SR-71 Blackbird



The SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest air-breathing jet aircraft on the planet, able to reach speeds approaching Mach III (three times the speed of sound) and flying at incredibly high altitude. It appeared in Hellsing: Volume 5, as well as the OVA Hellsing: Ultimate IV.

Alucard used a SR-71 Blackbird that Integra Hellsing borrowed from Imperial War Museum Duxford (a real life plane with AF serial number 61-7962) as a means to get him aboard the Eagle, an aircraft carrier that had been hijacked by Rip Van Winkle and several Millennium soldiers. Due to its speed and high-flying capabilities, Alucard was able to approach the Eagle before the crew could detect it and shoot it down. Once he was directly above the ship, Alucard put the SR-71 into a nosedive, barrelling down on the aircraft carrier.

During its descent, the SR-71 took several hits from the Eagle's anti-air defences, including Rip van Winkle's magic bullets. However, Alucard used his powers to hold the plane together long enough for it to crash into the deck of the ship. The impact set both the deck and the SR-71 itself alight, with the latter's shape and vertical orientation making it appear as a fiery cross.

Due to the damage it had suffered, Alucard was unable to use the SR-71 to return to England, effectively trapping him on the Eagle - instead, he then used his powers to slowly pilot the ship back to London. During the trip, the charred remains of the SR-71 remained sticking out of the deck like a cross. When Alucard unleashed his full power, the SR-71 fell apart to expose the vampire's coffin within its fuselage.

Trivia

 * One of the SR-71's tail fins has an image of a cartoon bat with a cute smile, as well as the words "We are on a mission from God."