Leaving the airspace above New York City at 2,455 miles per hour, SR-71 tail number 64-17972 would set a transatlantic speed record on Sept. 1, 1974.

The SR-71 did not simply fade into a museum corner; it left service with the same aura of speed and mystery that defined its entire career. Its retirement years were framed by record-setting dashes ...

Watch the impressive engineering in this in-depth tour of the SR-71 Blackbird's jet engine and you'll see an extraordinary reconnaissance aircraft that still impresses despite taking its first flight ...

Summary and Key Points: The SR-71 Blackbird, an iconic Cold War spy plane, was retired in 1999, but its legacy as a symbol of American technological superiority remains strong. -Despite being replaced ...