|
|
|
|
|
|
by justnoise
2638 days ago
|
|
|
This article summarizes why they refueled after takeoff: https://theaviationgeekclub.com/former-sr-71-driver-explains... TLDR: They needed full tanks (more or less) or an inert layer of nitrogen over the gas in the tanks before hitting Mach 3 or else the fumes in the tank might ignite. At the end you'll see that they had a system for fueling the tanks on the ground in order to hit mach 3 right after takeoff but it was a maintenance nightmare. If I remember right, the SR71 could fly at Mach 3 for up to 90 minutes between refuelings. That's significantly longer than any jet ever made. |
|
|
Except the XB-70. Data is rare, but it was to cruise at 3.0 for somewhere between one and two hours.