SR-71 Facts: 29 Details That Might Surprise You

The SR-71 is 93% Titanium Alloy

Because of such high altitudes, temperatures and speeds, titanium alloy was the only material that suited the plane’s mission. Over 90 percent of the SR-71 was made of titanium alloy. Factor in glass for the cockpit and landing gear material – that means basically the whole aircraft was titanium alloy. Titanium alloy was popular because of its high corrosive resistance, high specific strength and low specific gravity. It was also a bio-compatible material and non-magnetic.