Fascinating Facts About The SR-71 Blackbird, The Fastest Plane On Earth

1. The SR-71 Blackbird aircraft was built by Lockheed Martin and took its first flight in 1964. It was retired by NASA in 1999.

The SR-71 Blackbird is still the fastest plane that has ever flown and served an important role in history as a spy plane. Its first test flight was on December 22, 1964 and was never once hit by a missile during its 25 years of service. It’s just that fast. Though these awesome planes haven’t left the ground since before the turn of the century, they’re still worth all the recognition of being the fastest plane on Earth. Check out these amazing photos along with 15 interesting tidbits of the iconic SR-71 Blackbird.