shall. I'm in awe of the history, knowledge, presentation skills and friendlyness of this overall good guy. We follow Paul for the whole of his tour. For those that love aviation please start on this part and follow Paul all the way to the Space Shuttle. Thanks again Paul and great talking to you over lunch - which you paid for yourself despite us offering (damn rules). The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. Renowned American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The SR-71 was designed to have basic stealth characteristics and served as a precursor to future stealth aircraft.
