[DUMBGRUNT]

SR-71 was designed with a slide rule.

[algore]

I think I have that slide rule in my drawer

[Ken Regis]

Pm

[Sirius Lee]

SR-71 was designed with a slide rule.

That's nothing. The F-35 was designed with a committee.

[BipolarBob]

hen, with the nitrogen pressurization system working, they de-fueled 15,000 pounds of JP-7,

How does one defuel 15000 pounds of fuel?

[Paladin2]

[rktman]

Interesting link as to moving her from the Burbank to Area 51. Old pics. I thought it was intersting

https://www.roadrunnersinternationale.com/transporting_the_a-12.html

[Hot Tabasco]

A-12 ARCHANGEL CIA PROJECT OXCART

[Pete Dovgan]

The RamJet was very inefficient at low speed, because it relies on compression of air to burn the fuel effectively. Takeoffs are ‘low speed’ subsonic events. The RamJet became very efficient at multiple Mach numbers.

[butlerweave]

It was leaky until it got hot and tighten up ,LOL

[Bounced2X]

Had to learn how to use a slid rule in high school science class. There were no computers. Desk tops, lap tops were far into the future.

[Blueflag]

Nicknamed Habu by Okinawans for a local ‘cobra’ snake.

Coolest. Plane. Ever.

[Red Badger]

So was the Saturn V..................

[grcuster]

Best assignment I had in the military. While in Okinawa it was my alarm clock when it was time to go to work and prep for its return.

[mabarker1]

For those interested in some lite reading. SR-71 Manual

[FrankRizzo890]

If you’ve not seen this video, you’ve missed out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJrXUh0eZjw

(An engine engineer explains the SR-71 engine)

[Red Badger]

Aviation Ping!..................

[pfflier]

SR-71 was designed with a slide rule.

And by engineers who knew their times tables and maybe a little calculus.

[pfflier]

Nice to see recognition for the KC-135 TOADs. They are so mission critical yet so unappreciated.

[Paal Gulli]

The ultimate limit of the SR-71’s endurance was how long the nitrogen (for purging the fuel tanks) lasted. In 1971 they took one on a 15,000 mile joy ride to test that endurance.

They refueled in-flight five times and the post-flight tech inspection didn’t find and problems resulting from the 10-1/2 hour flight.

The reason the fuel tank leaked was that they couldn’t find a bladder material that JP-7 couldn’t dissolve. And even if they could, there were weight considerations, and concerns with the thermal insulation the bladder material might cause. Which means the fuel cells were going to be formed by the structure of the wings. A lot of the seams in the airframe had to be allowed to expand or contract over a YUGE range of temperature. And when the wings were cold, the seams on the fuel tanks didn’t seal perfectly.

[SuperLuminal]

Unfortunately, it would have been more successful if the science, engineering, and production staffs had been properly staffed with female, minority, illegal alien, and LGBT persons...