The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is shown here during its first flight on December 22nd, 1964, later achieving the world record top speed for a jet aircraft. It was designed by the brilliant Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and manufactured by Lockheed at the Skunk Works division, based on the Lockheed A-12 prototypes. It eventually became a long-range, Mach 3.5+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft, operated by the United States Air Force, NASA, and used as a spy plane for the CIA.