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The SR-71 was an interesting beast. I've read that due to the constant leaking while on the tarmac they would have to immediately rendezvous with a tanker to re

by Inconel 10y ago

The SR-71 was an interesting beast. I've read that due to the constant leaking while on the tarmac they would have to immediately rendezvous with a tanker to refuel after takeoff.

cyberferret 10y ago
I highly recommend you guys try and grab a copy of "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich which is a fantastic story about Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed facility that built the SR-71, U2 etc. Ben worked alongside Kelly, and said that the guy had an unerring knack for designing aircraft. Ben (an aerodynamics engineer) would spend days designing an intake, and Kelly would come along and take one look at it and say "That is 20% too big", and sure enough, when Ben went back over his calculations, he would find it to be about 18% oversized. Another great book is "Sled Driver" by Brian Shul - probably one of the best aviation books I've read (and I am a former pilot). Sadly, I believe both books are out of print now, but you may be able to find a copy somewhere second hand. I've seen "Sled Driver" on eBay for about $3000 from time to time!!
- Inconel 10y ago
  I have a copy of "Skunk Works" and it is indeed a great book. Amazon still has it for under $12[1]. And seeing as it's quite popular, most large libraries should have a copy as well. It's great that you brought up "Sled Driver", I'm actually currently saving up to buy a copy. Brian Shul still has new copies available on his website for $250[2]. I think the copies that go for very high prices on eBay are the first editions or some of the special commemorative versions. May I ask your opinion on the print quality of "Sled Driver"? I know Shul is a photographer, in addition to being a former SR-71 pilot, so I assume the photographic print quality is quite high. Have your read his companion book "The Untouchables"? [1]https://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486205417&sr=8-1&keywords=skunk+works https://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/... [2]http://galleryoneimages.com/Hangar/index.php?cPath=22 http://galleryoneimages.com/Hangar/index.php?cPath=22
  - cyberferret 10y ago
    Yeah, I think mine is a first edition - a friend gave it to me about 25+ years ago. It is a treasured book in my house. The photos in there are nice, but I would say it is on par with most coffee table style books that I've seen. Wonderful photos, but the print quality is about the same as most books of that era. To be honest, I got so caught up in the stories he tells in there that I can't recall a lot about the photography - I will have to revisit it and check it out. Great that he has started republishing the books again. I remember about 10 years ago when it was out of print, copies were going for about $6000+ on eBay !! o_O I thought I was sitting on a goldmine. :D I haven't read "The Untouchables", but will put a copy on my wishlist for this year. Can't get enough of books about great planes and great pilots.
    - Inconel 10y ago
      Thanks for the response. I didn't realize Sled Driver was first published that long ago. I'm certainly glad he is offering newer editions, even if they are still quite pricey.
- ThinkingGuy 10y ago
  Also recommended: Omega Tau's hour-long, detailed interview with an SR-71 pilot: http://omegataupodcast.net/91-flying-the-sr-71/ http://omegataupodcast.net/91-flying-the-sr-71/
votingprawn 10y ago
> I've read that due to the constant leaking while on the tarmac they would have to immediately rendezvous with a tanker to refuel after takeoff. To reduce structural loads the aircraft took off with a very light fuel load and refuelled in flight. Rather interestingly, the modern fascination with SR-71 stories and facts has turned a rather mundane "weeping" of fuel into the much more exciting image of fuel almost gushing out of cracks in the fuselage at such a rate it had to be refuelled immediately after takeoff!
- WalterBright 10y ago
  It was a long time before aircraft designers figured out how to stop the hydraulics from leaking. My dad (a P51 driver) said you could always tell where a P51 had parked due to the slick it left behind. The trouble was they just didn't have good materials for the seals. Things have gotten a lot better in that department.
Merad 10y ago
The "constant leaking" on the ground gets overblown a bit. The primary reason for the immediate refueling is that they would take off with a minimal fuel load, because the plane performed very poorly one engine. Fully loaded with fuel they would have basically no chance of recovering from an engine failure on takeoff.

