Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: 1964 onwards (all marks)--Owner's Workshop Manual

Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual

by Steve Davies, Paul F. Crickmore

Throughout its 34-year Cold War career with the USAF and CIA, the top secret Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was the world's fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. Dedicated to strategic reconnaissance, the Blackbird was so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. The co-authors are world authorities on the Blackbird and give rare insights into the secret world of the SR-71, its genesis, construction and anatomy (including its use of stealth technology), and its operation and maintenance in peace and war.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Steve Davies is a military and commercial aviation photojournalist based in Cambridge, England. He began writing in 2001, and has since authored eight critically acclaimed books and co-authored four more. His freelance writing includes a plethora of articles penned for the world's leading monthly and quarterly aviation publications, and he has also worked on a range of aviation supplements that have sold millions of copies globally. He has worked as a subject matter expert for a range of military aviation documentaries commissioned by terrestrial television channels in the UK and North America, and by the History Channel. His photography has been used not only by the aviation press, but also by leading defense contractors and aviation corporations.

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026 Review 023. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Owners' Workshop Manual by Steve Davies and Paul Crickmore

Page Count : 156

I'm a massive aviation nut and have been to airshows in the past where I've taken large numbers of photos of various aircraft.

I also love learning how things work.

I've read books in the past where SR-71 Blackbird aircraft have been used and always wished I could see one fly at an airshow, something that won't happen now because the aircraft has been retired.

The SR-71 Blackbird is a strategic reconnaissance aircraft designed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Once on active duty, it flew throughout the cold war.

A record breaking aircraft, the SR-71 holds air speed records including from New York to London under in two hours and London to Los Angeles in under three hours.

How was this possible? Because the SR-71 was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2 + or over 2,200 miles per hour / 3,540 kilometres per hour because of it's unique engine design.

This book covers the development of the aircraft, operational variants, service during various war, the aircraft systems, operations from the pilots perspective, the aircraft crews chief describes maintenance procedures and operations by NASA as well as other subjects appendices at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed reading this book even if it did take me several days to read, but once I got into it I read the last part fairly quickly.

This book was borrowed from my local library which made it easier to find rather than having to try and buy it.

If you enjoy reading books about aviation (I'm looking at you @lins_rumbold) then this book will probably be for you.

I've got several more of these books to read including 2 more aircraft, the space shuttle and the RMS Titanic.

Apart from the one about the Titanic, I own the other three.

4*
****

[Robert Hepple · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 2012, 'Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird' is a novelty Haynes manual dedicated to the iconic US reconnaissance aircraft. A well detailed text is supported by over 200 well captioned photos and numerous other illustrations covering many technical aspects of the charismatic aircraft. Of course, in 156 pages only a surface level of detail can be covered in a type as complex as this, but it crams a lot into that small space. First hand accounts add to an even-handed warts-and -all summary of the types service - excellent.

[Danilo Oberti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, you are now the proud owner of an SR 71 Blackbird, but the guy at the hangar had just left you with nothing more than an handshake. So what do you do now ? Well you buy this book! It's not the absolute work about SR71, but it's a really good manual.

[Björn · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I nerd (who else buys a Haynes "manual" on the SR-71) I expected some more details on this amazing plane.