SR 71

[Mr. Vito]

Saw an SR-71 at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. I hadn't realized how big that plane was.

 

[Drem]

Who came up with the name Aardvark?

No idea. Only heard that the VC gave it the nickname Whispering Death.

 

[LVSteve]

Who came up with the name Aardvark?

According to Wikipedia:-

"The origin of the name has been attributed to F-111A Instructor Pilot Al Mateczun in 1969, as the aircraft had not received an official USAF name."

"At a ceremony marking the F-111's USAF retirement, on 27 July 1996, it was officially named Aardvark, its long-standing unofficial name."

So while in service, the F-111 did not have an official name. I've heard the EF-111 Raven was referred to as the "Spark-Vark".

 

[LVSteve]

No idea. Only heard that the VC gave it the nickname Whispering Death.

The Japanese allegedly used the same name for the Bristol Beaufighter in WWII. For sure, the Beau had a totally different noise signature to anything else due to its sleeve valve engines. I saw one at an air show in the UK and it had a different tone to all the other warbirds.

 

[CH4]

A worthy repeat.

Love the LA speed story. Hilarious

 

[Tinyman]

Eleven years on the FB-111A both Pease & Plattsburgh, we always called it Aardvark but others I can't add to this post.

 

[Model29-26.5]

There is plenty happening that most of us will never know about that would have surpassed the SR71 in other ways, of course.
It was old tech and was ahead of its time but it is now behind the times, and most won’t know why. They are smart guys working on stuff.! Still… as great and as functionally superior as the new stuff is, I’ll take a “Pinned and recessed” piece of machinery, over it any day as far as cool factor.
Growing up in the UK.. I’d still take a Spitfire!
The Hurricane I guess was pretty much the US equivalent.
The stuff of my youth.