This is the first start cart designed by Frank Kurtis for the Lockheed F-100 Super Sabre fighter in the late 50's. The cart for the SR-71 was designed and built by Arlen Kurtis in the 60's, and his contract to recondition these carts lasted until the Blackbird program was discontinued in 1991. Each Buick engine drove it's own automatic transmission. The original Lockheed plans called for the two transmissions to be coupled with a chain and sprockets. Arlen convinced them that an 8" cog belt would be smoother, and require less maintainance. The real Kurtis engineering was in the steering linkage. The carts were required to turn 180 degrees within their own length for manuevering in tight quarters. I saw Arlen spin donuts in one, and it looked like it was on a center pivot! Sadly, as the carts came in for rebuild, in the later years, the twin nailheads went to a Bakersfield scrap yard, and were replaced by the 454 BBC's.
1991 means I must have witnessed some of the last flights of the Blackbird then? I mentioned it fartherr back in the thread. Kinda eery and cool thought!
I was crew chief on the "C" model, 64-7981 @ Beale. Start carts were Buicks,drove a vertiacal shaft that locked directly in to aircrafts engine gear box, you had vertical movement of the shaft to reach the gearbopx, and a LITTLE side to side play. When it engaged,micro switches illuminated a green light on the start carts insturment panel,when pilot was ready to start you came down on the power levers for the Buicks and the start sequenc began. These carts got a hell of a workout, but they lasted a lot more then a couple of starts. Guys that maintained them did a fine job. Only once did I have one come apart on the trim pad in Okinawa,LARGE pool of oil and lots of shiny metal pieces on the ground. Insturment panel on the 'carts was a hotrodders dream, all S&W gauges,2 of everything.
The Jalopy Journal
