Author Topic: SR-71  (Read 1374 times)

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Offline Cut4fun

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SR-71
« on: April 25, 2015, 05:41:04 pm »
copy paste





The SR-71 Blackbird Full Air Force Version

To really understand this jet, which first appeared in the U.S Air Force in 1964, you have to understand that as a recon jet this was a tool that was way ahead of its time. It was also ahead of it’s time in terms of manufacturing. The 1967 fleet of Blackbirds totaled just 31 jets. That number might seem shockingly low, but not much available could touch them. They were literally the fastest things on earth.

To develop this jet, new barriers to speed and environment had to be broken. The jet could travel at Mach 3.2 which is not just about dealing with the sound barrier, but also the heat barrier. Friction is wicked at that speed. The outside shell of the jet reached temperatures of over 1050 degrees Fahrenheit. That translates to 838.7 Kelvin. Lava from a volcano as it is erupting reaches a Fahrenheit temperature of 1200-2000 degrees. So we are talking nearly a hull temperature equivalent of lava. The black coloring on the jet is part of its ability to handle all of that heat. In later generations the black coloring also helped to deal with absorbing radar.

The frame of the Blackbird is made out of Titanium which is one of the strongest and lightest metals on earth. The jet experiences a great deal of G-force when maneuvering at high speeds. To match the structural integrity of the jet, every other system on the plane had to be equally as strong. Nobody wants to be the pilot of a jet moving at Mach 3.2 when the windshield gives out and leaves you exposed to what must be an instant death.

Furthermore, systems like the hydraulic systems must be able to deal with pressure, heat, and function at 100 percent capacity when needed. These are machines of war. They must function as intended at all time. The power of this weapon was the ability to deploy it instantly. Keep in mind that the alternative was a satellite weapon system, but even when in orbit, a satellite cannot easily be coerced into changing position. Satellites also have a very narrow window when they can target an object. The Blackbirds on the other hand could be launched and strike quickly.
RC A-12 SR-71 Blackbird Stats:

    Length = 3250 mm
    Wing span = 1730 mm
    Powered by twin AMT Olympus RC Jet Turbine Engines
    Thrust @ S.T.P. 190 N/19.4kg @110,000 RPM
    42.7 Lbf @ 110,000 RPM
    Max RPM 112,000
    Burns 19 ounces of fuel per minute at 42.7 Lbf

In short, it is every bit of the word Jet as it’s bigger version. The video shows the speed capabilities and the air agility that this RC model possesses. Do you want one as bad as I do right now?

In the video, it might look simple, but flying one of these via remote control is not easy. It takes a considerable amount of skill, and officially, I’d like to say congrats to the pilot for his easy 3-point landing. How many of you think you could fly and land this incredible micro aircraft without crashing?

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Offline Cut4fun

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2015, 05:42:51 pm »

Offline aclarke

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2015, 06:35:31 pm »
Sweet.  Wonder if the model leaks JP-7 like a sieve til the airframe gets up to temperature and seals the wet wings?  Lol.

Offline adam32

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2015, 07:39:42 pm »
Sweet.  Wonder if the model leaks JP-7 like a sieve til the airframe gets up to temperature and seals the wet wings?  Lol.

Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2015, 09:49:15 pm »
Sweet.  Wonder if the model leaks JP-7 like a sieve til the airframe gets up to temperature and seals the wet wings?  Lol.

Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Neat read.

I had a roommate that was from Thousand Oaks Calif and guarded those in Calif for part of his bit.

Copy paste.

Fuselage panels were manufactured to only loosely fit on the ground. Proper alignment was achieved as the airframe heated up and expanded several inches.[29] Because of this, and the lack of a fuel sealing system that could handle the airframe's expansion at extreme temperatures, the aircraft leaked JP-7 fuel on the ground prior to takeoff.

Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2015, 09:50:35 pm »
I liked this part too.

On most aircraft, use of titanium was limited by the costs involved; it was generally used only in components exposed to the highest temperatures, such as exhaust fairings and the leading edges of wings. On the SR-71, titanium was used for 85% of the structure, with much of the rest polymer composite materials. To control costs, Lockheed used a more easily worked titanium alloy which softened at a lower temperature. The challenges posed led Lockheed to develop new fabrication methods, and have since been used in the manufacture of other aircraft. Welding titanium requires distilled water, as the chlorine present in tap water is corrosive; cadmium-plated tools could not be used as they also caused corrosion. Metallurgical contamination was another problem; at one point 80% of the delivered titanium for manufacture was rejected on these grounds.

Offline Cut4fun .

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2015, 09:54:00 pm »
The Blackbird's tires, manufactured by B.F. Goodrich, contained aluminum and were filled with nitrogen. They cost $2,300 and did not last 20 missions.

Several exotic fuels were investigated for the Blackbird. Development began on a coal slurry powerplant, but Johnson determined that the coal particles damaged important engine components. Research was conducted on a liquid hydrogen powerplant, but the tanks for storing cryogenic hydrogen were not of a suitable size or shape. In practice, the Blackbird would burn somewhat conventional JP-7 which was difficult to light. To start the engines, triethylborane (TEB), which ignites on contact with air, was injected to produce temperatures high enough to ignite the JP-7. The TEB produced a characteristic green flame, which could often be seen during engine ignition.

Offline aclarke

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2015, 11:01:53 pm »
We had a Pratt Whitney J58 motor (SR-71) as well as a couple early rocket motors xlr-11 and xlr-99 (X1 &X15) at our A&P school on loan from NASA. Cool stuff!!
 The Instructors at the College grew up in the CA Central Valley and are good friends with Chuck Yeager. Mr Yeager, came to the College to hang out with out graduating class for a morning and shared a lot of super cool flying stories from his days in aviation.

Cool experience...

Offline 660magnum

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2015, 01:42:48 am »
I remember back in 1966/67 those things would fly over and the boom was almost upsetting. Sometimes you could even hear the jet engines after the boom passed. They would definitely rattle the dishes. I never saw one, just heard the booms.
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Offline Moparmyway

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Re: SR-71
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2015, 05:57:38 pm »
How many of you think you could fly and land this incredible micro aircraft without crashing?

I know I easily could   ;D