SR-71 Facts: 29 Details That Might Surprise You

Immediate Refuel

Of the 12 SR-71s that were lost, four were tied to tire failure. The plane originally took off with 80,000 pounds of fuel, which put a disproportionate amount of pressure on the tires. It caused them to fail upon landing. So the takeoff fuel load was reduced to 40,000 pounds and was refueled in air before leaving for its mission. Also, if they lost an engine during or right after takeoff, there wasn’t enough airflow across the plane to keep it stable. It would roll over on itself and crash, so half the fuel was helpful.