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Vice Blog

SPY PLANE FASHION

Long before Daft Punk took anonymous chic to new levels, there were these guys, the pilots of the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane. Decked out in full pressure suits with reflective visors, cold, unwavering stares, and slightly weird posture, they managed to look totally badass despite those oversized clown shoes. Of course, standing in front of what was the world's most advanced spy plane helps.

Developed in the early 1960s to outrun Soviet missiles while snapping pics, the SR-71 Blackbird became an instant icon, with its all-black body, and sleek shape. Operating at the edge of space, it could easily hit Mach 3--once travelling between New York and London in under two hours.

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Flying so high created a few fashion dilemmas. For one, your blood literally starts to boil at 60,000 feet up--and the SR-71 operated at 80,000 feet. Next, there was the heat caused by atmospheric friction, which warmed the inside of the windows to 248°F. Finally, there was the frankly terrifying prospect of having to eject at three times the speed of sound, where temperatures would reach 446°F as you hit the ongoing air.

To counter all this, the Air Force drafted in the David Clark Company, the spacesuit experts, to make an outfit that would protect the pilots – and look great doing it. Working from previous spacesuits but designing specifically for high-altitude flying, the company set about making a full pressure suit specifically for the SR-71. The result was the David Clark S1030 Suit--a jaunty orange number that was essentially a mini, self-contained spaceship for its wearers.

Like NASA's suits and gloves, it's made up of a series of layers ranging from an inner "comfort liner" to an outer Nomex® covering. Accessories included an internal oxygen supply in case of ejection, a "to do" list on each arm, and a feeding tube for consuming mushy meals on the way to Russia. Apparently menu options included beef and gravy, butterscotch pudding, and peaches and apple sauce. When flying into the danger zone, when you flip the visor down, not only do you complete the look but the air supply is activated.

Once put on, the S1030 suit was teamed with the aforementioned oversized boots, which were deliberately two sizes too big because the suit enclosed the pilot's feet. The suit helped contribute to the SR-71's excellent safety record, with only one fatality in the plane's entire operational history. A ladies suit was made in 1991, when Marta Bohn-Meyer became the first and only woman to fly in the plane.

CHRIS HATHERILL is co-director of super/collider