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In the "Skunk Works" book they explain that you could throw a lit cigarette directly into a puddle of fuel and it would not ignite, due to the very high temps needed.
Cigarettes also won't ignite regular car gas
Indeed, Mach 3.5 is the declared top speed in this story, but higher speeds are implied. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest 80,000 feet... Screaming past Tripoli, our phenomenal speed continues to rise... I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner... The TDI now shows us Mach numbers, not only new to our experience but flat out scary. He mentions u…
Such a great book that is becoming harder to find a decent copy of these days. There's a great sketch that Kelly Johnson did of the A12. This was in September of 1958(!) and he had a rough top speed of Mach 3.0, with a possibility of Mach 3.2. And it existed on nothing but a sheet of paper and in his mind. No computers with advanced software and super computers with petaflops of power. https://www.thesr71blackbird.co…
I guess it was pretty incredible watching a missile fly down an air vent, pretty unbelievable, but couldn’t we feasibly use that same technology to shoot food to hungry people? You know what I mean? Fly over the Ethiopia: “There’s a guy that needs a banana!” Stealth banana. Smart fruit!
I love stories about America violating sovreign airspace, especially when they use such a cool plane. The entire world is truly their own backyard!
What a ridiculous thing to say. Do you think the Libyan intelligence service gets to bomb dance clubs and then cry sovereignty when someone bombs some military targets in Libya? I don't know if you are ignorant of the situation or if you truly believe a country cannot retaliate against an attack against their citizens and allies. (This story and the bombing campaigned being photographed by the SR71 was a direct respo…
If you think that some shady arm of US intelligence isn't capable of such a heinous false flag operation, I urge you to read more history. Now I'm not saying it was one, I'm saying we have no idea who was behind it.
Ironically, the plane was dripping, much like the misshapen model had assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints, raining down on the hangar floor. At Mach 3, the plane would expand several inches because of the severe temperature, which could heat the leading edge of the wing to 1,100 degrees. To prevent cracking, expansion joints had been built into the plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered…
Not as much as you'd think - by design, JP7 has a low vapor pressure and doesn't ignite easily. To start the engines in the SR71, they used the very pyrophoric triethylborane (spontaneously combusts at -20C).
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Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Losos-class_submarine
The Alfa submarine would seem to be more relevant.
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Temperature is the limiting factor for speed, I remember SR71 pilots on a panel saying the aircraft flew faster in winter than in the summer for that reason.
What does winter mean at 80 000 ft and Mach 3? The jet stream is insanely fast at that altitude mixing the air, and at Mach 3 the surface weather changes in fractions of a minute.
Here the Blackbird is mostly known för its beautiful although melancholic song. And it is also the national bird of Sweden.
I love stories about America violating sovreign airspace, especially when they use such a cool plane. The entire world is truly their own backyard!
What a ridiculous thing to say. Do you think the Libyan intelligence service gets to bomb dance clubs and then cry sovereignty when someone bombs some military targets in Libya? I don't know if you are ignorant of the situation or if you truly believe a country cannot retaliate against an attack against their citizens and allies. (This story and the bombing campaigned being photographed by the SR71 was a direct respo…
Plus, as the other comment says there has been no proof that libya was involved. Going by a "hunch" or "secret info from our intelligence agencies" isn't evidence either. You should probably read up on the events, it was super controversial at the time so claiming it was just a cut and dry self-defense move from the US is laughable.