Re: SR-71 top speed
I was with a casual group of folks in Southern California in 1980 which included a crew member of one of those things. One of the members of the group, a former military pilot who flew testing missiles for Raytheon asked fast it went.
The fellow, I don't know what he did on the plane but I'm sure it wasn't shovelling coal into a boiler, said that he couldn't say, but that if we called him in the morning he'd be in Florida, but he could meet us for lunch.
As you said, slick.
Arf