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An SR-71 Blackbird totally disintegrated at Mach 3 and the pilot was ripped out of the aircraft

Harrison Kass, an attorney and former Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the harrowing 1966 "Mach 3 Breakup" of an SR-71 Blackbird, a survival story that redefined high-altitude flight safety.
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Why Was Flying the SR-71 Blackbird So Dangerous?

At Mach 3, friction with the atmosphere raised the SR-71’s skin temperatures to a searing 500 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to make the fuselage glow red. Despite being retired a generation ago, the ...