Message posted by Peter Merlin on August 20, 2007 at 15:36:47 PST:
Not surprisingly (since he worked on the aircraft), habu-e6 is correct. Vast amounts of aircraft parts are removed each year due to damage and routine wear. These parts are discarded or sold as scrap. SR-71 parts were often marked as to the specific aircraft they came from. Lockheed usually used the build number (or ship number), whereas Air Force crews tended to use the AF serial. So parts from the fourth SR-71A might be marked "2004" or "953" depending on who marked them. Some parts were stamped with ship numbers during construction. Other parts were marked with ink pens follwing maintenance removal. Discarded aircraft parts may be of great interest to collectors, especially if they are from a favorite or particularly historical aircraft. They have no intrinsic value. They are worth only whatever a collector is willing to pay. In my opinion, a piece is much more interesting if it is intact and in original condition. I hate to see parts cut up, repainted, or modified in any way. If a part can be indentified as to a particular airframe, so much the better.
In Reply to: Re: SR-71 Titanium Beta 120/Ti-13V-11Cr-3Al posted by habu-e6 on August 19, 2007 at 21:17:46 PST:
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