[phlipski]

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.

[0xffff2]

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.

[Theodores]

Not if you are a child and never meet your heroes as a grown-up!

[op00to]

Funny, I saw the SR71 at Udvar-Hazy, and thought it was HUGE!