When I toured the Intrepid at NYC, they had a Blackbird on the flight deck. I asked our tour guide why it had white tires, but he didn’t know. But, I do now.!
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Originally Posted by GH85Carrera
It's surprising to learn that while SR-71 Blackbird tires were designed to last for roughly 15 full-stop landings, they were routinely changed after just 10 takeoffs. According to a display at the Kansas Cosmosphere, these unique tires were manufactured with powdered aluminum to raise their flash point, enabling them to handle the immense heat generated during high-speed landings. They were also inflated with nitrogen at a staggering 415 psi to further prevent fires. Each of these $2,300 tires, capable of about 15 landings, was replaced early due to the intense wear and tear experienced during takeoff, as former pilot Colonel Ken Collins pointed out. The stress at the point of rotation during takeoff was so significant that it prompted the practice of taking off with a half fuel load and immediately refueling in the air to lessen the burden on the tires. This was in the context of extreme operational temperatures, where the cockpit windshield could reach a blistering 650°F.
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