Incredible simulation shows what the SR-71's speed would look like flying at ground level
Published on Aug 21, 2025 at 12:36 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Sep 05, 2025 at 4:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest manned jet aircraft ever built and set a world record in the ’70s, for traveling from London to New York in just 1:54:56. Nearly half a century later, those numbers still stand untouched.
Now, a new simulation imagines what that kind of speed would look like. Posted by Airplane Mode, the clip takes the Mach 3 monster out of its usual comfort zone and drops it down over New York, San Francisco, and Sydney.
At that speed, the jet barely stays in frame – a blink, a roar, and it’s gone. And that checks out because the velocity it travels at means the Blackbird can take one full lap around Earth in 11 hours and 30 minutes.
The Blackbird may be retired, but one look at this simulation and you get it: this machine wasn’t just ahead of its time, it’s still ahead of ours.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