by Inconel 10y ago

The SR-71 was an interesting beast. I've read that due to the constant leaking while on the tarmac they would have to immediately rendezvous with a tanker to refuel after takeoff.

cyberferret 10y ago

I highly recommend you guys try and grab a copy of "Skunk Works" by Ben Rich which is a fantastic story about Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed facility that built the SR-71, U2 etc. Ben worked alongside Kelly, and said that the guy had an unerring knack for designing aircraft. Ben (an aerodynamics engineer) would spend days designing an intake, and Kelly would come along and take one look at it and say "That is 20% too big", and sure enough, when Ben went back over his calculations, he would find it to be about 18% oversized. Another great book is "Sled Driver" by Brian Shul - probably one of the best aviation books I've read (and I am a former pilot). Sadly, I believe both books are out of print now, but you may be able to find a copy somewhere second hand. I've seen "Sled Driver" on eBay for about $3000 from time to time!!

Inconel 10y ago
I have a copy of "Skunk Works" and it is indeed a great book. Amazon still has it for under $12[1]. And seeing as it's quite popular, most large libraries should have a copy as well. It's great that you brought up "Sled Driver", I'm actually currently saving up to buy a copy. Brian Shul still has new copies available on his website for $250[2]. I think the copies that go for very high prices on eBay are the first editions or some of the special commemorative versions. May I ask your opinion on the print quality of "Sled Driver"? I know Shul is a photographer, in addition to being a former SR-71 pilot, so I assume the photographic print quality is quite high. Have your read his companion book "The Untouchables"? [1]https://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486205417&sr=8-1&keywords=skunk+works https://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/... [2]http://galleryoneimages.com/Hangar/index.php?cPath=22 http://galleryoneimages.com/Hangar/index.php?cPath=22
- cyberferret 10y ago
  Yeah, I think mine is a first edition - a friend gave it to me about 25+ years ago. It is a treasured book in my house. The photos in there are nice, but I would say it is on par with most coffee table style books that I've seen. Wonderful photos, but the print quality is about the same as most books of that era. To be honest, I got so caught up in the stories he tells in there that I can't recall a lot about the photography - I will have to revisit it and check it out. Great that he has started republishing the books again. I remember about 10 years ago when it was out of print, copies were going for about $6000+ on eBay !! o_O I thought I was sitting on a goldmine. :D I haven't read "The Untouchables", but will put a copy on my wishlist for this year. Can't get enough of books about great planes and great pilots.
  - Inconel 10y ago
    Thanks for the response. I didn't realize Sled Driver was first published that long ago. I'm certainly glad he is offering newer editions, even if they are still quite pricey.
ThinkingGuy 10y ago
Also recommended: Omega Tau's hour-long, detailed interview with an SR-71 pilot: http://omegataupodcast.net/91-flying-the-sr-71/ http://omegataupodcast.net/91-flying-the-sr-71/

votingprawn 10y ago

> I've read that due to the constant leaking while on the tarmac they would have to immediately rendezvous with a tanker to refuel after takeoff. To reduce structural loads the aircraft took off with a very light fuel load and refuelled in flight. Rather interestingly, the modern fascination with SR-71 stories and facts has turned a rather mundane "weeping" of fuel into the much more exciting image of fuel almost gushing out of cracks in the fuselage at such a rate it had to be refuelled immediately after takeoff!

WalterBright 10y ago
It was a long time before aircraft designers figured out how to stop the hydraulics from leaking. My dad (a P51 driver) said you could always tell where a P51 had parked due to the slick it left behind. The trouble was they just didn't have good materials for the seals. Things have gotten a lot better in that department.

Merad 10y ago

The "constant leaking" on the ground gets overblown a bit. The primary reason for the immediate refueling is that they would take off with a minimal fuel load, because the plane performed very poorly one engine. Fully loaded with fuel they would have basically no chance of recovering from an engine failure on takeoff.