Good video about the SR-71 program and their engines from a very knowledgable engineer who worked on the program. Go to the 15 minute mark for a discussion about Buick's role in the SR-71.
Respectfully, it was called and known as the nailhead 401 not a 400 in 60-62. And ...they did not get every engine in the country because I remember as a kid going with my dad multiple times to two different auto wrecking yards in the Portland Oregon area that had lots of nailhead engines on campus, in and out of the cars. It's still a great story though and many years back was written up in the GSXtra.
From a link in the thread How to start a SR-71 Blackbird spy plane on this board: The Buick's The photos depicted here show the AG-330 Start Cart restored and painted black to match the SR-71 Blackbirds. It is on display at Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale, California. In real life they were painted the customary AGE yellow or in later years camouflage. The original start carts were Buick wildcat 401 cubic inch V-8 engines developing 400 horsepower. There were two Buick engines mounted tandem side by side with automatic transmissions. They were coupled together to drive a vertical shaft that was inserted into the starter mechanism on the bottom of the SR-71's engine. On engine launch there was one AG-330 Buick for each SR engine. For the first time observer of an SR-71 launch, the engine starts in themselves were almost indescribable. For one thing there was no mufflers on the Buick engines. As the Buick RPM was advanced, Flames almost three feet long erupted from the side of the start cart. It truly sounded like the beginning of the Indianapolis 500. Combine that sound with the steady increase of SR-71 RPM to engine TEB ignition at 3,200 RPM and then idle aircraft engine speed as the Blackbird comes to life. Then it all starts all over again with #1 engine. It never failed to thrill me to start the Blackbirds engines with the Start Carts. The original design was conceived by two Lockheed Skunk Works engineers who had prior race car engine knowledge. In the mid-1970's, the engines of the start carts was changed to Chevrolet LS-7 454's. The Chevrolet big block engines developed 465 horsepower each. Even so, for many years they were still referred to as the Buick's. In the '80's the AG-330 Start Carts were mothballed and in there place came a Pneumatic Air starting system for the SR-71's. It is true that the start carts were hard to maneuver around. Logistically, a recovery of a Blackbird at another base could be done easier with Pneumatic Air. Garrett Air Research installed the Pneumatic Air starting system in each of the hangers at Beale AFB to accommodate the SR-71 engine starts. The launches were never quite the same without the Buick's or the 454's. Credit should be given to those people that maintained the AG-330's in the 9th SRW Aerospace Ground Support Section. Along with maintaining all support equipment, they took great pride in maintaining the Start Carts tuned and in tip top condition. A job well done. Leland Haynes, Webmaster, SR-71 Blackbirds Direct link to the webpage: Click here
Yesterday, DRIVETRIBE uploaded a video on their YouTube channel about the SR-71 starter kit: This is the coolest use of a V8, and it's not in a car! The Hellcat Hemi has to be one of the ultimate V8s ever put in a road car and we think it's fair to say the V8 is the greatest engine layout ever invented. The list of legendary cars that have been powered by a V8 is almost endless. But did you know the V8 is so handy and versatile that it's also been used outside of the car world? Here are three of the coolest uses of V8 engines, ever. They use this photo of a UK registered 1968 Wildcat Custom sedan in the video:
This is an old thread. We went to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and the Drum. They have a static SR71 in the parking lot. Saw the start cart and I remembered this thread. So I took some pics….. I hope you can see them ok. Dadrider
Robins AFB, Warner Robins, Ga has an SR71 with start cart on display, too. Its cart has chrome valve covers on its Nails. Patrick
Wonder how they came up with 400 hp for each 401? Open headers isn't going to do it and they never mentioned special gas. Anyone know what mods they did like cam swap and more compression?
