@chillcapi: On the runway the SR-71 drips fuel, by design. At Mach 3.2 the air heats its titanium skin to about 400°C and the jet grows several inches, so the panels only seal when hot. The fuel doubles as its coolant, and it's so stable a dropped match won't light it, so the engines are started with TEB, which lights itself with a green flash. NYC to London: guess the time ↓ #sr71 #blackbird #aviation #avgeek #engineering