| Chine |
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| The SR-71 had no high-lift devices of any sort, other than the lift created by the aerodynamic body of the fuselage, called the "chine". The chines were the flared portions of the fuselage extending outward, starting at the pitot tube on the tip of the nose and extended aft to the point where they blended into both wings. The chines improved directional stability with increasing angle of attack at all airspeeds. However, their primary purpose was to provide a substantial portion of the total lift at high supersonic speeds and eliminate the need for canard surfaces or special nose-up lifting devices. Besides being aerodynamically functional, the chine contained various compartments, called "bays", to house electronics and sensors. |
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| © Copyright Richard Graham |
