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The Lockheed YF-12 is an American Mach 3+ capable, high-altitude interceptor prototype, developed and manufactured by American aerospace company Lockheed Corporation.. The interceptor 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).
It was the precursor to the twin-seat U.S. Air Force YF-12 prototype interceptor, M-21 launcher for the D-21 drone, and the SR-71 Blackbird, a slightly longer variant able to carry a heavier fuel and camera load. The A-12 began flying missions in 1967 and its final mission was in May 1968; the program and aircraft were retired in June.
The J58s were retrofitted as they became available, and became the standard engine for all subsequent aircraft in the series (A-12, YF-12, M-21), as well as the SR-71. The A-12 flew missions over Vietnam and North Korea before its retirement in 1968. The program's cancellation was announced on 28 December 1966, [15] due both to budget concerns ...
The Pratt & Whitney J58 (company designation JT11D-20) is an American jet engine that powered the Lockheed A-12, and subsequently the YF-12 and the SR-71 aircraft. It was an afterburning turbojet engine with a unique compressor bleed to the afterburner that gave increased thrust at high speeds.
The Lockheed Martin SR-72, colloquially referred to as "Son of Blackbird", [1] is an American hypersonic concept intended for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) proposed privately in 2013 by Lockheed Martin as a successor to the retired Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. In 2018, company executives said an SR-72 test vehicle could fly ...
Chined fuselage of an SR-71 Blackbird The front view of the A-12 showing forebody shaped into chines Chines visible on the Northrop YF-23. In aircraft design, a chine is a longitudinal line of sharp change in the cross-section profile of the fuselage or similar body.
The information and experience Johnson gained was later used to produce the A-12 spy plane for the Central Intelligence Agency. Johnson then used the combined knowledge of the Kingfisher and A-12 to produce the SR-71 Blackbird. [16] Johnson also led the development of the SR-71 Blackbird family of aircraft. Through a number of significant ...
Designations YF-110 and YF-112 through YF-116 were acquired (captured or purchased) foreign aircraft used for evaluation and aggressor training. Designations YF-117 and YF-118 were black projects , with the F-117 designation later becoming the official Tri-Service designation of the production variant of the former.