Name one FLAW of the SR-71?? #shorts

What is an unwanted side effect of the Lockheed SR-71 when parked on the ground?
The plane's hull was made from titanium. And after each flight, the titanium contracted as it cooled off from the high temperature it experienced during flight, leaving gaps through which the fuel would drip out.
Now you know. Like and follow for more aviation facts every day.

[stl-aviation]

This actually isn't a side effect, it was designed like this because the titanium would expand under high temperatures, meaning that if there wasn't gaps it would damage the fuselage, so the plane was designed with gaps that would heat up just enough to seal the cracks

[cartoonperson]

The fuel was JP-7.... it's vapor pressure at room temperature was so low you could throw a match into it and nothing would happen.

[kina]

The start-up procedure was extremely loud and cumbersome, for another fact

[CRITICALHITRU]

The way propaganda made wetting with toxic and exclusive (thus expensive) fuel seem like brilliant design is astonishing.

[kenbrown]

This was one I knew. they would fuel the plane on the ground just enough to get it up to operating temperature, and then fully fuel it in midair, because the thermal expansion was so much it leaked when cold.

[teodelfuego]

Why couldn’t the fuel have been contained inside a flexible membrane around which the plane could expand and contract? I’m sure this was considered, but I’m curious as to what factors prevented it’s implementation

[gogetthegoose]

It 'Caused the SR-71 to weep'. An engineering marvel!

[gutv]

And when explaining that it's made from cut to an aluminum skinned Beech 18. Uuuugh.

[dmmchugh]

LOVE the plug to 'fly 747' !
The Queen of the Skies lives forever !

[RocketRod]

The SR71 was manufactured predominantly from titanium……which is derived from rutile…..which was primarily sourced from…..The Soviet Union 👍

[peterdefrankrijker]

The SR-71 is a brilliant feat of engineering prowess. And all done with slide rules and calculation tables. Unfathomable that something so advanced, so powerful, was built in the sixties and never surpassed.

[catherinecollyns]

very interesting
does it ever over expand

[ritterkeks]

Who‘s doing your subtitles, Joe? Could really do with proofreading in the last few shorts… „the airplane‘s hole“… yeah, allright 😂

[pankajjaiswal]

The only plane that used fuel as a coolant.

[scottM]

The SR-71 is almost 23cm (9 inches)longer at altitude then on the ground because of heat expansion. All the joints had to be designed for this.

[balnegkeith]

You are earning big but you cant even pay

[siddarthchandran]

Unwanted side effect : It can be detected by En*my Radar and ATC while on ground 🤣 .. lol

[bobo]

Gaps I understand, prevent damage but fuel leak? Yeah sure seals too expand high temp, contract lower temp. But why couldn’t they install a HVAC system to keep internal temp constant to prevent internal seals to expand & contract enough to cause? In between fuel tank liner & wing some sort of heat exchanger to keep tank liner from expanding.

[Chriva]

Overkill enginerding at its finest. Cost is of no concern, just get it done lol

[carriejohnson]

Wow, that is dangerous❤😊
Thank you for all the info