Quote:
Originally posted by vash
i watched a show where they showed it parked on the tarmac just weeping fuel from everywhere. apparently it drains the tanks on liftoff, and needs to immediately fill up inflight. the skin tightens up when it heats up from the friction of slicing thru the atmosphere. then the weeping fuel stops.
cool stuff.
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A sealant was never found that could seal the fuel tanks both on the ground as well as in flight. It was chosen to be able to seal the tanks in flight and so fuel leaks on the ground were just accepted as the norm. Once airborne, the plane would heat up, expand and the tanks would seal. An in-air refueling was needed soon after take-off and the mission could continue.