“Top Gun: Maverick” shows secret plane

The Darkstar hypersonic jet in Tom Cruise’s latest blockbuster movie offers a peek at what might be the SR-72 – the super-secret experimental spy plane under development by Lockheed Martin


DARKSTAR: Full-sized physical mock-up and airborne CGI plane – designed with help from Lockheed Martin engineers – bears striking resemblance to artists’ renderings of SR-72

Tom Cruise piloting Darkstar

Darkstar

SR-72: Hypersonic jet, successor to legendary SR-71 Blackbird, will employ combined cycle propulsion system which merges turbojet and ramjet engines

Turbojet: Provides thrust up to and beyond Mach 3, when ramjet takes over 

Common inlet feeds air to both engines, reducing drag

Common exhaust nozzle

Dual-mode ramjet: Air and fuel are fed into combustion chamber and ignited, accelerating vehicle to Mach 6

Splitter rotates to direct airflow to required engine


		Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird		Lockheed Martin SR-72

Role		Strategic reconnaissance		Strike and reconnaissance

Crew		Two (pilot and systems operator)	Optionally manned

Propulsion 	Turbojet (x2)				Combined cycle (x2)

Maximum speed	Mach 3.3 (4,075km/h)			Mach 6 (7,400km/h)

History 	First flight				Test flight 2023
		1964					Operational 2030 (projected)
		Retired 1999


Source: Lockheed Martin 
Pictures: Lockheed Martin, Paramount Pictures 
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