“oh those little things, brilliant, brilliant.”
Regarding “little things” I recall a documentary regarding either the U2 or the SR-71 on how they had to survey and modify the roads between the Skunk Works and the airstrip (in Nevada???).
Every guardrail, sign, post, etc. had to be measured and moved out of the way of the oversized load. And I presume under some cover story.
Yeah, I think there are some photos online of that transfer.
Once upon a time I got upbraided online for stating the fact that, after LBJ blabbed about the secret plane and bragged about it, the Soviets blew up in diplomatic channels, threatening parallel development and implying war and the usual, and so he ordered the tool and die equipment (which also was unique and had had to be developed) destroyed.
There was no chance that the technology could have been developed into an operational fighter or bomber, but regardless, he shouldn't have run his mouth (or ever been President, for that matter).
OTOH, those Skunk Works guys, if anyone could have, they could have done it.
The titanium needed for their construction was actually mined in Central Asia, in one of the SSRs, under some false front company that was run by the CIA, and shipped to the US for the project.