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SR-71 Facts: 29 Details That Might Surprise You

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Engine Oil Nearly Solidified at Room Temp

SR-71 Facts
Airman 1st Class Jean Marc Beatreaud, U.S. Air Force

The oil formulated to lubricate the Pratt & Whitney J58 engines nearly solidified in temperatures below 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It took roughly an hour to warm it the 10 degrees necessary. This afterburning, single rotor turbojet had a nine- stage 8:1 pressure ratio compressor and a two stage turbine, yielding 32,500 pounds thrust. The CIA flew an A-12, the single-seat version of the aircraft, powered by two J58s in early 1963, less than four years after Pratt started work on the project.