Revell 1/72 85-8510 SR71A Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft Kit

It is claimed that the SR-71 is still the fastest and highest flying manned aircraft ever built. The two-seater strategic reconnaissance plane, that was developed to operate at highest altitudes at up to Mach 3, flew for the first time in 1964. It went into service with the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing in Beale, California and flew from 1966 to 1989 and again from 1996 to 1998. The SR-71 was nicknamed the "Blackbird" and flew its secret reconnaissance missions from Kadena, Okinawa, and also from Mildenhall, Great Britain. The optical, electronic and infra-red reconnaissance sensors are located in the nose cowl and in pods in the fuselage. The two P & W J-58 turbojet engines developing 144.57 kN (14,742 kp) thrust each enabled the SR-71 to reach a maximum speed of 3,500 km/h at an altitude of 30,450 m.