61-7981

981 was the only SR-71C built. Made from parts of the static test model SR-71 and the aft section of YF-12A #06934, she was built to replace SR-71B #957.  She first flew on March 14, 1969.


AFFTC History Office photo by Gene Furnish via Tony Landis



The photo above and below are of MGen. Otis Moore's VIP checkride in 981 on December 10, 1975, just 4 months before 981's final flight. - Lockheed photo by Gene Furnish via Tony Landis



May 1971 photo of 981 taken from the tanker just after refueling. - Lockheed Martin photo

Being a hybrid of 2 separate aircraft caused some unforeseen problems, most noticably with the aircraft's geometry: at supersonic speeds she tended to fly slightly sideways, and required a slight rudder input to fly straight at high Mach numbers (many pilots who flew her say the amount of rudder pressure involved was almost unnoticable).

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