Tim Conners, former NASA lead propulsion engineer for the SR-71 Blackbird program, provides insider insight into NASA's secretive efforts to revive Tail 844. The aircraft vanished from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in May, sparking speculation after Administrator Jared Isaacman teased a new X-plane with a Blackbird-like silhouette. Steve Trimble of Aviation Week first reported the disappearance and noted NASA had contacted ex-SR-71 personnel.
Conners, now at Tiberius Aerospace, details his 1990s role preparing 844 for research flights and managing propulsion and performance for experimental packages like the Linear Aerospike engine. He reflects on the jet's potential return and its possible role in future flight testing after 27 years of dormancy.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing