Meet the SR-72

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Nearly two decades after the famed Mach 3 SR-71 Blackbird spyplane was retired, its developer, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, has revealed exclusively to Aviation Week that it is ready to begin development of a hypersonic successor, the SR-72.


In a detailed report in the Nov. 4 edition of Aviation Week & Space Technology, Senior Editor Guy Norris lifts the wraps on the SR-72’s cutting-edge design, including a propulsion breakthrough that would allow the aircraft to fly twice as fast as the Blackbird -- six times the speed of sound -- but still take off from and land on a runway like a conventional aircraft. Lockheed Martin and partner Aerojet-Rocketdyne have been working in secret for seven years on the concept, which centers on integrating an off-the-shelf turbine with a scramjet to power the aircraft from standstill to Mach 6.


The hypersonic aircraft is designed for both long-range strike and reconnaissance. Conceived as a solution to the proliferation of mobile weapons platforms, which can be concealed from satellites, the jet would fly so fast that adversaries would not be able to react in time to hide a mobile target.

Norris’ article, posted on AviationWeek.com, is accompanied online by a series of graphics showing how the SR-72’s propulsion system would work compared with the SR-71’s engines.

Also posted is Aviation Week’s 1981 pilot report on the SR-71, one of many highlights in the magazine’s 97-year history.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.a...79a7Post:df07f83b-3753-4fad-b408-daacb834b2e9

 

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The SR-72 is being designed with strike capability in mind. “We would envision a role with over-flight ISR, as well as missiles,” Leland says. Being launched from a Mach 6 platform, the weapons would not require a booster, significantly reducing weight. The higher speed of the SR-72 would also give it the ability to detect and strike more agile targets. “Even with the -SR-71, at Mach 3, there was still time to notify that the plane was coming, but at Mach 6, there is no reaction time to hide a mobile target. It is unavoidable ISR,” he adds.

 

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In 1976, U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird crews flew from New York to London in less than two hours, reaching speeds exceeding Mach 3 and setting world records that have held up for nearly four decades.

But those world records may not stay unbroken for long.

That’s because today, at the birthplace of the Blackbird – Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works® – engineers are developing a hypersonic aircraft that will go twice the speed of the SR-71. It’s called the SR-72.

Son of the Blackbird
The SR-71 was developed using 20th century technology. It was envisioned with slide rules and paper. It wasn’t managed by millions of lines of software code. And it wasn’t powered by computer chips. All that changes with the SR-72.

Envisioned as an unmanned aircraft, the SR-72 would fly at speeds up to Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. At this speed, the aircraft would be so fast, an adversary would have no time to react or hide.

“Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with hypersonic missiles, could penetrate denied airspace and strike at nearly any location across a continent in less than an hour,” said Brad Leland, Lockheed Martin program manager, Hypersonics. “Speed is the next aviation advancement to counter emerging threats in the next several decades. The technology would be a game-changer in theater, similar to how stealth is changing the battlespace today.”

A hypersonic plane does not have to be an expensive, distant possibility. In fact, an SR-72 could be operational by 2030. For the past several years, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® has been working with Aerojet Rocketdyne to develop a method to integrate an off-the-shelf turbine with a supersonic combustion ramjet air breathing jet engine to power the aircraft from standstill to Mach 6. The result is the SR-72 that Aviation Week has dubbed “son of Blackbird,” and integrated engine and airframe that is optimized at the system level for high performance and affordability.

 

[GR!FF!N]

another gem is coming..good to see next version of SR-71.I always wondered why USA disbanded this unit,even though I admit that use of Sat make this manned recon aircraft's use redundant.but sure these aircrafts could use for strike role.

 

[Basel]

US is still maintaining a lead in tech far from its competitors, but one should remember that not only aircraft tech is evolving but air defense tech is also evolving or there are tech available which can be used to counter this threat which may be posed by this plane in future.

Tech like rail gun and lasers may be part of answer to this threat and China may be working on it and other solutons, as they know that they are far behind in capability to project air power, an example for that is DF-21D and their hypersonic missiles.

But I will love to see this bird flying as I m a big fan of SR-71 since childhood and it is its successor .

 

[illuminatidinesh]

When Sat s and Missiles are becoming more accurate by day what is this aircraft gonna do anything different? May help in damaging the morale of the enemy perhaps?

 

[Zabaniyah]

God bless Lockheed

They make the sickest looking jets.

another gem is coming..good to see next version of SR-71.I always wondered why USA disbanded this unit,even though I admit that use of Sat make this manned recon aircraft's use redundant.but sure these aircrafts could use for strike role.

It's still used by NASA.

 

[MohitV]

SR 71 looked more badass

 

[Zabaniyah]

I'm in love. Truly in love...

 

[KRAIT]

Sick of these Americans. No matter what others develop, they come up with something mind boggling.

BTW Cool design. Looks like Space ship.

 

[trident2010]

Just awesome !!