“I think it became obsolete besides, and the fuel tanks leaked too.”
A friend in the USAF stationed at Grand Forks AFB was there in 1982 when a Blackbird made an emergency landing. Yes there was fuel dripping, but as he explained the titanium construction would expand when heated from the air friction the the panels and seams would tighten and stop the leaks.
Yeah, I saw a show where they had these huge drip pans in the hanger.
That plane is so fast. I can’t really imagine.
I always thought it was fascinating that the faster it flew, the less fuel it used.