Supersonic Plane Fragment

Titanium supersonic plane fragment. 

The SR-71 Blackbird is a now-retired, supersonic aircraft that holds several flight-speed records to this day, including 'fastest airplane' at 2,193 mph (3,529 km/h / Mach 3.2), even though it was built in the 1960s.

It was a stealth plane, designed with a profile to reduce its radar detectability by 90%. Instead of weapons, it was outfitted with specialized reconnaissance equipment.

Its top speed & maximum altitude (85,000 ft / 25,900 m) both exceeded that of any other aircraft, so if a Blackbird was ever detected, it could simply outrun any attack.

On June 17, 1970, an SR-71 struck a tanker plane while attempting to refuel over West Texas. The Blackbird was damaged so both pilots ejected safely with some broken bones. The plane crashed in the desert, leaving a two-story-deep crater.

This is a piece of the titanium skin that covered this aircraft. It represents the immense scientific ingenuity that went into building it. Only a handful of these $34 million units were built and the remaining SR-71s now reside in museums.