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> Expect worse taxiing, take-off and climb fuel economy, due to dense air and also suboptimal (high) angle of attack.

This reminds me, in the book "Skunk Works", SR-71 Blackbird pilots mentioned their schedule of mid-air refueling 20-30min after takeoff. After that they could make it 3-5hrs at high altitude before refueling again.

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This is because the Blackbird took off with only partially filled tanks, to lower the weight and therefore the takeoff speed. It was not designed to take off or land with full tanks.

Also the tanks leaked untill thermal expansion at supersonic speed sealed them.

Wow, shouldn’t that be a safety concern? Fuel leaking all over the airbase prior to takeoff?

The fuel was so resistant to ignition that it required an external source (TEB in this case) to even get alight.

The SR-71 did take off with much less than full fuel load; IIRC to keep the mass low enough for safe T/O abort or maybe for a safe go-around.

As for books, I wholeheartedly recommend the excellent https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sled-driver-brian-shul/1123... written by one of the pilots.

Yea the SR-71 has very poor lift at slow speeds because of its lack of wing hence why it needs the chines on the forward section of the fuselage.

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