In military aviation history, few planes have fascinated as much as the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

The SR-71, an engineering marvel, still boasts the title of the fastest air-breathing manned aircraft, even decades post its retirement.

Equally noteworthy in its era was the F-4 Phantom, a versatile fighter-bomber that set many records.

This remarkable incident occurred during the Vietnam War, when a US Navy F-4 pilot, Jerry Hart, and his Radar Intercept Officer were flying a Barrier Combat Air Patrol (BARCAP) mission over the Gulf of Tonkin.

They received a notification from “Red Crown,” the callsign for a support cruiser, about a friendly aircraft approaching from the north.

This “friendly” was none other than an SR-71 exiting Chinese airspace over Hainan Island.

Eager to catch a glimpse or perhaps even lock onto the SR-71, Hart maneuvered his F-4 in anticipation. As the Phantom’s radar antenna tilted upward to its maximum, a fleeting contact was made.

The radar scope’s velocity circle spun wildly before the screen succumbed to darkness, overwhelmed by the SR-71’s extreme speed, which was far beyond anything the F-4’s radar could handle.

Hart’s recounting of his radar going “completely black” was a testament to the Blackbird’s incredible performance.

The SR-71, designed by the visionary Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and his Skunk Works team, first took to the skies in December 1964.

It reached unmatched speeds, with test pilot Jim Eastham pushing it to Mach 3.56 during a dive. The aircraft’s retirement in the late ’90s by the U.S. Air Force and NASA has done nothing to diminish its legend.

Meanwhile, the F-4 Phantom, despite being a record-setter in its own right with 16 world speed and altitude records.

The contrast between these two aircraft is striking in retrospect. The F-4, is known for its size and power, with a top speed of Mach 2.23.

It saw extensive use during the Vietnam War and beyond until its retirement in 1996, although some are still in service elsewhere.

The SR-71, in contrast, was a product of advanced design and materials, including its heat-resistant titanium skin.

Relevant articles:
– Why An F-4 Phantom Tried To ‘Catch’ An SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane, The National Interest, Dec 27, 2023
– JA-37 Viggen: The Only Foreign Jet to Ever ‘Catch’ the SR-71 Blackbird, nationalinterest.org
– Air & Space Forces Magazine, Air & Space Forces Magazine
– Could a Mig 25 or 31 Shoot Down an SR-71?, thesr71blackbird.com