Why The SR-71 Blackbird’s Titanium Airframe Will Be Nearly Impossible To Replicate

One of the reasons why there has never been a successor to the legendary Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird is because it is virtually impossible to build another aircraft in its image. The exquisite airframe was made of 93% titanium, which required a prohibitive level of manufacturing complexity, raw material cost, and a supply chain that was so convoluted that the Central Intelligence Agency needed multiple shell companies to source enough alloy.