What Makes The SR-72 Darkstar Different From Other Hypersonic Aircraft?

Thanks to the boffo box office performance of “Top Gun: Maverick” two years ago, a super-secret spy plane that officially only existed in theory had already captured the imaginations of the American moviegoing public and, reportedly, freaked out Red China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) brass. The plane in question is the SR-72, dubbed the “Darkstar” in the film, and nicknamed “SOB (Son of Blackbird)” in many real-world outlets due to its supposed status as the heir apparent to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which remains the fastest air-breathing aircraft ever made 26 years after its official retirement.