Titanium - The Metal That Made The SR-71 Possible

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Credits:
Writer/Narrator: Brian McManus


References:
[2]


Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage.


Songs:


Thank you to my patreon supporters: Adam Flohr, Henning Basma, Hank Green, William Leu, Tristan Edwards, Ian Dundore, John & Becki Johnston. Nevin Spoljaric, Jason Clark, Thomas Barth, Johnny MacDonald, Stephen Foland, Alfred Holzheu, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Binghaith, Brent Higgins, Dexter Appleberry, Alex Pavek, Marko Hirsch, Mikkel Johansen, Hibiyi Mori. Viktor Józsa, Ron Hochsprung

[justandy]

As a machinist myself I can concur that Titanium is an obsolute swine to machine! As stated the depths of cuts required because of titaniums elastic properties is just plain scary to a newcomer. And the tooling does indeed blunt incredibly quickly no matter how much coolant you drown the part in. Top marks on your research!

[richardkelly]

The SR71 was developed through the sixties, it’s 50 odd years old and still looks futuristic., amazing .

[Mr_Giraffe]

Just like titanium, the air is bulletproof with the right thickness.

[e]

Having recently retired after 40+ years in the turbine engine business, I know a bit about material science as it's actually applied. This video is head and shoulders above 99% of what's on YouTube in terms of accuracy and depth. Very well done!

[eldorados_lost_searcher]

"They could have just bought it from Australia."

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

[sanjuansteve]

I was an aerospace machinist for about 7 years and then an aerospace manufacturing engineer for a few more years and my favorite of all of the exotic metals is titanium. :D

[biggsydaboss]

I remember back in the 80s, how titanium was seen as some sort of wonder material. Everything cool was made out of titanium. I think even The Terminator's endoskeleton was made out of it.

Now it's all graphene & carbon nano-tubes lol

[alengm]

The persistence of these engineers is amazing. Coming up with solutions to the most daunting problems.

[TheIdeanator]

I feel such joy whenever someone starts talking about how cool materials engineering is, it makes me feel very happy about the profession I picked.

[charlesballiet]

1:40 I just paused to take a moment and appreciate the metallurgists, scientists and engineers who probably spent a good fraction of their lifespan figuring this out. Bless them for we can now stand on their shoulders

[deanmc]

Al: are you ready to battle Ti?

TiO2: This isn't even my final form!!!

[randompheidoleminor]

Titanium, the metal that made the SR-71 possible.

And the metal that forms the two twigs that hold up my overpriced bicycle saddle.

[varicolour]

America: i used the Soviet Union to spy on the Soviet Union

[nsaadverse]

I have a 91 year-old friend who flew the SR-71 and the U-2. They're the most difficult aircraft in the world to fly. He was the first SR-71 pilot to break 1000 hours in the SR-71, and that group is occupied by just eight pilots. He's told me some amazing stories about flying both planes.

For a man who spent his career doing things the rest of us can only dream about, he is the most humble guy I've ever met.

[utsnow]

The sr-71 engineers:

“I used the soviet to spy on the soviet”

[darioinfini]

I've always heard how hard to deal with titanium was in reference to the SR71 but didn't realize in any detail what was meant by that. What an audacious thing Johnson did to pursue building this plane with this metal. Makes this plane all the more amazing. Great video!

[sebastianelytron]

Why is titanium afraid of iron and argon
?




Because there is nothing to fear but FE-AR itself.

[ImKibitz]

Hey I have to say I really like all the editing improvements you've been making, like what you did with the text at 5:19.
Of course, the engineering explanation is on point as always too! Keep it up dude!

[zam]

The frame of my glasses are made of titanium. It doesn't "rust" from my sweat, like my previous stainless steel frames. I am so glad I got it.

[vovacat]

I love how there's concrete on the "aerospace material strength/density chart". I KNEW it! Concrete glider existence evidence right here.