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Lockheed YF-12

March 11, 2023

The Lockheed YF-12 was an American Mach 3+ capable, high-altitude interceptor prototype, developed and manufactured by American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.

YF-12
YF-12A
Role Interceptor aircraft
Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation
First flight 7 August 1963
Status Canceled
Primary users United States Air Force
NASA
Number built 3
Developed from Lockheed A-12

It was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s as a potential replacement for the F-106 Delta Dart interceptor for the United States Air Force (USAF). The YF-12 was a twin-seat version of the then-secret single-seat Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); unlike the A-12, it was furnished with the Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire-control radar and could be armed with AIM-47 Falcon (GAR-9) air-to-air missiles. Its maiden flight was on 7 August 1963. Its existence was publicly revealed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 24 February 1964; this move was to provide plausible deniability for the CIA-operated A-12 fleet, which closely resembled the prototype YF-12.

During the 1960s, the YF-12 underwent flight evaluations by the USAF, but funding to put it into operational use was not forthcoming partly due to the pressing demands of the Vietnam War and other military priorities. It set and held speed and altitude world records of over 2,000 miles per hour (3,200 km/h) and over 80,000 feet (24,000 m) (later surpassed by the closely-related SR-71 Blackbird), and is the world's largest, heaviest and fastest crewed interceptor.[1] Following its retirement by the USAF, it served as a research aircraft for NASA for a time, which used it to develop several significant improvements in control for future supersonic aircraft.

Design and development

In the late 1950s, the United States Air Force (USAF) sought a replacement for its F-106 Delta Dart interceptor. As part of the Long Range Interceptor Experimental (LRI-X) program, the North American XF-108 Rapier, an interceptor with Mach 3 speed, was selected. However, the F-108 program was canceled by the Department of Defense in September 1959.[2] During this time, Lockheed's Skunk Works was developing the A-12 reconnaissance aircraft for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) under the Oxcart program. Kelly Johnson, the head of Skunk Works, proposed to build a version of the A-12 named AF-12 by the company; the USAF ordered three AF-12s in mid-1960.[3]

 
Picture of the modified chine to accommodate the AN/ASG-18 radar

The AF-12s took the seventh through ninth slots on the A-12 assembly line; these were designated as YF-12A interceptors.[4] The main changes involved modifying the A-12's nose by cutting back the chines to accommodate the huge Hughes AN/ASG-18 fire-control radar originally developed for the XF-108 with two infrared search and track sensors embedded in the chine leading edge, and the addition of the second cockpit for a crew member to operate the fire control radar for the air-to-air missile system.[5] The modifications changed the aircraft's aerodynamics enough to require ventral fins to be mounted under the fuselage and engine nacelles to maintain stability. Three of the four bays previously used to house the A-12's reconnaissance equipment were converted to carry Hughes AIM-47 Falcon (GAR-9) missiles.[6] One bay was used for fire control equipment.[7]

 
Lockheed YF-12A, Serial# 60-6934, the only YF-12A in ADC markings

The first YF-12A flew on 7 August 1963.[6] President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the existence of the aircraft[A][8] on 24 February 1964.[9][10] The YF-12A was announced in part to continue hiding the A-12, its still-secret ancestor; any sightings of CIA/Air Force A-12s based at Area 51 in Nevada could be attributed to the well-publicized Air Force YF-12As based at Edwards Air Force Base in California.[8] The first public showing of the aircraft was on 30 September 1964 at Edwards.[11]

On 14 May 1965, the Air Force placed a production order for 93 F-12Bs for its Air Defense Command (ADC).[12] However, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara would not release the funding for three consecutive years due to Vietnam War costs.[12] Updated intelligence placed a lower priority on defense of the continental US, so the F-12B was deemed no longer needed. Then in January 1968, the F-12B program was officially ended.[13]

Operational history

Air Force testing

 
YF-12A overflying a mountain.

