There wasn't enough titanium in the United States to build all these blackbirds or raw titanium that they could easily source. The government and Lockheed set up a bunch of dummy corporations in Europe, like European incorporated dummy corporations. They source a large amount of the titanium that goes into the A12s and then the blackbirds out of the Soviet Union. Titanium is so hard that it will damage your tools.
Today we bring you two absolutely incredible stories. The first is Lockheed’s legendary Skunk Works division — the elite team of aviation geniuses who produced some of the greatest airplanes in history: the U-2, the Stealth Fighter, and the incomparable SR-71 Blackbird. The second story is arguably even more important, but not widely known! It's the secret and true origins of Silicon Valley — and Lockheed’s primary role in it. We take you from WWII to the Cold War, all the way to today to unpack and analyze the industry dynamics of defense contractors in the modern era. Tune in and prepare to be blown away by what you’ll learn about the history of our industry!
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