WORLDS FASTEST Aircraft US Air Force SR-71 Blackbird Mini Documentary

A great Mini Documentary video on the world famous US Air Force aircraft the SR-71 Blackbird that was used for observation flights over the Soviet Union.
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.–Twenty-six years ago today, Beale said goodbye to the fastest air-breathing jet in the world, the SR-71 Blackbird.

The Blackbird was an advanced, long-range, supersonic strategic reconnaissance aircraft that called Beale Air Force Base home from January 1966 to January 1990.

But for Master Sgt. Floyd Jones (ret.) and a local group of former Blackbird maintainers, the mission continues, not with turning wrenches, but with the same elbow grease.

"It's not glamorous but it needs to be done," said Jones, who worked on the Blackbird for nearly 20 years.

Floyd and members of The Blackbird Maintainers group wash and scrub down the SR-71 periodically to ensure the static display is looking its best.

"It's a beautiful aircraft," said Master Sgt. (ret.) John Olp, a 10-year Blackbird veteran. "But some of the local wildlife prefer to roost on it."

Local birds, weather, wind and dust are all contributing factors that lead to the Blackbird getting an occasional bath.

"We try not to let it get too dirty," Jones said. "We take a pressure washer to it and scrub it down, it takes a couple of hours but we have a goodtime with it."

In addition to the Blackbird Maintainers, the 9th Maintenance Squadron intermittently performs spot cleaning on the aircraft.

Jones said that for many former maintainers it's just another way to reconnect with fellow servicemen and trade "war stories" about the Air Force and the aircraft they enjoyed working on.

"It's a rare plane," Jones said. "We have to take care of it for future generations to cherish."

Developed in secrecy by Lockheed's Skunk Works division in Palmdale, California, only 32 were built. None were ever lost to enemy action.

"This jet was ahead of its time," Jones said. "We all love this aircraft and none of us mind taking care of her into the retirement years."

Video Description Credit: Staff Sgt. Robert Trujillo

Thumbnail Credit: TSgt. Michael Haggerty Modified by ArmedForcesUpdate

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WORLDS LARGEST Flying Boat Jet Aircraft for Russian Military

A great video of the worlds largest flying boat aircraft.
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water, that usually has no type of landing gear to allow operation on land.[1] It differs from a floatplane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections (called sponsons) from the fuselage. Flying boats were some of the largest aircraft of the first half of the 20th century, exceeded in size only by bombers developed during World War II. Their advantage lay in using water instead of expensive land-based runways, making them the basis for international airlines in the interwar period. They were also commonly used for maritime patrol and air-sea rescue.
Their use gradually trailed off after World War II, partially because of the investments in airports during the war. In the 21st century, flying boats maintain a few niche uses, such as dropping water on forest fires, air transport around archipelagos, and access to undeveloped areas. Many modern seaplane variants, whether float or flying boat types, are convertible amphibious aircraft where either landing gear or flotation modes may be used to land and take off.