SR-71

The SR-71A was designed to replace the much slower and lower flying U2 spyplane. The sr-71 can fly at speeds at excess of Mach 3 causing some components of the SR-71 to reach temperatures of 5432 degrees F. Because the plane reaches such high temperatures much of the plane is made of titanium.

The SR-71 has two Pratt & Whitney J58 continuous-bleed turbojet engines and they provide all of the low speed thrust but at mach three 18% of the thrust is all they provide the rest is from suction in the intakes(54%) and from nozzles at the rear of the multiple-flow nacelles(28%).

The SR-71 flew so high and fast a special fuel was developed called JP-7. JP-7 had a very high flash point which was good for the high heat.

The fuselage and inner wings were filled with fuel with a capacity of 40 tons and they were not completely sealed since no plastic liner could survive the heat. The SR-71 would be filled with fuel and sit on the runway and "Weep" its fuel on the ground until it could take off and by that time it would have to refuel in air.

Some pics of the SR-71