The SR-71 Blackbird was a high-speed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft developed by Lockheed’s legendary “Skunk Works” team in the 1960s.

SR71 Blackbird NASA Lockheed MartinNASAA NASA SR-71 on its first flight on Oct 31, 1997 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The Blackbird was capable of speeds exceeding Mach 3 (2,200 mph). The fuselage was designed to expand at high speeds, which caused the plane to leak fuel on the ground because the panels fit very loosely when the jet was parked.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71US Air Force

The Blackbird’s service ceiling (max altitude) was 85,000 feet, which forced crews to wear pressure suits and astronaut-type helmets.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Colonel Buz CarpenterUS Air ForceSR-71 pilot Col. ‘Buz’ Carpenter.

SR-71s were manned by two aviators: a pilot and a reconnaissance systems officer, who monitored systems from the rear cockpit.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Rear PilotUS Air Force

Only 32 Blackbirds were manufactured, and they were in service from 1964 to 1998. Despite over 4,000 combat sorties, none of the planes were lost because of enemy fire. But 12 were destroyed in accidents.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 X PlanesNASA

Claustrophobic types need not apply. The narrow space between canopy rails didn’t give crews much room to move around. The outer windscreen of the cockpit was made of quartz and was fused ultrasonically to the titanium frame. The temperature of the exterior of the windscreen reached 600 F during a mission.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Pilot Hangar BrakesUS Air ForceA pilot mans the brakes as the SR-71 is towed out of the hangar.

There's nothing glass about the Blackbird's cockpit. The SR-71 presented the pilot with a dizzying array of steam gauges and switches. And visibility out the front wasn’t the greatest.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 CockpitUS Air Force

Although not technically a stealth aircraft, the SR-71 was hard for enemy SAM systems to spot because it was designed with a low radar cross section in mind.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Tarmac Take OffUS Air Force

Because of its high approach speed, the Blackbird used a drag chute to slow down on the runway after touchdown.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Chute Landing Parachute DragUS Air Force

Aerial refueling capability allowed the SR-71 to perform long-range, high-endurance missions.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Refuel KC 135US Air Force

The Blackbird still holds the record for fastest air-breathing manned aircraft (a record it broke in 1976).

Although the SR-71 is no longer in service, the legend lives on.

Lockheed Martin Blackbird SR 71 Shock Diamonds Dusk