They don't make 'em like that any more.

[zeitghost]

15 Fascinating Facts About The SR-71 Blackbird, The Fastest Plane On Earth | HistoryInOrbit.com

Dear dense old Freako, this refers to the SR71 of immortal memory, designed in the age of slide rules & pocket protectors, burning a fuel so non flammable that it put matches out. It also leaked a lot.

And this is how a J58 engine works.

Simples. As a russian puppet might say, never having designed such a thing.

[rl4engc]

Awe-inspiring aircraft, and makes one wonder, particularly in the field of Aviation, whether the "Golden Age" has long gone, what do we show the new generation to spark the same interest in science/technology?

F-35? Impressive to watch, but it should be given the pricetag and number of SLOC to get it working.
Typhoon? Impressive how it can be thrown around with full stores.
B2. Yep

From a wider viewpoint I can only think of the Mars Rovers, Next generation of Aircraft Carriers etc. Everything now seems to be just Bigger/More Refined than what we had in the past (if there's a replacement at all i.e. Concorde)

[GlenW]

The American Air museum at Duxford has an SR-71A and a B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, P-47 Thunderbolt, B-52 Stratofortress, and an F-4 Phantom among others. I was like a little kid when I went.

[rl4engc]

I once saw a documentary on some Soviet rocket engines that were found mothballed in some factory somewhere, they put out a rediculous amount of thrust and used a design long since discounted by the Yanks dangerous (something to do with liquid propellant injected under immense temperatures burning through the metal).

Apparently (not sure if it's still the case) but back then the Russians had a different design philosophy in so far as once the drawings were handed over to manufacturing, they (manufacturing) took over the design so altered it how they thought best.