During flight tests the YF-12As set a speed record of 2,070.101 miles per hour (3,331.505 km/h) and altitude record of 80,257.86 feet (24,462.60 m), both on 1 May 1965,[9] and demonstrated promising results with its unique weapon system. Six successful firings of the AIM-47 missiles were completed, and a seventh failed due to a gyro failure on one of the missiles. The last one was launched from the YF-12 at Mach 3.2 at an altitude of 74,000 feet (23,000 m) to a JQB-47E target drone 500 feet (150 m) off the ground.[14] The missile did not have a warhead but still managed to hit the B-47 directly and take a 4-foot section off its tail. The Air Force considered it a success and ordered 96 aircraft and had an initial budget of $90 million to further testing, but this was withheld by Secretary of Defense McNamara, who on 23 November 1967[15] put it towards the much less successful F-106X program that nearly failed.[16]

The successful AIM-47 Falcon missile was increased in size and performance and became the AIM-54 Phoenix missile for the F-14 Tomcat. The AN/ASG 18 radar was upgraded to become the AN/AWG-9 and APG-71, which added the ability to track multiple targets.

One of the Air Force test pilots, Jim Irwin, would go on to become a NASA astronaut and walk on the Moon.

The program was abandoned following the cancellation of the production F-12B, but the YF-12s continued flying for many years with the USAF and with NASA as research aircraft.

NASA testing

 
NASA Overview of the YF-12, circa 1974 (26:38)

The initial phase of the test program included objectives aimed at answering some questions about implementation of the B-1. Air Force objectives included exploration of its use in a tactical environment, and how airborne early warning and control (AWACS) would control supersonic aircraft. The Air Force portion was budgeted at US$4 million. The NASA tests would answer questions such as how engine inlet performance affected airframe and propulsion interaction, boundary layer noise, heat transfer under high Mach conditions, and altitude hold at supersonic speeds. The NASA budget for the 2.5-year program was US$14 million.[17]

The YF-12 and SR-71 originally suffered from severe control issues that affected both the engines and the physical control of the aircraft. Wind testing at NASA Dryden and YF-12 research flights developed computer systems that nearly completely solved the performance issues. Testing revealed vortices from the nose chines interfering with intake air, which led to the development of a computer control system for the engine air bypasses. A computer system to reduce unstarts was also developed, which greatly improved stability. They also developed a flight engineering computer program called Central Airborne Performance Analyzer (CAPA) that relayed engine data to the pilots and informed them of any faults or issues with performance and indicated the severity of malfunctions.[18]

Another system called Cooperative Airframe-Propulsion Control System (CAPCS) greatly improved the control of supersonic aircraft in flight. At such high speeds even minor changes in direction caused the aircraft to change position by thousands of feet, and often had severe temperature and pressure changes. CAPCS reduced these deviations by a factor of 10. The overall improvements increased range of the SR-71 by 7 percent.[18]

Of the three YF-12As, AF Ser. No. 60-6934 was damaged beyond repair by fire at Edwards AFB during a landing mishap on 14 August 1966; its rear half was salvaged and combined with the front half of a Lockheed static test airframe to create the only SR-71C.[19][20]

YF-12A, AF Ser. No. 60-6936 was lost on 24 June 1971 due to an in-flight fire caused by a failed fuel line; both pilots ejected safely just north of Edwards AFB. YF-12A, AF Ser. No. 60-6935 is the only surviving YF-12A; it was recalled from storage in 1969 for a joint USAF/NASA investigation of supersonic cruise technology, and then flown to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio on 17 November 1979.[9]

 
YF-12C on ramp

A fourth YF-12 aircraft, the "YF-12C", was actually the second SR-71A (AF Ser. No. 61–7951). This SR-71A was re-designated as a YF-12C and given the fictitious Air Force Serial Number 60-6937 from an A-12 to maintain SR-71 secrecy. The aircraft was loaned to NASA for propulsion testing after the loss of YF-12A (AF Ser. No. 60–6936) in 1971. The YF-12C was operated by NASA until September 1978, when it was returned to the Air Force.[21]

The YF-12 had a real-field sonic-boom overpressure value between 33.5 and 52.7 N/m2 (0.7 to 1.1 lb/ft2) – below 48 was considered "low".[22]

Variants

YF-12A
Pre-production version. Three were built.[23]
F-12B
Production version of the YF-12A with various improvements such as an increased combat radius from 1,200 to 1,350 nautical miles and an improved fire control system with increased bomber detection range from 100 to 125 miles;[24] canceled before production could begin.[25]
YF-12C
Fictitious designation for an SR-71 provided to NASA for flight testing. The YF-12 designation was used to keep SR-71 information out of the public domain.[26] From 1971 to 1978, 61-7951 was temporarily loaned to NASA from the Air Force as "YF-12C #06937".[27]

Operators

  United States

Accidents and incidents

  • 24 July 1971 YF-12A 60-6936 (Article 1003) was lost in an accident near Edwards Air Force Base, California, United States.

