Did anyone actually verify this guy's story? Did he actually have the pins and other memorabilia he claimed to have gotten when he was accepted into the Skunk Works crew? He sounds like a teller of tall tails to me.
Worked at Locheed in Burbank Calif in the 1980s. Was an electronic installation mechanic. Worked on the stealth fighter program. Moved to Rockwell after that and worked on the B1 bomber program as well as installing electronics on the Endeavor shuttle. Top of the list of my favorite jobs over my lifetime.
Amazing life man, i was just a humble post room guy then went into pest control in London….aint that just as exiting as your jobs ??😂😂😂. 😢…..b1 bomber….endeavor…..that’s so cool 😎
My Great Grandfather worked for Lockheed skunk works a long time ago!! He was mechanical engineer. He build parts for the SR-71 among others! What’s interesting is my Grandfather was a full bird colonel and he had the honor of actually flying the SR-71!! I have the pictures of him in air flying the Blackbird!!! He served 37 years in USAF He was a brilliant man and a proud officer. God rest his soul!!🇺🇸
That was amazing!!! Enginerring at its finest. Using drafting tables, slide rulers, and wind tunnels to create masterpieces of aviation. Hats off to all those men & women who made this possible.
My dad worked at Lockheed for 20 years as Senior Aeronautical Engineer up till 1973 on the Syealth Bomber. He designed the cockpit and fuselage. Excited to hopefully see him in this . He worked Liaison with the pilots. He died in 1982, I miss my dad.
i had a great uncle worked there on the stealth program also... he was in charge of the coating they used on the outside of the craft, the new stealths he say are sprayed with a final coating made up of a meteorite dust mixture and he said it could withstand temps hotter than our sun, my uncle worked on the stealth program in the late 60s surprising how long the program has been around, he said they didnt use meteorite dust on the coating till later in the program in the 70s... he passed away like 4 years ago so i dont have n ofear letting out what i know
I have a cousin who worked at Lockheed from the early 60's until her retirement in 2012. She was a manager over all the working drawings for all the projects Lockheed was working on. She kept them safe and controlled who had access to see or work on those drawings.
My dad worked at the Lockheed Skunk Works for many years in Burbank. He was a Design Engineer. We lived in Granada Hills. Sometimes dad would have to leave for a week or two. We were little kids then and we never knew where he went. Lockheed had a emergency phone number mom could call if she had a home emergency. When Dad would come back from one of his trips he would give us kids silver dollars. I kept them all this time and I still have them. Of course they flew into Las Vegas and then on to a unmarked plane that went to Area 51. It wasn't until 1964 that President Johnson announced the existence of the SR-71. He worked on a lot of things there. One of the things he helped design was a periscope that was operated the rear seater. The purpose of this was to see if the mini SR-71, that was actually a drone, launched properly. The rear seater launched the drone. When I was in Junior high Dad took me to a lecture at the Skunk Works about the shoot down of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto. Yamamoto was the architect of the Peral Harbor attack that started WW2. He was shot down by a Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The pilot's last name was Barber as I recall. He shook my hand after the lecture. When I got back to school I told all the guys that I shook the hand of the pilot who shot down Yamamoto.
@@SolarWarden88 Aurora is code name for the new black projects. It's really not one craft, it's many. You want to know something really crazy, they also work with holographic tech, the UFO over Phoenix in 1997 was one.
@@therabbithole9606 For sure, and if we take the official narrative of Aurora being "procurement line funding for the B2" being incorrect or a lie, what were the craft(s) of legacy from the mid-80s to the mid-late 90s. What did Chris Gibson see in 1989? Was crashed at RAF Boscombe in 1994? Did we have space-planes, extreme high orbit, operating simultaneously on top of the SR71? SO many questions! lol.
This is the best video I've ever seen that spells out just what an incredible engineer Kelly Johnson was. He was always many years ahead of the men around him. I don't know if it will be possible to ever surpass him. He was a man of vision that surpassed anything from anyone in his profession. RIP sir 🫡🇺🇸 🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️
He was good but the best out off the box aircraft designers back in those days came from the U.K. with out them it would have taken longer to break the sound barrier as it was brit engineering that enabled that also the F17 was designed by a Brit designer, the Americans stole all the out of the box british designers from Britain, he’ll look at the v bombers the Brits where flying back in the the 1950 and 60s the designs where light years ahead off the Americans
Very very cool man, I'm very very grateful for his small insight. An obvious team player. He holds resentments for how secretive he had to be but he did an excellent job.
