I read that the plane changes shape a little as it heats up from the friction of flying so fast. As a result the pilots never determined how fast it could actually go.
>>I read that the plane changes shape a little as it heats up from the friction of flying so fast. As a result the pilots never determined how fast it could actually go.
It doesn’t change shape. But the skin panels do expand due to heating so it is built to permit that expansion between joints so that it doesn’t warp and change shape.
Fuel leaks from the plane like a sieve when it is sitting on the ground and the panels do not completely fit together, allowing them to expand when they heat up in flight.
The SR-71 must be refueled immediately after take off to have enough to continue on with its mission.
A friend, who was a PANG Capt pilot of a C-130 (forget which version) in Afghanistan, told me that ‘it’ expands as it heats up flying, and seals all the leaks. But when it’s cold on the ground, it leaks liquids everywhere. They couldn’t wait for it to get airborne. No, he didn’t fly one, but drooled everytime we talked about it.