Aircraft on display

 
YF-12A AF Ser. No. 60-6935 in the National Museum of the USAF
YF-12A

Specifications (YF-12A)

 

Data from Lockheed's SR-71 'Blackbird' Family[30]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2; pilot and fire control officer (FCO)
  • Length: 101 ft 8 in (30.97 m)
  • Wingspan: 55 ft 7 in (16.95 m)
  • Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
  • Wing area: 1,795 sq ft (167 m2)
  • Aspect ratio: 1.7
  • Empty weight: 60,730 lb (27,604 kg)
  • Gross weight: 124,000 lb (56,200 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 140,000 lb (63,504 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J58 (JTD11D-20A) afterburning turbojet with compressor bleed bypass, 20,500 lbf (91 kN) thrust each dry, 31,500 lbf (140 kN) with afterburner

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 2,275 mph (3,661 km/h, 1,977 kn) at 80,000 ft (24,000 m)[6]
  • Maximum speed: Mach 3.35
  • Combat range: 3,000 mi (4,800 km, 2,600 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 90,000 ft (27,400 m)
  • Rate of climb: 11,820 ft/min (60 m/s)
  • Thrust/weight: 0.44

Armament

Avionics

  • Hughes AN/ASG-18 look-down/shoot-down fire control radar

See also

Related development

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ Johnson's speech named the plane A-11, the name for the two-seat design.

Citations

  1. ^ Pace, Steve (1995). X-Planes at Edwards. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-61060786-5.
  2. ^ Pace 2004, pp. 45–46.
  3. ^ Pace 2004, pp. 46–47.
  4. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 40–41.
  5. ^ Jn., J. S. B. (November 1964). "Nine Times Better" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. USAF.
  6. ^ a b c Green and Swanborough, 1988, p. 350.
  7. ^ "Hughes AIM-47 Falcon". Designation systems.
  8. ^ a b McIninch 1996, p. 15.
  9. ^ a b c Air Force Museum Foundation, 1983, p. 133.
  10. ^ McIninch 1996, p. 14.
  11. ^ "Super jet fighter unveiled by U.S." Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. 1 October 1964. p. 1.
  12. ^ a b Pace 2004, p. 53.
  13. ^ Donald 2003, pp. 148, 150.
  14. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, p. 44.
  15. ^ Knaack, 1978.
  16. ^ SR-71 Blackbird By Paul F Crickmore. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781472813176
  17. ^ Drendel 1982, p. 6.
  18. ^ a b "NASA - NASA Dryden Technology Facts - YF-12 Flight Research Program". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  19. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 62, 75.
  20. ^ Pace 2004, pp. 109–10.
  21. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 49–55.
  22. ^ Dugan, James F. Jr. "Preliminary study of supersonic-transport configurations with low values of sonic boom", p. 18. NASA Lewis Research Center, March 1973. Retrieved: March 2012. (PDF)
  23. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, p. 40.
  24. ^ Robert P. Lyons (30 April 1986). THE SEARCH FOR AN ADVANCED FIGHTER: A HISTORY FROM THE XF-108 TO THE ADVANCED TACTICAL FIGHTER (PDF) (Report). Defense Technical Information Center. p. 10. (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2019.
  25. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, p. 46.
  26. ^ Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 49–50.
  27. ^ "61-7951". www.habu.org.
  28. ^ "YF-12A/60-6935." 4 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved: 16 April 2013.
  29. ^ "YF-12A/60-6934." 23 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Hill Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 16 April 2013.
  30. ^ Goodall and Miller, 2002.

