It's mind blowing when you think about how the SR-71 was built back in the late 50s - no computers, only slide rules. It was built using titanium bought from USSR by a CIA front company.
One of the coolest things about it - the jet intake cones move in and out, to focus the super sonic shockwave into the intake of the engines. The shockwave is compressed air, and that makes it go that much faster. Kelly Johnson and his engineers at Lockheed's "Skunk Works" were total geniuses back in the day.
That is an interesting design. Thanks for the context there.
It's mind blowing when you think about how the SR-71 was built back in the late 50s - no computers, only slide rules. It was built using titanium bought from USSR by a CIA front company.
One of the coolest things about it - the jet intake cones move in and out, to focus the super sonic shockwave into the intake of the engines. The shockwave is compressed air, and that makes it go that much faster. Kelly Johnson and his engineers at Lockheed's "Skunk Works" were total geniuses back in the day.
That is amazing, I had never heard about that.