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Another bit about the SR-71 (and supposedly concordes) is that their structures are designed with tolerances based around the forces they experience at speed. T
by orclev 9y ago
Another bit about the SR-71 (and supposedly concordes) is that their structures are designed with tolerances based around the forces they experience at speed. The effect of which is that when sitting on the ground not going anywhere there are gaps between some parts, and others are tightly compressed together (and then separate while traveling at speed). I don't remember if it was the last concorde, or one of the SR-71s, but there's a story out there about the pilot on its final flight sticking his hat into a gap in the cockpit, which on landing promptly closed up permanently sealing his hat in place inside of the cockpit (he did it on purpose to commemorate the last flight). Similarly there are stories out there that claim the SR-71 leaked fuel like a sieve while sitting on the ground because it needed the atmospheric heating from going supersonic to seal up all the various fittings in its fuel system.
- digi_owl 9y agoI do recall seeing an image of an SR-71 on the ground with pans under it in various places, supposedly to catch leaking fluids.
- ethbro 9y agoIronically there's a series of Russian dive watches that does approximately the same thing. Instead of attempting to overengineer a high-depth tolerant system that's still sealed in open air, it's sealed more tightly as pressure increases. An elegant weapon from a less civilized age. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfibia#Design https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amfibia#Design
- jloughry 9y agoHere's the reference to the pilot's cap: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Concorde-s-arrival-capped-by-thievery-1129579.php http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Concorde-s-arrival...
- lostlogin 9y agoAny SR-71 story usually comes with the obligatory story about the Cessna v navy ground speed check. I'm replacing that story with the story of the time an SR-71 went very slowly. https://www.google.co.nz/amp/foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-sr-71-blackbirds-most-spectacular-flyover-was-also-1719654907/amp https://www.google.co.nz/amp/foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-s...
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- grzm 9y agoThanks! Tyler Rogoway can certainly relate a story.
- phinnaeus 9y agoIIRC they would refuel mid-air shortly after take off for long range missions.