Bibliography

  • Air Force Museum Foundation Inc. US Air Force Museum. Dayton, Ohio: Wright-Patterson AFB, 1983.
  • Donald, David, ed. "Lockheed's Blackbirds: A-12, YF-12 and SR-71". Black Jets. AIRtime, 2003. ISBN 1-880588-67-6.
  • Drendel, Lou. SR-71 Blackbird in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1982, ISBN 0-89747-136-9.
  • Goodall, James and Jay Miller. Lockheed's SR-71 'Blackbird' Family. Hinchley, England: Midland Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-85780-138-5.
  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1988, ISBN 0-7607-0904-1.
  • Jenkins, Dennis R. Lockheed Secret Projects: Inside the Skunk Works. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing, 2001, ISBN 978-0-7603-0914-8.
  • Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis. Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters. Minnesota, US: Specialty Press, 2008, ISBN 978-1-58007-111-6.
  • Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 Post-World War II Fighters 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
  • Landis, Tony R. and Dennis R. Jenkins. Lockheed Blackbirds. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, revised ed., 2005, ISBN 1-58007-086-8.
  • McIninch, Thomas. "". Center for the Study of Intelligence, Central Intelligence Agency, 2 July 1996. Retrieved: 10 April 2009.
  • Pace, Steve. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Swindon: Crowood Press, 2004, ISBN 1-86126-697-9.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed YF-12.
  • Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969–1979 by Peter W. Merlin (PDF book)
  • YF-12A Flight Manual and YF-12A #60-6935 Photos on SR-71.org
  • NASA videos: Take-off, Mid-air Refueling
  • The Lockheed Martin YF-12 NASA documentary