Normally any manager who was this extremely hands on would utterly sabotage anything he/she was involved with. So how did Kelly Johnson pull off this absolute magic? He surrounded himself with dedicated talent, then he actually listened to his people. Imagine that! I cannot think of any other who has accomplished what he did. Much less given his level of control- which is most often counterproductive. Kelly Johnson was as unique as the aircraft he and his teams designed.
His secret was in getting rid of all the pencil pushers and letting his team get on with the job. Although he watched everyone like a hawk, he was smart enough not to stick his nose into things unless necessary.
hmm, your idea that a "hands on" manager would "sabotage" a project is (please don't be offended) absurd... a hands on manager is what makes projects like this work, or not... Kelly Johnson was the epitome of hands on.... Case in point, space shuttle, hands off managers sitting in their offices working on their PowerPoint presentations... aircraft lost because they were so far from the front line that they thought their wishful thinking could overcome the reality of frozen leaking seals...
I managed 5 franchise dealerships for 16 years. It was wild I left when COVID came about. Managing that many people (about 85) was just unbelievably difficult. I'm 38 now and retired thankfully. I don't think I can go back. Kelly Johnson was truly awesome. I live next to the air base at wpafb Dayton Ohio and to see some of their craft is truly amazing. God bless USA and Donald Trump!
My grandfather started at Lockheed in 1937 sweeping the floors on the Electra assembly line in Burbank he even said he got to meet Amelia Earhart when her Electra was getting some repairs before she disappeared. He was able to climb to better positions because of a aeronautical workers strike before the U.S. entered the war. He primarily worked on the P-38’s during the war and after Was sent to west Germany to help start the F-104 program the Germans were manufacturing them under license in Germany in the 50’s and 60’s. He also helped customize president Eisenhowers constellation Air Force One. The first 4 engine plane with that designation. He retired in 1972 from the research and development department at the empire plant Burbank California. And miss him very much. George W. Coombs
Man, those guys had really cool jobs. I always thought those Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth planes were so cool. Can you imagine being allowed to fly in one as a passenger. They really were awesome-looking aircraft. You could see how well-made they were gliding in the sky. Makes ya proud to be an American! 🇺🇸
My grandfather was a given one of those coffee cups by one of his customers. he even had the SR 71 +3 patch and a picture of five of the SR 71 pilots all signed .He was a barber near Beale Air Force Base ,He cut hair for almost sixty years. So he would talk to a lot of the people that worked out at Beale. They were coming to the shop all the time. So many pictures, signed, autograph,patches, etc..
Bill Yoak did work at Lockheed and he did a wonderful job at moping the floors. He always had a wild imagination but that's why we liked him. He was one of Jerry's kids and if you're old enough, you get the meaning.
"Bill has been around warbirds and P-51s since an early age. He was a master sheet metal artist and learned the trade many years ago. He started out with a job at Lockheed where his stepfather was working. Yoak progressed and later obtained the highest clearance even working at the famed area 51. He was looking for more and started his own aircraft business. He was an accomplished pilot and began to gravitate towards warbirds. He eventually flew almost every type of single engined fighter."
Nobody should die with secrets. IMO. Nobody. Unless it absolutely undisputedly saves lives. Gangsters think they're cool but imagine the amazing stories lost to time for no reason apart from paranoia.
Or if you just don’t care because growing up poor you have been looking at life imprisonment your entire life many times before. Problem is they put fund you even tho you’re smarter than all of them. They’re just moving pawns ♟ and you’ve already had them in check and one move away from mate.
I was fortunate enough to cross train with Air Force in my time in the US Army Air Cavalry. We spent some nights in Area 51. Many signs of No Cameras/Photographs around the area. Really the most fun was standing at end of runway at Nellis when the Thunderbirds landed.
I grew up 30 years going to air shows at offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue Nebraska it's sac headquarters so I've seen the SR-71, stealth bomber, f-117 nighthawk, Thunderbirds and blue angels and so many other amazing aircraft the F-22 raptor😅😅❤❤
@@PatWix-gq1jnI didn't realize you are a space traveler and know all of what's out there. Must have taken a few fill ups to cover all those millions of worlds😂
Just found out recently that my grandfather worked on the SR-71. I don’t want to say what his job but I will say that it had to do with the reconnaissance systems (wink wink). Can’t describe how proud I am to be descended from a man of that caliber. I’ve got MASSIVE shoes to fill. He said that he remembered how parts of the engine were plated with gold (not sheets, plating) for thermal conduction and radiative management. Anyhow, hope somebody learns something from that, can’t begin to imagine what we’re working on nowadays.
