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SR-71 Facts: 29 Details That Might Surprise You

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Only Four Bolts Held On The Nose Cone

SR-71 Facts
NASA

Four bolts seems a little lackadaisical. But, the engineers at Skunk Works knew what they were doing. The air pressure was so great during flight that four clevis bolts were all that was necessary to keep the nose cone in place.

While the nose cone did hold firmly in place with only four bolts, the nose configuration caused aerodynamic issues with the SR-71. Because of directional stability issues, two small ventral fins to the engine nacelles were added and a large, hydraulically powered folding ventral fin on the centerline of the aft fuselage was added.