Message posted by Peter Merlin on June 03, 2004 at 12:28:39 PST:

There are many variants of this particular patch, some of which are poor copies with a barely recognizable skunk. I purchased mine at the Lockheed Employee Recreation Club in Burbank in 1978. One thing is certain: the maximum design cruise speed of the SR-71A was Mach 3.2 (it could exceed this slightly if the ambient air temperature was sufficiently cool). Even the best projections for a performance-enhanced SR-71 never came close to Mach 5.8 and the J58 engine was not rated for that speed in any case. The performance enhancement modifications were rejected because they did not provide any benefit worth the additional hazard that would be incurred.

In Reply to: SR-71 flight patch posted by Mike Pelak on June 02, 2004 at 21:23:48 PST:

Replies: