[Buzz]

I had a plastic model of this awesome jet when I was a kid only it wasn't referred to as an SR 71 Blackbird. It was equipped with air to air missiles and was called a "Lockheed YF-12A A11 Interceptor" if i recall correctly. I can't remember exactly how old I was at the time but it could have been late sixties/early seventies. I had the same problem with the long fuselage seam that the author described. The bio with the model described it as "...the fastest, highest flying jet aircraft in the world" and listed a max speed but I can't recall what it was. That model sparked a love affair with with the SR-71 that lasts to this day. I remember the feeling of disappointment when they were decommissioned.