前NASA工程师披露黑鸟侦察机复兴计划细节

曾担任NASA黑鸟项目首席推进工程师的蒂姆·康纳斯近日在独家采访中透露，NASA正在筹划复兴SR-71黑鸟侦察机，将其改造为高马赫数发动机试验台1。康纳斯在20世纪90年代领导该项目，从1996年开始进行研究飞行1。按照NASA的计划，将在接下来的几周内对飞机进行通电测试以检查其系统状况，这是恢复飞行的首个步骤1。

该复兴计划面临多项技术挑战。原装J58发动机因27年闲置已不可用，轴承扁平、密封件开裂、燃料线路堵塞1。为该机提供动力的专用燃料JP-7已于约20年前被丢弃，NASA目前正与炼油厂沟通研制替代燃料1。康纳斯推测，NASA可能正在开发一种高马赫数旁通发动机系统，用于在黑鸟上进行长期高速发动机测试1。他认为项目成本和周期取决于NASA的执行效率，若采用现有接口硬点安装新引擎可快速完成1。就项目前景而言，康纳斯给出该计划成功飞行的概率估计为25%1。

Tim Connors, who served as NASA's chief propulsion engineer for the Blackbird program in the 1990s and oversaw research flights beginning in 1996, has disclosed details about the agency's efforts to restore the legendary SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft 1. According to Connors, NASA is planning to convert the aircraft into a high-speed engine test bed for evaluating advanced hypersonic engines 1.

NASA intends to conduct power-up tests on the aircraft within the coming weeks as an initial step toward revival 1. However, the project faces significant technical hurdles. The original J58 engines have been deemed unusable after 27 years of inactivity, with bearing flattening, cracked seals, and clogged fuel lines 1. Additionally, NASA's substantial stockpile of JP-7 specialty fuel was discarded approximately 20 years ago, prompting the agency to work with refineries on developing a substitute fuel 1. Elastomers and electrical systems have also degraded substantially during the aircraft's extended dormancy 1.

Connors speculates that NASA is developing a high-Mach bypass engine system to enable prolonged high-speed testing operations on the Blackbird 1. He suggests that project cost and timeline depend largely on NASA's implementation efficiency, with rapid completion potentially achievable by installing a new engine using existing hard points 1. Connors estimates the probability of successful flight at 25 percent 1. Among retired personnel, former Blackbird crew chief Mike Reilly has been identified as potentially involved in the revival effort 1. Resources for the project may come from Edwards Air Force Base and the Evergreen Aerospace Museum 1.