The SR-71 - everything you NEEDED to know.

I'll like to amend my opening thread sometime soon to comment on this, but this is the most thorough engineering document on the SR-71 that I think is publicly available, even declassifying materials used etc. I figure some here will like to read it.

authors.library.caltech.edu...

And for other references particularly to some comments on the power plants:
authors.library.caltech.edu...

And an hilarious commentary from an SR-71 pilot who shares great stories and hints at some capabilities.
youtu.be...

TAP WATER CONTAINS THE ELEMENT BUT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONCENTRATION VARIED AT DIFFERENT
TIMES OF THE DAY. DURING PERIODS OF HIGH CONCENTRATION, USAGE WAS CURTAILED.

Anyone know why the chlorine concentration in the tap water would vary? Since it's added artificial, why would it not be constant and, how I understand the sentence, it's a bit predictable in concentration.

a reply to: TDDAgain

It changes with it being stored, or with temperature.

Weird, I just ordered a book on the SR-71 and Skunk works last night.

a good short funny you tube video is the LA speed check if you have never seen it.

originally posted by: franklen
Weird, I just ordered a book on the SR-71 and Skunk works last night.

a good short funny you tube video is the LA speed check if you have never seen it.

The LA speed check is in the extended video I sent at the end.
Major Brian Shul's (Ret.) story is legendary, listen to his whole monologue. I love his part about his crash into the jungles of Vietnam:

"I thought this is it I'm going to die, God I'm ready, take me. But I woke up surrounded by fire and thought oh God I went to the other place....[skip some hillarious comparisons of different special forces recovery teams]....then I heard this chopper over me and the Army SFO was standing over me, they were saying there was no where to land and he said 'you set her down or I'll shoot you down,' and that fellas is when I realized I'm on the right team."

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: TDDAgain

It changes with it being stored, or with temperature.

This is only true if the chlorine is gaseous, which some municipalities it is; but others it is bleach which is very hard to remove but can be adsorbed by activated carbon. The varying concentrations probably betrays their treatment system which could lead to a lot of extrapolation of where they are if that mattered (which I don't think it exactly does; probably well known).

a reply to: Zaphod58

So it is about storing it inside the plane? If so, makes sense then, I thought it's about tap water used during production.

You really know a lot about airplanes, whenever I ask something, you're there and sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated Zaphod.

I knew a man who worked in SR-71 hangars before they were declassified.

Anyone caught with Chrome plated tools in the hangar could be court martialed.

It was Nickel tools only, allowed.

Apparently Chrome plated tools would chemically react with the skin of the aircraft and significantly damage it.

a reply to: TDDAgain

If you measure the chlorine at different points along the path of the water system the concentration drops as it moves along. The farther it has to go, the less you may see at the end use point. Different things in the pipes can affect the levels of chlorine in them. So you might see some changes in the pipes, due to calcification, or algae, or whatever, and get different levels of chlorine at the end point. You're injecting the same amount of chlorine, but it's not always the same at the end use point.

originally posted by: TDDAgain

TAP WATER CONTAINS THE ELEMENT BUT IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONCENTRATION VARIED AT DIFFERENT
TIMES OF THE DAY. DURING PERIODS OF HIGH CONCENTRATION, USAGE WAS CURTAILED.

Anyone know why the chlorine concentration in the tap water would vary? Since it's added artificial, why would it not be constant and, how I understand the sentence, it's a bit predictable in concentration.

Chlorine bonds with other chemistry and is considered extremely reactive. Its valency is 1 which means it can accept an electron at its outer electron shell, from another atom, which will bind the atoms together, producing a molecule.

Coming from the East Coast…..the tap water in some parts had fluoride….I guess it might not have been introduced back then especially on the west coast?

If it were, I would assume it would have been factored into the calculus with chloride…..or is it possible that fluoride was indeed in the tap water and not factored in….or overlooked?

I don’t know how things might have been affected had fluoride been present.

👽

originally posted by: TDDAgain
a reply to: Zaphod58

So it is about storing it inside the plane? If so, makes sense then, I thought it's about tap water used during production.

You really know a lot about airplanes, whenever I ask something, you're there and sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated Zaphod.

No, Titanium corrodes and becomes more brittle with chlorine, it's about the metal treatment requirements, not water storage.

a reply to: Archivalist

Cadmium plated tools would leave a trace of cadmium on the bolts, and start a reaction, causing the bolts to fail.

a reply to: TDDAgain

It turned out that only the parts welded in summer would fail, while the ones from winter were fine. The city was chlorinating the water in summer to keep algae blooms down. In winter they didn't need to, so no chlorine.

Nevermind misread that article.

Dad brought me a "sample" of Titanium when I was a kid. I still have it. Gee,,,, I wonder where it came from?

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

I got one of the Planetags from the internal honeycomb off an SR-71.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: SonofaSkunk

I got one of the Planetags from the internal honeycomb off an SR-71.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

Found this and thought this was a great place to share it