The SR-71 fuel tanks didn't fully seal until the plane was at cruising speed. The heat on the airframe tightened up the tanks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_SR-71_Blackbird
If ever in Washington D.C. I highly recommend the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles airport. There is an SR-71 on display there (along with just about every other important plane in US aviation history) that you can walk right up to. It's surprisingly small IMO.
Haven't seen the one in DC, but I've been within arms reach of one of the old NASA SR-71's that's on display (not accessible to the public unfortunately) several times. "Small" is just about the last word I would have ever used to describe it.
Not if you are a child and never meet your heroes as a grown-up!
Funny, I saw the SR71 at Udvar-Hazy, and thought it was HUGE!
Re:JP-7
by cbm-vic-20 on Wednesday July 29, 2020 @11:08AM
(#23987461)
Oblig. link to the story about the fastest guys in the desert.
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/favorite-sr-71-story-10791270...
Recording of him reciting it in person:
An SR-71 video that gives more context https://youtu.be/dG6gnJc6XeU
EDIT: oh yes https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-the-sr-71-black...