March 11, 2023
lockheed, american, mach, capable, high, altitude, interceptor, prototype, developed, manufactured, american, aerospace, company, lockheed, corporation, 12yf, 12arole, interceptor, aircraftmanufacturer, lockheed, corporationfirst, flight, august, 1963status, c. The Lockheed YF 12 was an American Mach 3 capable high altitude interceptor prototype developed and manufactured by American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation YF 12YF 12ARole Interceptor aircraftManufacturer Lockheed CorporationFirst flight 7 August 1963Status CanceledPrimary users United States Air ForceNASANumber built 3Developed from Lockheed A 12It was developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s as a potential replacement for the F 106 Delta Dart interceptor for the United States Air Force USAF The YF 12 was a twin seat version of the then secret single seat Lockheed A 12 reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Central Intelligence Agency CIA unlike the A 12 it was furnished with the Hughes AN ASG 18 fire control radar and could be armed with AIM 47 Falcon GAR 9 air to air missiles Its maiden flight was on 7 August 1963 Its existence was publicly revealed by President Lyndon B Johnson on 24 February 1964 this move was to provide plausible deniability for the CIA operated A 12 fleet which closely resembled the prototype YF 12 During the 1960s the YF 12 underwent flight evaluations by the USAF but funding to put it into operational use was not forthcoming partly due to the pressing demands of the Vietnam War and other military priorities It set and held speed and altitude world records of over 2 000 miles per hour 3 200 km h and over 80 000 feet 24 000 m later surpassed by the closely related SR 71 Blackbird and is the world s largest heaviest and fastest crewed interceptor 1 Following its retirement by the USAF it served as a research aircraft for NASA for a time which used it to develop several significant improvements in control for future supersonic aircraft Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 2 1 Air Force testing 2 2 NASA testing 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Accidents and incidents 6 Aircraft on display 7 Specifications YF 12A 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Notes 9 2 Citations 9 3 Bibliography 10 External linksDesign and development EditIn the late 1950s the United States Air Force USAF sought a replacement for its F 106 Delta Dart interceptor As part of the Long Range Interceptor Experimental LRI X program the North American XF 108 Rapier an interceptor with Mach 3 speed was selected However the F 108 program was canceled by the Department of Defense in September 1959 2 During this time Lockheed s Skunk Works was developing the A 12 reconnaissance aircraft for the U S Central Intelligence Agency CIA under the Oxcart program Kelly Johnson the head of Skunk Works proposed to build a version of the A 12 named AF 12 by the company the USAF ordered three AF 12s in mid 1960 3 Picture of the modified chine to accommodate the AN ASG 18 radar The AF 12s took the seventh through ninth slots on the A 12 assembly line these were designated as YF 12A interceptors 4 The main changes involved modifying the A 12 s nose by cutting back the chines to accommodate the huge Hughes AN ASG 18 fire control radar originally developed for the XF 108 with two infrared search and track sensors embedded in the chine leading edge and the addition of the second cockpit for a crew member to operate the fire control radar for the air to air missile system 5 The modifications changed the aircraft s aerodynamics enough to require ventral fins to be mounted under the fuselage and engine nacelles to maintain stability Three of the four bays previously used to house the A 12 s reconnaissance equipment were converted to carry Hughes AIM 47 Falcon GAR 9 missiles 6 One bay was used for fire control equipment 7 Lockheed YF 12A Serial 60 6934 the only YF 12A in ADC markings The first YF 12A flew on 7 August 1963 6 President Lyndon B Johnson announced the existence of the aircraft A 8 on 24 February 1964 9 10 The YF 12A was announced in part to continue hiding the A 12 its still secret ancestor any sightings of CIA Air Force A 12s based at Area 51 in Nevada could be attributed to the well publicized Air Force YF 12As based at Edwards Air Force Base in California 8 The first public showing of the aircraft was on 30 September 1964 at Edwards 11 On 14 May 1965 the Air Force placed a production order for 93 F 12Bs for its Air Defense Command ADC 12 However Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara would not release the funding for three consecutive years due to Vietnam War costs 12 Updated intelligence placed a lower priority on defense of the continental US so the F 12B was deemed no longer needed Then in January 1968 the F 12B program was officially ended 13 Operational history EditAir Force testing Edit YF 12A overflying a mountain During flight tests the YF 12As set a speed record of 2 070 101 miles per hour 3 331 505 km h and altitude record of 80 257 86 feet 24 462 60 m both on 1 May 1965 9 and demonstrated promising results with its unique weapon system Six successful firings of the AIM 47 missiles were completed and a seventh failed