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Description
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed | |
| Base model: | A-12 | |
| Designation: | A-12 | |
| Nickname: | Blackbird | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Tri-Service | |
| Designation Period: | 1962-Present | |
| Basic role: | Reconnaissance | |
| Crew: | Pilot | |
Specifications
| Length: | 102' | 31.0 m | |
| Height: | 18' 3" | 5.5 m | |
| Wingspan: | 55' 7" | 16.9 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,604.9 sq ft | 149.0 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 80,000 lb | 36,281 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 119,998 lb | 54,421 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 120,000 lb | 54,421 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney J58 turbo ramjets | ||
| Thrust (each): | 32,500 lb | 14,739 kg | |
Performance
| Range: | 2,500 miles | 4,025 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 2,269 mph | 3,661 km/h | 1,978 kt |
| Ceiling: | 84,978 ft | 25,908 m | |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Air Force Flight Test Center Museum | Edwards AFB | California |
| Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum | New York | New York |
| Minnesota Air Guard Museum | Minneapolis | Minnesota |
| San Diego Aerospace Museum | San Diego | California |
| U.S. Space & Rocket Center | Huntsville | Alabama |
| USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park | Mobile | Alabama |
A-12 on display
Air Force Flight Test Center Museum | Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum | Minnesota Air Guard Museum | San Diego Aerospace Museum | |
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Ed and Cynthia , VA | From cia.gov/news-information
A-12 OXCART Under Project OXCART, CIA contracted with Lockheed to produce the A-12 supersonic reconnaissance aircraft as the successor to the U-2. Lockheed began its design in 1959 and achieved full operational readiness by November 1965. During testing, the A-12 reached a speed of Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 90,000 feet. The A-12 was used in 29 missions before it was replaced by another aircraft. The A-12 on display at CIA Headquarters—eighth in production of the 15 A-12s built—was the first of the operational fleet to be certified for Mach 3. It is located in the north parking lot. The A-12 OXCART was dedicated on September 19, 2007, during the Agency’s 60th anniversary celebration. 05/27/2013 @ 17:48 [ref: 67847] |
| Stickie Sunderland, OTH | The YF-12 could NOT outrun its own bullets - it was never fitted with a gun.
It was designed to be an interceptor, not a fighter - to get off the ground and within firing range of enemy bombers *quickly* before firing its missiles from a long way away. It wasn't even supposed to get close enough for a gun to be useful. It had four weapons bays in the chines beside the cockpit. One contained avionics and computer equipment and the other three carried missiles. No guns. Even if it had had a gun, it still wouldn't have been able to outrun its bullets. 12/18/2012 @ 08:05 [ref: 67426] |
| David Hatcher Enterprise, AL | Some more info on YF12 60-6934. Lockheed took the forward fuselage from a static test article mated to the wing and rear section of 934 to "make" a SR71"C". It is the SR displayed at Hill AFB UT.
It is very likely the attempt at a fighter version of the Blackbird was to "cover" up the existence of the very secret A12/SR71. Too many observations were being reported to Air Traffic Control. Also these sightings were getting the attention of the press and aviation periodicals. It was easier to admit to having a "fighter" Less easier to admit the thing would outrun its bullets. The Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire-control radar originally developed for the XF-108, was used on the F12 and the addition of a second cockpit for a crew member to operate it. The nose modifications changed the aircraft's aerodynamics enough to require ventral fins to be mounted under the fuselage and engine nacelles to maintain stability. After conversion to the "C" the aircraft was nicknamed "The Bastard" by its pilots, as it did not fly quite straight. It is unique among all SR-71s as it still carries the ventral fins under its nacelles – an artifact of its YF-12 lineage which does not exist on any other SR-71. Finally, bays previously used to house the A-12's reconnaissance equipment were converted to carry four Hughes AIM-47 Falcon (GAR-9) missiles which I believe eventually became the Pheonix. 09/21/2009 @ 11:52 [ref: 25136] |
| David Hatcher Enterprise, AL | To Bob Dell
YF12 60-6934 was converted to SR71C 64-17981 YF12 60-6935 National Museum of the Air Force, Dayton YF12 60-6936 Crashed 6/24/71 09/21/2009 @ 11:26 [ref: 25135] |
| Bob Dell Kingman, AZ | There seems to be some confusion among the viewers between the A-12 and the SR-71. They were two different aircraft with distinct designations.
The A-12 was earlier and operational before the SR-71. Because of CIA/USAF squables and budget considerations the A-12 project was dropped in the late 60's in favor of the SR-71 even though it was operational before the SR-71. The A-12's were AF Ser#'s 606924 through 41, Five crashed and the remainder are in Air Museums. (Except I don't know where 606934 & 36 are, They were YF-12 interceptor versions) See CIA website below for list https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/a-12/inventory-of-a-12s.html The SR71's were decommissioned at Beal AFB in 1990 Their AF ser#'s 17950-17981. Eleven were lost and the remainder are scattered around the country at various Museums etc. The Museums include Kalamazoo, Pima, Edwards, Castle & Beale. See web site below for list http://www.sr-71.org/blackbird/sr-71/sr-71locations.php 01/29/2009 @ 18:38 [ref: 23581] |
| Robert Kowalski Allen, TX | 08/04/08 I saw an A-12 at the Southern Museum of Flight at the Birmingham International Airport. It was in great condition, but placed outside behind a fence on a back street of the airport with a dozen other famous aircraft and helicopters. 09/07/2008 @ 13:04 [ref: 22626] |
| Glenn Columbus, GA | I too was there when the A-11 was trucked in. Most sites give the first flight date as 26 April. It actually first flew on 25 April. Wasn't far--- wasn't fast---but was airborne. Will never forget the sight the next day as the F-104 chase plane was trying to catch up with the A-11 as it lifted lifted off the runway. 07/09/2008 @ 14:45 [ref: 21812] |
| CHARLIE O WOODSTOCK, GA |
I WAS AT AREA 51 WHEN THIS A12 WAS TRUCKED FROM THE SKUNK WORKS IN BURBANK. I FOLLOWED HER TRANSITION THROUGH PRODUCTION FLIGHT TEST TO FULL OPERATIONAL READINESS WITH THE 1129TH SAS. A REUNION WITH HER IN JANUARY, 2005, UP CLOSE, THANKS TO ROGER HUNTER, WAS VERY EMOTIONAL FOR ME. 05/20/2008 @ 20:20 [ref: 20963] |
| Craig Clary , CA | The film Space Cowboys was a big hit alot of people in the surounding community of Riverside County as well as other places, the Blackbird in the film is not an A-12, it's actually an SR-71 Spy plane. 03/18/2007 @ 13:12 [ref: 15937] |
| Dan M Minneapolis, MN | The SR71 at the Minneapolis airport was hacked into pieces with a Sawzall, trucked to Minneapolis, and pieced together to look like an airplane. Sadly, this effort to relocate it destroyed a historically significant aircraft. 08/12/2006 @ 05:10 [ref: 13867] |
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