The SR-71 (in this shot I believe it is the YF-12 two seater) had the most pronounced and distinct afterburner diamond shockwaves.I remember as a young boy attending the Pt. Mugu airshow in California. During the show they had an unscheduled appearance of the SR-71. It made one high speed pass and then came around for a low speed pass. During the low speed pass, the jet pitched up, went into full afterburner, and in a matter of seconds completely disappeared from view. Everyone was clapping and cheering. It was an amazing demonstration of pure power and something I never forgot.
In later years I saw the SR-71 again at Nellis AFB while I was stationed there. It made an emergency landing due to some system malfunctions and was puking hydro fluid everywhere.
