1991

Our cover story celebrated the imminent resurrection of the SR-71 Blackbird, brought back from retirement under the aegis of a NASA research programme, rather than its previous strategic role. Our featured writer Terry Pappas was able to write from personal experience as a three-year pilot, describing it as the greatest thrill of his career piloting a Mach 3+ aircraft that used nearly 40 tons of special high-flashpoint fuel as a heat sink, keeping sensitive components cool and able to reach a top speed of more than 3 500 km/h.