Valve Tech
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: arlington
Originally Posted by Old SStroker
Most folks only think of the SR-71 and maybe the YF-12A when they think of Blackbirds. The forget or don't know about the A-12 (single-seater), which was operational with the CIA prior to the SR-71 (USAF two-seater). Anyone know why Johnson called it the A-12? It certainly wasn't an "attack" bird which the "A" stands for in USAF and Navy-speak.
Habu? Oxcart?
Sorry to run on. It's a favorite subject of mine?
Habu? Oxcart?
Sorry to run on. It's a favorite subject of mine?
Great book btw.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
Originally Posted by Moldmaker
The A-11 was a "non-anti-radar" version after all... or was it?
Great book btw.
Great book btw.
Here's a slide show link:
http://area51specialprojects.com/lockheed_photos.html
Here's a lot of the story:
http://area51specialprojects.com/oxcart.html
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11
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From: arlington
You definitely got me thinking about Miller's book on this one Old SStroker. Here's the quote from page 122,
From Kelly Johnson's "Archangel Log",
Plans going forward for surfacing of the AF-12 program. I worked on the draft to be used by President Johnson and
proposed the terminology 'A-11' as it was the non-anti-radar version.
From Kelly Johnson's "Archangel Log",
Plans going forward for surfacing of the AF-12 program. I worked on the draft to be used by President Johnson and
proposed the terminology 'A-11' as it was the non-anti-radar version.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
Originally Posted by Moldmaker
You definitely got me thinking about Miller's book on this one Old SStroker. Here's the quote from page 122,
From Kelly Johnson's "Archangel Log",
Plans going forward for surfacing of the AF-12 program. I worked on the draft to be used by President Johnson and
proposed the terminology 'A-11' as it was the non-anti-radar version.
From Kelly Johnson's "Archangel Log",
Plans going forward for surfacing of the AF-12 program. I worked on the draft to be used by President Johnson and
proposed the terminology 'A-11' as it was the non-anti-radar version.
This was in 1962 or so! "Stealth" wasn't even in the aircraft vocabulary then. "Anti-radar" is actually more descriptive, I think, but more difficult to say. Hey, all of the blackbird stuff was done with pencil and paper, slide rules and Marchant mechanical calculators. Of course that's how cams were designed also. It took weeks of calculation to do a new profile. We've come a long way, baby!
The AF-12 only made it to YF-12, Y being prototype designation. What I think cool was the AIM-54 missle developed for the YF was ready before the airplane, but was never used until the F-14 Tomcat, quite a few years later.
