Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

In my C++ Now 2013 presentation, I talked about the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird as an example of how you sometimes go around problems by “leaking”:

From Wikipedia:

[The] fuselage panels were manufactured to fit only loosely on the ground. Proper alignment was achieved only when the airframe heated up and expanded several inches. Because of this, and the lack of a fuel sealing system that could handle the thermal expansion of the airframe at extreme temperatures, the aircraft would leak JP-7 jet fuel on the runway. At the beginning of each mission, the aircraft would make a short sprint after takeoff to warm up the airframe, then refuel before heading off to its destination.

You can find my presentation here and the video should be online very soon!

Meanwhile, if you’d like to know more about this marvel of engineering from the 60’s: