Author Topic: SR-71 Query For My Son (Read 1480 times)

culero · « **Reply #15 on:** June 23, 2007, 01:12:03 PM »

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Originally posted by nirvana
Kind of an ugly platypus looking thing from that view...

That's no way to talk about someone's kid!

P47Gra · « **Reply #16 on:** June 23, 2007, 01:17:42 PM »

Those takeoff distances are not adjusted for Density Altitude I bet. I have seen a SR take 8000 to take off in Arizona. ITs all in the Temps folks.

The JUG man

Shuffler · « **Reply #17 on:** June 23, 2007, 02:04:55 PM »

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Originally posted by miraj
We are lucky enough to have one on display!

Wow I never realized how such speed affected the Pilot's height... or does having all that adrenalin stunt your growth?

JE. · « **Reply #18 on:** June 23, 2007, 02:10:55 PM »

tell your son about how the gas tanks are designed, he'll get a kick out of that.

all those who know about the SR-71's tanks are most likely very impressed by the engineering behind it... i know i still am

CFYA · « **Reply #19 on:** June 23, 2007, 04:11:56 PM »

Major Yes they did accelerate to evade SAMs. They couldnt however out run them. The state of the art missiles back then could reach Mach 4 while the SR-71 had a top speed of 3.5 or so. What really occured is the guidance computers could not adjust to the sudden increase of speed. At that alt the SR-71 could still gain speed in a matter of seconds throwing off the intercept point. I have read that with the SR-71's speed SAM sites had only 30 seconds of a launch commit window. That is to say only 30 seconds of time to track, identify, and launch before the missiles would not be able to intercept before reaching maximum range.

JE you have peaked my curosity. Will you elaborate or post links? I have spent hours searching for technical reports on this aircraft. I know that they are designed to leak at ambient temperature. Once flight temp is reached however they expand and the joints sealed.

Major Biggles · « **Reply #20 on:** June 23, 2007, 07:16:55 PM »

the plane gets so hot from travelling so fast that they designed the whole plane to be too small and not fit properly. because of it, fuel leaks out the tanks and there are huge gaps in the fuselage. once it gets going though, the parts expand and end up fitting perfectly

Vulcan · « **Reply #21 on:** June 23, 2007, 07:30:05 PM »

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Originally posted by CFYA
Mussie....I used to talk with a SR71 technician regulary at one time. While there was a lot he couldnt talk about he gave me a few stories. I found out that the altitude records and speed records were a joke. The national record is by my reasoning 300-400mph less than the actual top speed. Even today the way they talk its easy to tell the records were BS. The SR-71 was also the first true stealth airplane and the most technologically advanced bird for its time.

Excuse me while I go throw this tissue paper away.

CFYA

This from the guy who thinks the US have shot down incoming ICBM's.

leitwolf · « **Reply #22 on:** June 23, 2007, 07:35:49 PM »

he knows because of his CIA and Scorpion background..

CFYA · « **Reply #23 on:** June 23, 2007, 08:01:28 PM »

Vulcan........nice troll but aint worth it my friend.

CFYA · « **Reply #24 on:** June 23, 2007, 08:06:41 PM »

On other thing......wasnt this the first aircraft to use titanium as a major percentage of build material? Specifically 6AL-4V?

I have a picture somewhere of a YF-12 with buckets everywhere with JP-8(?) fuel dripping. Its a wonder the whole thing doesnt go up in smoke on the ground. They use tetraborane to light the engines (ignites spontaneously in air). Lot of neat stuff on the fuel side of that plane.

FYI-......YF-12 was CIA version of SR-71.

~~CFYA~~

JE. · « **Reply #25 on:** June 23, 2007, 10:21:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Major Biggles
the plane gets so hot from travelling so fast that they designed the whole plane to be too small and not fit properly. because of it, fuel leaks out the tanks and there are huge gaps in the fuselage. once it gets going though, the parts expand and end up fitting perfectly

exactly what Biggles said, the designers for that plane were brilliant to determine the exact measurement, up to a millimeter on how the metal would expand when reaching high temperatures

CFYA · « **Reply #26 on:** June 24, 2007, 05:46:02 AM »

LOL He said millimeter.......some one tell him this is America.....we dont need no stinking metric units!

(In the 60s anyway)

:rofl

~~CFYA~~

P47Gra · « **Reply #27 on:** June 24, 2007, 01:24:03 PM »

During some alerts my dad pulled in a Thud he spoke about seeing SR's taxi by with fuel pouring out of the wings. He was not real fond of getting to takeoff in full burner behind the fuel trail the SR's left on the runway. I guess I would not either.

After my dad retired he went to the airlines and one of his FE's was a SR pilot. My dad tried to pry out of him some tech specs but he was lips were sealed. Information on the exact specs are sketchy due to the fact some of the technology stems from the SR flights. Shows how a few guys with slide rules can make a plane state of the art and undeniably before its time. Simply amazing

Jugman

JE. · « **Reply #28 on:** June 24, 2007, 04:45:53 PM »

there's no millimeters in America anymore? i coulda sworn there are millimeter measurements on rulers you buy at the Longs or Rite-Aid or whatever

gweibe · « **Reply #29 on:** June 24, 2007, 04:55:50 PM »

Actually, The A-11 and A-12 were the CIA birds. The YF-12A was an prototype interceptor version for the USAF.