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Airbus A380 vs. SR-71 Blackbird - Comparison of sizes
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Airbus A380 vs SR-71 Blackbird - Comparison

Airbus A380
SR-71 Blackbird
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Airbus A380

Airbus A380

The Airbus A380 is a wide-body aircraft manufactured by Airbus. It's the world's largest passenger airliner. Airbus studies began in 1988 and the project was declared to challenge the dominance of the Boeing 747. The A3XX project was introduced in 1994; Airbus launched the $9.5 billion ($10.7 billion) A380 programme on 19 December 2000. The prototype was unveiled in Toulouse on 18 January 2005, Using its first flight on 27 April 2005. Difficulties in electrical wiring caused a delay and the development cost ballooned to $18 billion. It obtained its type certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 12 December 2006. It was first delivered to Singapore Airlines on 15 October 2007 and entered service on 25.



Production peaked in 2012 and 2014 at 30 each year. However, Airbus admits that its $25 billion investment for the aircraft can't be recouped. On 14 after Emirates reduced its orders that were in favour of the A330neo and the A350, Airbus announced that A380 production would end by 2021. The aircraft nicknamed the superjumbo, has a normal seating capacity of 525, though it is certified for up to 853 passengers. It's powered by four Engine Alliance GP7200 or Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofans providing a range of 8,000 nmi (14,800 km). As of December 2019, Airbus has received 251 company orders and delivered 242 aircraft; Emirates is the largest customer with 123 of.

Source: Wikipedia
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SR-71 Blackbird

SR-71 Blackbird

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, high-altitude, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft developed and manufactured by the American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation. It was operated by both the United States Air Force (USAF) and NASA.The SR-71 was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft during the 1960s by Lockheed's Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the aircraft's innovative concepts. The shape of the SR-71 was based on that of the A-12, which was one of the first aircraft to be designed with a reduced radar cross-section. At one point, a bomber variant of the aircraft was under consideration, before the program was focused solely on reconnaissance. Mission equipment for the reconnaissance role included signals intelligence sensors, side-looking airborne radar, and a camera; the SR-71 was both longer and heavier than the A-12, allowing it to hold more fuel as well as a two-seat cockpit. The SR-71 designation has been attributed to lobbying efforts by USAF Chief of Staff General Curtis LeMay, who preferred the SR (Strategic Reconnaissance) designation over simply RS (Reconnaissance, Strategic). The aircraft entered service in January 1966.



During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes (Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet, 25,900 meters), allowing it to outrace or entirely avoid threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch was detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outpace the missile. On average, each SR-71 could fly once per week due to the extended turnaround required after mission recovery. A total of 32 aircraft were built; 12 were lost in accidents with none lost to enemy action. During 1988, the USAF retired the SR-71 largely for political reasons; several were briefly reactivated during the 1990s before their second retirement in 1998. NASA was the final operator of the Blackbird, retiring their aircraft in 1999. Since its retirement, the SR-71's role has been taken up by a combination of reconnaissance satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); a proposed UAV successor, the SR-72, is under development by Lockheed Martin, and scheduled to fly in 2025. The SR-71 has several nicknames, including "Blackbird" and "Habu". As of 2022 the SR-71 still holds the world record it set in 1976 as the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, previously held by the related Lockheed YF-12.

Source: Wikipedia

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