Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!decvax!ima!think!!craig
From: craig@.COM (Craig Stanfill)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation,sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: SR71 to be retired October 1st, rumors regarding SR-71
Message-ID: <37610@think.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 89 14:50:11 GMT
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Reply-To: craig@mneme.think.com.UUCP (Craig Stanfill)
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
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Xref: utzoo rec.aviation:13041 sci.space.shuttle:2609


The rumor I have heard about the SR-71 is that the fuel is used to cool the
skin.  This would, I suppose, explain why they use highly viscous JP-7 (so it 
doesn't boil in the skin), and why fuel leaks out from the expansion joints.


The other rumor I have heard is from someone who claims to have seen
an SR-71 being readied for flight, and claims that the skin was
frosted over (the implication being that the Blackbird used some sort of 
cryogenic fuel).  

I sort of believe the first, and a don't believe the second.

					- Craig
				Craig Stanfill
				Advanced Information Systems
				Thinking Machines Corporation
				(617) 876-1111