NASA moves SR‑71 Blackbird to hangar for inspection at Edwards

NASA relocated the SR‑71A 844 from an outdoor display to a hangar at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and began inspecting the aircraft while consulting former SR‑71 engineers, including Mike Reldja.

Reldja warned of serious difficulties due to the loss of the titanium airframe, fuel system, hydraulics, avionics, original supply chain and much of the expertise after decades of inactivity, and noted that the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney J58 engines with variable geometry intakes and afterafterburners would require full inspection and retesting.