Few aviation enthusiasts today have not heard of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, one of the fastest aircraft ever to take to the skies. This dynamic aircraft was a strategic reconnaissance jet built by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division in the 1960s, capable of flying at speeds beyond Mach 3. Originally designed by Clarence Johnson and based on the Lockheed A-12, the aircraft featured stealth technology.