Why were ridiculously fast planes like the SR-71 built, and why hasn’t it speed record been broken for 50 years?
In: Engineering
The SR-71 could evade air defenses with raw speed and altitude. Air defenses have improved to the point where it would take a truly revolutionary leap to make an airplanes that could use its speed and altitude to do so. Couple that with satellites and stealth and the cost/benefit/practicality doesn’t make sense.
At least on paper. Who knows what remains classified.
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