How the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Works

An intensive and thrilling look inside the SR-71 Blackbird, one of aviation's absolute greatest legends.

CREDITS
Jacob O'Neal - Research, script, narration, 3D modeling / animation, music

BEHIND THE SCENES
If you'd like to see how I made this video. I show my research sources, pdfs, images, etc., and also the model creation process, animating, rendering, and more:

MUSIC
I composed the background music specifically for this project. Listen to "Blackbird" on my soundcloud:

PATREON

SOFTWARE USED
I use Blender 3D to create these models. It's free and open source, and the community is amazing:

0:00 Intro
03:18 Aerodynamics of supersonic flight
08:13 Radar cross section
10:18 J58 Jet Engines
15:49 Inlet spike
20:39 Engine supporting features
23:12 Start carts
23:48 Fuel system
26:48 Flight control surfaces
33:11 Landing gear
34:20 Cockpits
34:47 Front cockpit
45:07 Rear cockpit
46:08 Cockpits (cont'd)
47:15 Flight suit
49:32 Reconnaissance equipment
53:20 Hero shot
54:11 Credits
54:22 Epilogue

[animagraffs]

Special thanks to Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum (youtube.com/AirZoo), retired SR-71 Pilots Jerry Glasser and Buz Carpenter, and Arnie Gunderson (retired Pratt & Whitney J58 PM). It's an absolute honor to work with folks as legendary as the subjects I cover!

[InvertedFlight]

I've been a pilot for 30 years, I have never once been able to explain the SR 71 with such clarity. I've never heard anybody explain it well. This is one of the most complex airplanes to understand. And you made it so simple a child can understand it. Very skillfully done my friend.

[kingsleyandrews]

As a mechanical engineer, I can't begin to express how much value your videos bring to young minds. With the internet filled with misinformative AI generated videos, your videos give me hope in the future of tomorow. On behalf of all of us.. thank you Jake and please never stop what you are doing. They will use your videos for hundreds of years to teach the future generations, well done my friend!

[BradleyG]

The fact that this is free is such a privilege. The quality of your videos is second to none. Amazing work.

[grahamrankin]

There is a SR71 at the Air museum here in McMinnville Oregon. A docent told us about when a former Soviet fighter pilot visited the museum. He walked up to the Blackbird, grabbed the wing and said "Caught you at last".

[ffraj]

20min in, and I realized why I’m still watching, you talk slow, and have pauses in between sentences, it lets me to think and comprehend what I’ve just heard, thank so much for that, just that is gold, finally a narrator that gets it!!!!

[MattH-wgou]

An hour long Animagraffs video? And on the SR71?! Yes!
Another outstanding video Jake!

[InMusic]

55 min on the most badass plane ever designed, engineered and produced. Instant like and watch

[NorCalDubber]

It's absolute insanity this jet was made in the 60's, I love how detailed this video is.

[mvtroiano]

As a former fuel system repair specialist that was attached to the 9th SRW, my friend you did an awesome job.

[chapystick_]

“Just outrun the missiles” is the most badass flex in history

[alansimmons]

I was stationed at Beale AFB from 75 to 79. I was a maintenance specialist on the sr-71 and u2 cart. Was very proud to be a part of the 9th srw!

[Simple_But_Expensive]

In the mid 80’s, I was at Avial in Burbank, California to witness a test of a freshly rebuilt Allison 501 engine. Sitting to one side on a stand was a strange looking engine. When I asked, they told me it was an engine from an SR-71, and was one of two they were rebuilding. They weren’t allowed to let me see the one in the shop, but they were happy to give me a close up look at the one on the test stand. They even let me watch as they ran it in the test cell. It was one of the best workdays I ever had. Very, very cool.

[ad]

I'm an SR-71 nerd and for the longest time I couldn't help but watch anything Blackbird related. After a while, I hit my point of satiation. I've watched dozens of documentaries about this plane. I got it. So i stopped watching as much stuff about this plane, ignored this video in my feed a few times.

But finally my inner nerd won and I'm 8 minutes in. I gotta say, holy crap dude, this is incredible. How everything is named, highlighted and shown in detail... Just incredible. It makes so much sense. It also demonstrates how dang smart the engineers were.

[harrycee]

The engineers did this without today's tech and modeling capabilities. Just incredible engineering and ingenuity.

[rondickneite]

I was a FTD instructor for the SR-71 while I was in the US Air Force. I wish I had that video as a training aid. We had great training aid that showed the different systems worked along with lighted boards I will that video is OUTSTANDING.

[luIletpoints]

Dear Animagraffs, you're right, there can never be "too much material online" when it comes to the subject of the SR-71 Blackbird. And even if this field of study was indeed saturated, there would still be room for your beautiful illustrations and clear concise explanations because there is no channel - on the whole of the internet - that can deliver what you bring to the table. The professional teaching material (created with profits in mind) wouldnt have a chance of delivering the clarity that you do.

Bravo, again, on such beautiful work that it feels like a crime to watch it for free. Im not in a position to pay for what its worth, so please consider this small token to be just a thought gesture of my appreciation.

[Sebastian-ylnq]

What fascinates me the most about the Blackbird is that they managed to create it mostly with without a CAD software, cfd simulation software etc

[lonnyraye]

If any aircraft ever deserved this level of explanation, SR-71 is it. The Blackbird was a marvel of innovation and brute strength. Thank you for this.

[colinflood]

2, 200 mph, 700 degrees at 85, 000 feet in the air! An engineering marvel even today.