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This is such an odd story:
Anyone who has ever tried to repair an older car or truck, whether out of need or as a hobby, immediately runs into three related problems. First, older equipment tends to break down without maintenance, even when not in use.
Materials deteriorate, fluids congeal or dry up, and mechanical calibration is lost
. Second, replacement parts even for common models become scarce, difficult to source, and expensive.
Finally, no one remembers how to repair the equipment. Mechanics retire or move on to more modern models, losing the expertise that they once possessed.
Now imagine that instead of repairing a 1975 Chevy Scottsdale, you’re attempting to put a stealthy super-jet back in the air. All of these problems are afflicting NASA’s curious quest to restore an SR-71 Blackbird to service.
See especially Stephen Trimble’s discussion with some of the engineers who used to work on the Blackbird; things take on a distinctly Martian-esque feel. I’ve visited three SR-71s and two A-12s in my day, and I never imagined that anyone might try to put the team back together. Of course the Blackbird isn’t the only aircraft that has taken this journey; a few examples of the F-117 were returned to service after extended layoff for testing and research purposes as well.