I didn’t know this about him. He skirted some rules once and did some tricks over the lake at Boy Scout camp. I know his son Scott who now flies that p-51 behind him in air shows. What an amazing story.
I was privileged to work on SDI at the White Sands Missile Range back in the day. It is officially known as: The US Army White Sands Test and Evaluation Command. It was a thrill to see such cutting edge technology unfold in front of me. We still can’t speak of it. Significant dollar fines and likely imprisonment. Crazy business, and they paid me to do it. I would like to have seen 51.
Kelly Johnson said this: "I'm not here to build the possible, but to overcome the impossible." When the first F35s were delivered to our Airforce in Australia, the aircrews and ground crews who had trained in the USA, were told when they first got to touch one, that "Kelly Johnson's dna is in this plane."
For 10 years, I worked on every part of all SR-71's and U-2's as the Section Chief of Metals Technology, Fabrication, Maintenance, Repairs, and Modifications. We made them fly faster and safer. It was amazing to be on the early morning launch support. Now I make rings from mission flown titanium parts of the SR-71 Blackbirds.
Kelly was truly a remarkable Engineer and Leader, leaving his mark on many planes and all the teams of creative individuals that made it all happen. Sometimes you just have to watch one of these documentaries to just fathom the broad and extensive affect all of his body of work did for aviation history. RIP Kelly!
What a dream job, even with all the threats for secrecy. My grandfather was an engineer for NASA and I was always so fascinated by what they do. Imagine working on projects only a few select people are privy to working on- amazing. The technology alone is fascinating
I’m not necessarily complaining, but I’m not sure how Bill Yoak figures into this story considering he is only featured in the documentary for a couple minutes prior to over an hour of 100% Lockheed history and Kelly Johnson biography with the company.
I had a friend who’s dad worked at area51 he was a firefighter working on burn pits he got really sick from exposure and retired around 97 he told me what he could witch wasn’t much he told me if he ever could he would tell me the truth but unfortunately he passed away a few years back
Whenever I see RUclips include a "context" information panel below a video, I know the video is going to be good! (Thanks RUclips - best algorithm ever) 😜
People just don't appreciate how iconic and versatile Kelly Johnson was. American aviation, and the World's as well both military and civilian owes a lot to this one visionary.
Kelly Johnson raised in Ishpeming, Michigans upper peninsula. Not far from there is Huron mountain club. Lots of American history in that place, hard to find info on it for a reason.
Him saying that breaks credibility with me, big time. Real pilots said they knew one test pilot who did 3.4, then both engines would quit due to shock cone ingestion or some such, so they kept the max at 3.2, 3.3 was emergency speed (missiles coming, etc). 4.4 is a lie beyond belief.
While I like the video the title is a bit misleading. No real discussion of what Area 51 was or is or mention of Groom Lake and ties to the U2, SR-71, or F-117 much less other activities beyond mentioning in the beginning. Actually would probably be better to split video in 2. Beginning interview and a Clarence Kelley Johnson video IMHO. Also wish the upside down SR-71 on pole for RCS testing was shown too. Just my thoughts. Still enjoyed the video.
Worked two one day assignments on administrative issues concerning pay. Found the food great and inexpensive. Inquired about those who actually lived there and found out a lot.of nice inepensive things to do: trap shoot, movies, pool, bowling etc. Biggest complaint was distance from.workers homes. Saw many young security men in brown uniforms but could not tell who they were. Rumors were they were all Marines rotated in and out on short duty assignments. At the time it was no big deal. Just a place where advanced aircraft were flown. Did see a plane take off. After a short roll It shot straight up. Wow!.I thought wow!
I spent quite a few months there working on a special project for my employer. Family thought I was in Las Vegas but I took a Janet flight to Tonopah on a daily basis except a 2 month period where I was working both DOE and DOD projects at the same time.
@@stevenf7683 Back in 1964 Tonopah was an impact range and I know of one tower shot there. What mess dead animals, wounded animals and pigs eating each ! In Tonopah the casino owner would let players see the dealer’s up cards blackjack.
@@tommorgan1291 I am quite aware of what has happened there. I worked at Los Alamos, Sandia, and Livermore National Laboratories in the past and had a few special projects I was assigned to that had testing done there. I am probably one of a very few people that got to commute by road between NTS and Tonopah Test Range as needed during a 3 month stretch of time. I got to drive between sites as much as needed for the 2 programs that were running concurrently. I think I did a total of 6 trips between the sites on a day once. Boy did my Q and TS-SSBI clearances get used back then -special projects are quite interesting.
