17961
These 3 Lockheed photos, and several more nearly identical to them, were taken during a single flight in the early 1970s. These were used for almost all press releases regarding the SR-71.
961 ended her flying career early. After the Pentagon ordered the destruction of all Blackbird tooling in February 1970, the Air Force had no choice but to cannibalize certain airframes in order to provide parts for the rest of the fleet. She managed to accumulate 1601 hours by the time of her last flight on February 2, 1977.
She is now dramatically displayed between an authentic T-38 and a full-size replica of the Space Shuttle at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas.
photo copyright © Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center - used by permission
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