The Skunk Works

Just watched a 2 hour program on the Skunk Works on the History Channel.

Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works (2019)

A very informative program. Did you know that the titanium for the SR-71 came from the USSR and a math formula, again from the USSR, was used to help design the F-117.

Edit: Right CR, fixed.

I think you meant titanium.

And for all their faults, the Soviets level never lacked for top quality physicists and mathematicians.

"math formula, again from the USSR, was used to help design the F-117"

I've not seen the programme but I seem to remember something about this. Is it a formula for the angles and facets on the plane and how the interfere and scatter radio waves? Maybe way off, but just remember something like this mentioned somewhere.


Mick.

Yes.

Russia produces a ton of math and science whizzes. Most of them leave Russia though to find work in Western Europe and North America because apparently Russians suck at running a free market economy.

^ Very true, just look at Chernobyl. That's the symbol of Russia to me.

Russians admittedly aren't the most competent people in a lot of ways, but in economic terms at least, a lot of their shortcomings can be explained in that they're competing against major rivals with heavily "conjured" economic systems.