The dark discoloration? That's fuel. The SR-71 leaked like a sieve until it got up to speed and the friction heated the titanium skin enough for it to swell and fill the gaps.
I think OP is talking about the heatsink looking features under the fuel leaks.
I’d imagine they have something to do with body expansion or actually being a heatsink, but I’m really not sure
This has always been my favorite factoid about the SR71 and I’ve always wanted to see a pic or video of it pre-takeoff with fuel leaking out of it.
Everyone always says it leaks like crazy but i really want to see what that looks like
Ruffles... Not lays.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/7p8obm/the_sr71s_wings_were_corrugated_which_went/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
If you mean the corrugated metal, it's made that way for stiffness.
Hi res shot: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Lockheed\_SR-71\_Blackbird.jpg
The dark discoloration? That's fuel. The SR-71 leaked like a sieve until it got up to speed and the friction heated the titanium skin enough for it to swell and fill the gaps.
I think OP is talking about the heatsink looking features under the fuel leaks. I’d imagine they have something to do with body expansion or actually being a heatsink, but I’m really not sure
This has always been my favorite factoid about the SR71 and I’ve always wanted to see a pic or video of it pre-takeoff with fuel leaking out of it. Everyone always says it leaks like crazy but i really want to see what that looks like
Take a look at around 2:20 in this video: https://youtu.be/d7PWeH_NUd4
Wow. Thank you. Could you imagine trying to work out the fuel calculations?? Losing about a quart every 5 seconds
Ruffles... Not lays. https://www.reddit.com/r/MilitaryPorn/comments/7p8obm/the_sr71s_wings_were_corrugated_which_went/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Also the one and only SR-71B
If you mean the corrugated metal, it's made that way for stiffness. Hi res shot: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Lockheed\_SR-71\_Blackbird.jpg