due to a gyro failure on one of the missiles The last one was launched from the YF 12 at Mach 3 2 at an altitude of 74 000 feet 23 000 m to a JQB 47E target drone 500 feet 150 m off the ground 14 The missile did not have a warhead but still managed to hit the B 47 directly and take a 4 foot section off its tail The Air Force considered it a success and ordered 96 aircraft and had an initial budget of 90 million to further testing but this was withheld by Secretary of Defense McNamara who on 23 November 1967 15 put it towards the much less successful F 106X program that nearly failed 16 The successful AIM 47 Falcon missile was increased in size and performance and became the AIM 54 Phoenix missile for the F 14 Tomcat The AN ASG 18 radar was upgraded to become the AN AWG 9 and APG 71 which added the ability to track multiple targets One of the Air Force test pilots Jim Irwin would go on to become a NASA astronaut and walk on the Moon The program was abandoned following the cancellation of the production F 12B but the YF 12s continued flying for many years with the USAF and with NASA as research aircraft NASA testing Edit NASA Overview of the YF 12 circa 1974 26 38 source source source source source source source source The initial phase of the test program included objectives aimed at answering some questions about implementation of the B 1 Air Force objectives included exploration of its use in a tactical environment and how airborne early warning and control AWACS would control supersonic aircraft The Air Force portion was budgeted at US 4 million The NASA tests would answer questions such as how engine inlet performance affected airframe and propulsion interaction boundary layer noise heat transfer under high Mach conditions and altitude hold at supersonic speeds The NASA budget for the 2 5 year program was US 14 million 17 The YF 12 and SR 71 originally suffered from severe control issues that affected both the engines and the physical control of the aircraft Wind testing at NASA Dryden and YF 12 research flights developed computer systems that nearly completely solved the performance issues Testing revealed vortices from the nose chines interfering with intake air which led to the development of a computer control system for the engine air bypasses A computer system to reduce unstarts was also developed which greatly improved stability They also developed a flight engineering computer program called Central Airborne Performance Analyzer CAPA that relayed engine data to the pilots and informed them of any faults or issues with performance and indicated the severity of malfunctions 18 Another system called Cooperative Airframe Propulsion Control System CAPCS greatly improved the control of supersonic aircraft in flight At such high speeds even minor changes in direction caused the aircraft to change position by thousands of feet and often had severe temperature and pressure changes CAPCS reduced these deviations by a factor of 10 The overall improvements increased range of the SR 71 by 7 percent 18 Of the three YF 12As AF Ser No 60 6934 was damaged beyond repair by fire at Edwards AFB during a landing mishap on 14 August 1966 its rear half was salvaged and combined with the front half of a Lockheed static test airframe to create the only SR 71C 19 20 YF 12A AF Ser No 60 6936 was lost on 24 June 1971 due to an in flight fire caused by a failed fuel line both pilots ejected safely just north of Edwards AFB YF 12A AF Ser No 60 6935 is the only surviving YF 12A it was recalled from storage in 1969 for a joint USAF NASA investigation of supersonic cruise technology and then flown to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton Ohio on 17 November 1979 9 YF 12C on ramp A fourth YF 12 aircraft the YF 12C was actually the second SR 71A AF Ser No 61 7951 This SR 71A was re designated as a YF 12C and given the fictitious Air Force Serial Number 60 6937 from an A 12 to maintain SR 71 secrecy The aircraft was loaned to NASA for propulsion testing after the loss of YF 12A AF Ser No 60 6936 in 1971 The YF 12C was operated by NASA until September 1978 when it was returned to the Air Force 21 The YF 12 had a real field sonic boom overpressure value between 33 5 and 52 7 N m2 0 7 to 1 1 lb ft2 below 48 was considered low 22 Variants EditYF 12A Pre production version Three were built 23 F 12B Production version of the YF 12A with various improvements such as an increased combat radius from 1 200 to 1 350 nautical miles and an improved fire control system with increased bomber detection range from 100 to 125 miles 24 canceled before production could begin 25 YF 12C Fictitious designation for an SR 71 provided to NASA for flight testing The YF 12 designation was used to keep SR 71 information out of the public domain 26 From 1971 to 1978 61 7951 was temporarily loaned to NASA from the Air Force as YF 12C 06937 27 Operators Edit United StatesUnited States Air Force NASAAccidents and incidents Edit24 July 1971 YF 12A 60 6936 Article 1003 was lost in an accident near Edwards Air Force Base California United States Aircraft on display Edit YF 12A AF Ser No 60 6935 in the National Museum of the USAF YF 12AYF 12A AF Ser No 60 6935 Article 1002 at the National Museum of the U S Air Force Wright Patterson AFB Dayton Ohio This