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I believe it's the upper limit to the SR-71's engine style based on air intake. If you watched Top Gun: Maverick since it came out they (spoiler) had him flyin
by brightball 4y ago
I believe it's the upper limit to the SR-71's engine style based on air intake.
If you watched Top Gun: Maverick since it came out they (spoiler) had him flying a prototype plane called the Darkstar to hit Mach 10 in order to maintain a military contract. During the flight, he switches engines to SCRAM Jet once he reaches Mach 3.5 because in order for those types of engines to have enough air intake to function, you already have to be traveling at that speed.
This was such an innovation that China redirected a satellite to find the plane because they thought it was real.
If you've never read Skunk Works by Ben Rich, I highly recommend it. Lots of SR-71 stories along with U-2, F-117 too.
- andrewflnr 4y agoI doubt they were absolutely convinced it was real, but still pretty hilarious. https://www.businessinsider.com/bruckheimer-china-moved-satellite-to-see-top-gun-hypersonic-aircraft-2022-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/bruckheimer-china-moved-sate...
- greggsy 4y ago“The Navy told us that a Chinese satellite turned and headed on a different route to photograph that plane.” I can only assume that China publish their targeting on some Twitter account? What ludicrous statement.
- brightball 4y agoI don't think the Navy was watching Chinese twitter...
- greggsy 4y agoAre you implying that they disclosed (to a movie director) that the USA have a foothold within China’s IMINT apparatus? It’s trivial to observe flyover changes, but it’s ludicrous to suggest that this action alone meant they were looking for a specific aircraft.
- andrewflnr 4y agoAmateurs can track satellites with telescopes. Inferring intent from a course change is pretty reasonable if it makes a direct overpass, with not much else of interest on the same track. That's not the crazy part of the story.
- scottyah 4y agoIs this a reference of the USA doing just that? https://www.npr.org/2022/11/18/1137474748/trump-tweeted-an-image-from-a-spy-satellite-declassified-document-shows https://www.npr.org/2022/11/18/1137474748/trump-tweeted-an-i...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]