Xref: utzoo rec.aviation:12953 sci.space.shuttle:2582
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!eecae!netnews.upenn.edu!rutgers!att!ihlpl!ethiele
From: ethiele@ihlpl.ATT.COM (Thiele)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: SR71 to be retired October 1st, rumors regarding SR-71
Message-ID: <9667@ihlpl.ATT.COM>
Date: 16 Mar 89 00:10:07 GMT
References: <524@gonzo.UUCP> <1475@petsd.UUCP> <13987@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <976@nbife.NBI.COM> <1993NU052179@NDSUVM1> <7593@june.cs.washington.edu>
Reply-To: ethiele@ihlpl.UUCP (55244-Thiele,E.W.)
Organization: CAP GEMINI AMERICA
Lines: 13

When I was attending Zoomie U.  (the USAF Academy) the scuttlebutt was that the
fuel tanks had expansion joints, which would leak on the ground.  So SOP was to
get airborne on 1/4 tank, make a high Mach run to the rendevous with the tanker,
letting the expansion joints heat up, expanding & sealing the tank, and top off.

Also, the titanium skin is stronger than at manufacture, due to the 
self-annealing process of attaining high Mach and heating the skin to 1500'F


-- 
  Eric Thiele  
   ihlpf!ewt
(312) 979-6425