aircraft has small patches in its skin on the starboard side below the cockpit The patches cover holes caused by the spurs of a crewman who had to evacuate the plane after an emergency landing 28 SR 71C AF Ser No 61 7981 portion of the former YF 12A AF Ser No 60 6934 is on display at the Hill Aerospace Museum Hill AFB Utah 29 Specifications YF 12A Edit Data from Lockheed s SR 71 Blackbird Family 30 General characteristicsCrew 2 pilot and fire control officer FCO Length 101 ft 8 in 30 97 m Wingspan 55 ft 7 in 16 95 m Height 18 ft 6 in 5 64 m Wing area 1 795 sq ft 167 m2 Aspect ratio 1 7 Empty weight 60 730 lb 27 604 kg Gross weight 124 000 lb 56 200 kg Max takeoff weight 140 000 lb 63 504 kg Powerplant 2 Pratt amp Whitney J58 JTD11D 20A afterburning turbojet with compressor bleed bypass 20 500 lbf 91 kN thrust each dry 31 500 lbf 140 kN with afterburnerPerformance Maximum speed 2 275 mph 3 661 km h 1 977 kn at 80 000 ft 24 000 m 6 Maximum speed Mach 3 35 Combat range 3 000 mi 4 800 km 2 600 nmi Service ceiling 90 000 ft 27 400 m Rate of climb 11 820 ft min 60 m s Thrust weight 0 44Armament Missiles 3 Hughes AIM 47A air to air missiles located internally in fuselage baysAvionics Hughes AN ASG 18 look down shoot down fire control radarSee also Edit Aviation portalRelated development Lockheed A 12 M 21 drone carrier Lockheed SR 71 BlackbirdRelated lists List of military aircraft of the United States List of Lockheed aircraft List of fighter aircraftReferences EditNotes Edit Johnson s speech named the plane A 11 the name for the two seat design Citations Edit Pace Steve 1995 X Planes at Edwards p 11 ISBN 978 1 61060786 5 Pace 2004 pp 45 46 Pace 2004 pp 46 47 Landis and Jenkins 2005 pp 40 41 Jn J S B November 1964 Nine Times Better PDF Air Force Magazine USAF a b c Green and Swanborough 1988 p 350 Hughes AIM 47 Falcon Designation systems a b McIninch 1996 p 15 a b c Air Force Museum Foundation 1983 p 133 McIninch 1996 p 14 Super jet fighter unveiled by U S Spokesman Review Spokane Washington Associated Press 1 October 1964 p 1 a b Pace 2004 p 53 Donald 2003 pp 148 150 Landis and Jenkins 2005 p 44 Knaack 1978 SR 71 Blackbird By Paul F Crickmore Bloomsbury ISBN 9781472813176 Drendel 1982 p 6 a b NASA NASA Dryden Technology Facts YF 12 Flight Research Program www nasa gov Retrieved 24 April 2020 Landis and Jenkins 2005 pp 62 75 Pace 2004 pp 109 10 Landis and Jenkins 2005 pp 49 55 Dugan James F Jr Preliminary study of supersonic transport configurations with low values of sonic boom p 18 NASA Lewis Research Center March 1973 Retrieved March 2012 PDF Landis and Jenkins 2005 p 40 Robert P Lyons 30 April 1986 THE SEARCH FOR AN ADVANCED FIGHTER A HISTORY FROM THE XF 108 TO THE ADVANCED TACTICAL FIGHTER PDF Report Defense Technical Information Center p 10 Archived PDF from the original on 21 January 2019 Landis and Jenkins 2005 p 46 Landis and Jenkins 2005 pp 49 50 61 7951 www habu org YF 12A 60 6935 Archived 4 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine National Museum of the USAF Retrieved 16 April 2013 YF 12A 60 6934 Archived 23 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Hill Aerospace Museum Retrieved 16 April 2013 Goodall and Miller 2002 Bibliography Edit Air Force Museum Foundation Inc US Air Force Museum Dayton Ohio Wright Patterson AFB 1983 Donald David ed Lockheed s Blackbirds A 12 YF 12 and SR 71 Black Jets AIRtime 2003 ISBN 1 880588 67 6 Drendel Lou SR 71 Blackbird in Action Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1982 ISBN 0 89747 136 9 Goodall James and Jay Miller Lockheed s SR 71 Blackbird Family Hinchley England Midland Publishing 2002 ISBN 1 85780 138 5 Green William and Gordon Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters New York Barnes amp Noble 1988 ISBN 0 7607 0904 1 Jenkins Dennis R Lockheed Secret Projects Inside the Skunk Works St Paul Minnesota MBI Publishing 2001 ISBN 978 0 7603 0914 8 Jenkins Dennis R and Tony R Landis Experimental amp Prototype U S Air Force Jet Fighters Minnesota US Specialty Press 2008 ISBN 978 1 58007 111 6 Knaack Marcelle Size Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems Volume 1 Post World War II Fighters 1945 1973 Washington DC Office of Air Force History 1978 ISBN 0 912799 59 5 Landis Tony R and Dennis R Jenkins Lockheed Blackbirds North Branch Minnesota Specialty Press revised ed 2005 ISBN 1 58007 086 8 McIninch Thomas The Oxcart story Center for the Study of Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency 2 July 1996 Retrieved 10 April 2009 Pace Steve Lockheed SR 71 Blackbird Swindon Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 697 9 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed YF 12 Mach 3 NASA USAF YF 12 Flight Research 1969 1979 by Peter W Merlin PDF book YF 12A Flight Manual and YF 12A 60 6935 Photos on SR 71 org YF 12 fact sheet on USAF Museum site Where are they now Map of the location of every Blackbird USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers for 1960 including all A 12s YF 12As and M 21s NASA videos Take off Mid air Refueling The Lockheed Martin YF 12 NASA documentary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lockheed YF 12 amp oldid 1138353517, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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