Lockheed SR-72

History

Developed with the same primary mission as the Cold War-era SR-71 Blackbird The company was released in November 2013. The aircraft is designed to be an unmanned system that does not expose pilots to the extreme conditions and dangers expected of ultra-high speed/high altitude flight, with the SR-72 reaching speeds around Mach 6. Like the SR-71 before it, the SR-72 is designed to simply outperform any intercepted ground threat.

The original SR-71 Blackbird first flew on December 22, 1964, entered service in 1966, and was officially retired in 1998, completing outstanding service with the U.S. Air Force.

Although the SR-71 was never armed, its inherent ability to fly higher and faster than any weapon the Soviets could wield made it "the most feared aircraft of the Cold War." Surprisingly, the SR-71 was traditionally controlled, with its dashboard dominated by needle-like dials that were incapable of high-speed digital processing at the time. The SR-72 is designed to continue the legacy of the original Blackbird spy plane and bring cutting-edge advanced technology to it.

The SR-72 is designed for supersonic flight speeds covering the "hypersonic" range of Mach 5 and above. Such speeds introduce additional, not yet fully understood, flight characteristics that require specific design qualities of a given airframe.

Hypersonic flight exists beyond supersonic flight (BAC Concorde) and hypersonic flight.

The SR-72 will rely heavily on data collected during DARPA-led testing of the Falcon HTV-2 (Hypersonic Technology Vehicle). The test vehicle is used to provide information on ultra-high-speed flight and associated (long-range) guidance and control at such speeds. The three focus stages include aerodynamics (airflow at extreme speeds), aerothermal effects (air temperature at extreme speeds), and guidance/navigation/control.

The HTV-2 was capable of reaching speeds of 13,000 miles per hour (Mach 20) and recorded an outer surface temperature of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Concept art for the SR-72 currently has a futuristic but still traditional aircraft shape, with dual bottom air intakes, a stylish low-mounted delta wing assembly, and a single vertical tail. Designed from the outset as an unmanned system, the SR-72 has no cockpit, but a solid airframe containing avionics, mission systems and fuel depots. Its flight characteristics and inherent performance will allow the vehicle to transition into near space as the SR-71 has done before (the SR-71 has already operated to 85,000 feet).

The retractable landing gear allows the SR-72 to land and take off like a conventional aircraft.

A key factor in the success of the physically realized and powerful SR-72 will be its powerplant, which consists of a turbine-based "combined cycle" propulsion system. The array will be equipped with a base turbine engine to provide the thrust required from takeoff to Mach 3 speeds. From there, the system's twin-mode ramjet engine takes over to deliver the required hypersonic speeds. The engine is drawn in through a common air intake at the front of the engine housing and expelled through a common nozzle at the rear of the aircraft.

Internal pipes provide access to one drive method through another drive method. The engine is from Aerojet Rocketdyne. Concept art shows the engine mounted in an underbody configuration beyond the centerline of the fuselage.

In addition to featured reconnaissance capabilities, other military-focused mission roles for this vehicle could include missile delivery platforms the missiles themselves are designed around the concept of hypersonic flight to coincide with their hypersonic delivery vehicles . It is conceivable that such an aircraft would be able to challenge traditional air defenses, falling from extremely high altitudes and launching its payload before being detected. Additionally, high-speed flight would allow it to reach any location on Earth in minutes or hours, giving the enemy little time to react and enabling the USAF to hit any global target in short order.

The technology spawned by this military project could also revolutionize passenger air travel between major hubs in the future.

Lockheed expects the SR-72 test vehicle to be ready by 2030. Its development was led by the secret Lockheed "Skunk Works" facility that developed the famous SR-71.

June 2017 - Lockheed sources have confirmed the existence of the SR-72 program. Prototypes are expected to enter service in the early 2020s.

September 2017 - Work on the SR-72 project has reportedly accelerated since a technology demonstrator was spotted near Skunk Works (Palm Valley, CA) in July. According to reports, the plane was flanked by two T-38 fighter jets.

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes