I understand the SR-71 had to deal with a lot of issues in order to keep its speed (special fuel which leaked on the runway, titanium fuselage and probably other stuff). But wouldn’t the same type of engine be able to power a relatively slower fighter jet capable of easily cruise at match 2-2.5, so it doesn’t have to deal with so much friction as the SR-71 at match 3.
But while the engines exist since the 1960s, relatively few fighters go faster than match 2 and it took all the way to the 21st century to have fighters capable of supercruise (and still below match 2). So I guess there has to be a reason for that.
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The big thing abput the blackbird often not talked about, is that at high speeds the friction with air, the plane would expand. Meaning yeah the engines are fast, but the speed comes at a cost, reason why modern planes fly slower because its more fuel efficient to do so. There are stories of the jetfule just leaking everywhere from the blackbird, as it needed the hogh speed to expand the body due to heat and close up the gaps, so ot really was just a hotrod of the sky, purpose built to go super fast at any cost.
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