The Buick Connection To Supersonic Spy Planes
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When the U-2 spy plane was up and flying in the mid-1950s, the U.S. learned something the hard way: the Russians could still track it despite its high altitude. The solution? Make it fly faster. The CIA took the U-2 to Lockheed’s facility in Burbank, CA and told the engineers it needed to be fast enough to escape detection. Lockheed responded with the A-12. This would not have been possible without Buick.
As Hot Rod magazine relates, Frank Kurtis (himself a pivotal figure in post-war car culture) was approached by Lockheed to develop a “start cart” for the new plane. Kurtis chose a Buick motor because of the Dynaflow transmission, which had a super-smooth coupling that “was critical to spinning the Pratt & Whitney J58 turbine engines up to 3,200–4,500 rpm without breaking the coupler shaft.”
Altogether, Kurtis built 30 start carts in his Glendale, CA facility. The engines were placed side-by-side and the “Dynaflow output shafts were tied together with an 11 1/2-inch cogged Gilmer belt to a 90-degree drive that splined into the bottom of the Blackbirds’ turbines.” Eventually, when the Buick resources dried up, Kurtis’ son Arlen was commissioned to repower the carts with 330-horsepower 454 big-block Chevrolet marine engines mated to TH350 transmissions.
You can read all about it plus see more pictures in Hot Rod‘s blog.
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I saw this when an SR71 broke down at my Dad’s Air Force base in Milwaukee during the early 90s.. It was awesome. They had to wait to fly the engines up to restart the plane so it could go back to its base… It just happened to be family day at the base so we got to see it…
The squadron I was assigned to in 1968, had to do an assignment at another base, in Marysville Ca. We had to sign top secret clearance pairs before we entered the base. The base was a home to the Blackbirds.
It took 4 Buick engine, running at top rpm to start the birds. The SR 71 from a distance looked like a flattened pan cake, with 2 huge engines sticking out of the ringing. The noise was unbelievable, and talking or yelling was useless.
I later ran into one of the Buick mechanics, and he said that the englnes had to be rehauled after each start.
In my opinion… This is the greatest plane to have ever be invented… and Buick shares the Blackbirds history. And one indelible memory go me as well
GM also has a long history as chase cars for the U-2 also.
They started with Pontiac and have gone to Camaro’s and even the G8 and GTO at times.
Other pilots would trail the planes to call out the distance to the ground on the U-2 as they came in since they can not see the ground easily.
I think the First Pontiacs were Cars with 421 engines back in the early 60’s. Today it has been mostly Camaro’s and someone told me they may start using SS sedans.