Customer Reviews

Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions (General Aviation)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
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I have just about every book written about the SR-71 "Blackbird", and I am very pleased to say that this fully revised book by Paul Crickmore is outstanding. Anyone who is familiar with the SR-71 knows the name Paul Crickmore; he has been writing about the Blackbird for decades. I have many of Mr. Crickmore's earlier works,and I was a bit apprehensive about buying this one over the Internet, thinking that it might be a rehash of the earlier volums. I am very pleased to say that "Lockheed Blackbird - Beyond the Secret Missions" is practically a whole new work, and, at 400 pages, it is crammed with lots of facts, tables, and details. Of course, all of the main Cold War events are detailed, and, interestingly, there is a section detailing Soviet MiG 31 intercept missions against the SR-71, flown by MAJ Mikhail Myagkiy.

This volume provides details about every flight of the SR-71, as well as every record held, and the disposition of each aircraft. I'm sure there are many details that are still classified, and unavailable for publication, but aside from this, I'm pretty certain that Mr. Crickmore has included all of the unclassified stuff.

If there is one book to have regarding the SR-71 Blackbird, this one is it. Buy it, read it, and enjoy it; you will not be disappointed.

Most fans of the Blackbird are familiar with Paul Crickmores books on the aircraft but this one blows them all away. Simply put everything you ever wanted to know about the plane is here. The only other book that might contain more technical details would be the SR-71 flight manuals themselves. And at only $24.95 its a relative bargain.

If you are looking for a good and affordable book on this magnificent aircraft then this would be the best one to buy.

I cannot improve on what the other posters have added. This book is that good. I have multiple books on the SR-71 series, and this is the most comprehensive book I have seen yet. The background, the development, the history, it is all there.

I build scale models, and this book is a treasure trove of detail and knowledge for deep scratchbuilding.

What a Book! It is a real treasure trove. I have never read any book that gives such intricacies of any aircraft type as this one. I am a stickler for complete technical details and this is the only book that satisfied my unquenchable thirst for in-depth information. The depth of this book is remarkable; from the origins of Skunk works, U2, A12, SR71 to aircraft technical information, various programs, pilot's eye view of mission and prototype flying, the book has it all.

It deserves 6 out of 5. There are also 2 ironies that I could discern. One, How advanced and indomitable you guys were then pushing the limits of technological excellence and how you have lost your way today thanks to the mismanagement of your economy and finances. Two, How the opportunity for developing a Fighter Interceptor based on the SR71 was lost that could have ensured a huge air superiority over the Chinese and the Europeans in the 21st century.

Crickwood was an air traffic controller when he first became interested in the Blackbird. Since the super-secret Blackbird missions were flown in near-total radio silence, the ATCs and the pilots were among the few who knew a plane's whereabouts. Moreover, Blackbirds had totally unique descent requirements and a good ATC was critical for keeping the traffic pattern clear. No wonder Crickwood became intrigued. His first photos, taken strictly for himself, were eventually published in a magazine which led to one book commission after another. Over the years, he says, his friends in the Blackbird community have given him "unprecedented access" to material for his books.

He quickly takes the reader from Cold War, U2, U.S. President Eisenhower's "Open Skies" initiative, Skunk Works etc. to a discussion of the A-12, aircraft sensors, Area 51 development, and navigation aids. This sort of pace may be a bit much for the reader who knows only a little of the Blackbirds. The advanced reader on the other hand will appreciate the fine discussion of the air induction system and its challenges to the then single pilot who had to cope with an extremely high workload constantly manipulating the inlet spike and bypass door positions in order to optimize fuel/engine use and temps. This level of magnification is indicative of the rest of the book and is what sets Crickwood's apart.

What data there is pertains to performance not aeronautics or engineering. The text is interspersed with quotes, suitably illustrated, and augmented with supporting material such as maps and lists. The photo selection includes a nice set of M-21/D-21 shots and an uncommonly large number of crew photos. The color photos are bundled into three separate sections. All photos identify the plane and the photo source.

Other highlights are an entire chapter dealing with the YF-12 and a detailed technical description of SR-71 components. For the detail hound, the gems are always in the Appendices and here we find: various detachments' mission records; first check flights by plane/pilot; the current whereabouts of A-12, YF-12A and SR-71 airframes; commanders, awards, crews; chronology of significant events; records; aircraft losses; NASA flight details; and--drum roll--a list of SR-71 intercepts by a MIG-31 and reproduction of a log book page of the Russian pilot who was interviewed earlier in the book. A separate section contains technical and cutaway drawings including the entire plane as well as front and rear cockpit diagrams, both fully annotated.

Full review at <speedreaders.info>. Copyright 2010, Sabu Advani

Overall it is a great book. I was most interested in the engineering so found the earlier chapters on the A-12 to be the best, along with some of the appendicies about the technology and developmet. The bulk of the book is about sorties, which can get to be rather boring, but it is spiced up every couple pages with a funny story from the secret society of Habu pilots. There are some good pictures in the book as well, with many full-page color ones. I learned a good deal about the Blackbird and the machine's otherworldly performance.

If you into the blackbird from the famouse Skunk Works, then this is the best book to date, with a lot of focus on missions

Paul F. Crickmore offers a fully revised edition of his classic LOCKHEAD BLACKBIRD: BEYOND THE SECRET MISSIONS. It was first published in 1986 when the Cold War was at its height: ten years later a number of official documents have been declassified and these and dozens of key military contacts re-tell the story of the SR-71 and its performance and importance, in a title highly recommended for any serious military collection.