SPECIAL SR-71 Blackbird 24x18-inch 'Super Skater' Flown Titanium Relic Display

Special one-of-a-kind Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird large titanium skin relic display made by Ron Cole, pairing this very interesting piece of SR-71 'Super Skater' with his original artwork of this aircraft in this 24x18-inch wall-hanging framed display on matte canvas - signed & numbered one of one. The SR-71 Blackbird entered service with the United States Air Force in 1964 and began development in 1958. It remains the fastest aircraft ever built. Over 90% of the SR-71 was made of titanium, a rare material at that time. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was tasked to obtain titanium from the world’s most plentiful source - the Soviet Union, the country which the SR-71 was being built to spy on. Through shell companies, the CIA purchased material through Third World countries and shipped the raw ore to the United States for processing and SR-71 production. ABOVE: Collection of photos depicting various unique part numbers, construction details, and inspection stamps on the titanium