The SR-71 Blackbird Can’t Run on Jet Fuel. Here’s What It Uses Instead. |
The SR-71 Blackbird Can’t Run on Jet Fuel. Here’s What It Uses Instead.
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Ordinary jet fuel would boil and combust inside the Blackbird’s fuel tanks—meaning the aircraft must use a special fuel blend that is nearly impossible to light by accident.
The SR-71 Blackbird remains the fastest aircraft ever built. Operated from 1966 to 1999, it was a renowned reconnaissance aircraft that could exceed Mach 3 and altitudes of 80,000 feet. It had incredible kinetic performance metrics, setting speed records that are likely never to be broken by any manned aircraft.
But the Blackbird’s incredible performance created problems. At such speed and altitude, the jet’s skin temperature could exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit. And at such temperatures, traditional jet fuel was too volatile—too likely to vaporize, ignite, or break down under the extreme heat. So the SR-71’s designers were tasked with creating an entirely new fuel ecosystem, something that could handle the SR-71’s........