Impressive story!! How I would have loved to have had a chance to work on aircraft like that!! That was amazing!! What's truly impressive is how the SR-71 was designed and built during a time before there were any calculators!! All that engineering work was done by hand and slide rules!! And then for decades they couldn't come up with another aircraft to surpass the success of the SR-71!! Amazing 👏!! They are now working on an SR-72 but in reality I don't think it will fly much faster than Mach 6.0 which still is truly amazing!! Mach 10.0 I think is unrealistic. At Mach 10.0 that's a rocket not an airplane!!!
Wow It's great to know that someone is still working and not staying at home and not doing anything, thank goodness that the military graduates with excellent grades and excellent military personnel who know their stuff work in these bases all over the world, we hope that they will also be able to decrease the costs for international management, for global warming and to find water in Africa and in case to be able to have much, much safer and more effective transport in Africa. all over the world in case there are always other countries competing
Imagine the feeling from a pilot when his craft just out speeds the opposition,( Me262 ) Imagine the relief from a pilot when his craft out turns the opposition ( P51 Mustang )
My Father used to change the tires on an SR71 out in Robins Air Force Base in GA. I remember seeing it as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.
I know how he feels, i was given the opportunity to Sell Aerospace alloys, (1998 to 2000) Aircraft alloys and there's times when you get to see Commercial and Military aircraft which is under development ,thus asking questions is the normal thing to do, Boeing, Qantas, Ansett airlines Hawker De Havilland ( OLD GAF Factory ) and the small maintenance bases were my clients. Before that i had never sold any specialised alloys , prior to that sold a lot of specialised engineering supply products, but not Aircraft Alloys ,learned so much, just how precise everything was done in the maintenance areas of the aircraft and mil spec alloys as well was the most fulfilling aspect of selling and discussing with aircraft engineers. 😎👌✌👍
I am very proud of those Americans who work at Area 51 today and in the past years. Americans can accomplish anything, most of it benefits all peoples.
I’m blown away with the amazing creation of the 71 blackbird and how cool does it look , Hats off to Kelly Johnson and to all the people involved with that epic craft , rip Kelly
@@KeithKman I did watch it - the plane couldn't handle the inlet temperatures that high. David Peters was an actual Blackbird pilot and says that the fastest it ever went was Mach 3.52 because of an unusual weather event over Murmansk. I, for one, believes a pilot of the SR-71 over someone else's memory of an event that they were not a part of, especially since they comment on the TR-2, which was a British plane not built by Lockheed (The TR-1 was a tactical reconnaissance version of the U-2) . You need to remember that while the plane might have been designed to fly faster, it is still limited to the temperature of the lowest alloy. If that temperature is exceeded, the plane breaks apart in the sky.
After the military I worked for General Atomics then Lockheed Martin. Nothing fast but UAV's. Predators, Reapers & Avengers. We as the public as so far behind in tech. If and when any of the tech gets funneled down to the public by way of dual use technology it will still be years. Some pretty cool stuff as far as hardware but to be honest it's so compartmentalized you don't have a full picture by design. But if your curious and stay around and talk to enough engineers you eventually learn it.
What Mach 4.4 they kept that quiet didn't they? (Wow!) I remember looking at a youtube video in which an ex F111F pilot stated that his plane can hit Mach (+3) officially Mach 2.5. Just makes you think what are the actual speeds modern USAF can achieve. We'll probably find out in decades to come!
According to David Peter's who actually flew the A-12 and SR-71, the fastest the plane could fly was Mach 3.52 and it was unusual because weather. Above that speed the titanium on the airframe would start to melt.
@@stevenf7683 Yes that may be true, I've never heard that before but was the SR-71 made 100% titanium or was there other secret materials involved. The SR-71 was like no other plane and when Bill Yoak talks about mach 4.4 he was probably talking classified information. At the start of the video he's not sure whether the information he's about to disclose on Area-51 is still classified or not. I'll go with 4.4, they wouldn't want us to know that though would they?
When they rebuilt the U-2 it was known as TR-1 not TR-2....obviously he's trying to mislead or just misspoke or didn't remember correctly...still a nice upload
The original program was code named Oxcart and it was a CIA aircraft designated A-12. The US air force wanted their own version with mods and that was designated the RS-71. The President presented the aircraft and mis-spoke and called it the SR-71. So that stuck. Groom Lake is the name of the actual test area for many classified programs. Saying Area-51 is like using just your house number on your street. There is a lot more there than just Area-51. The CIA will still redact "Groom Lake" on the Oxcart and U2 declassified documents. The U-2 was basically a glider that they then added an engine to. CIA didn't think the aircraft could be detected but they based their info on previous experience with older Russian gear. It turns out that the Soviets knew of every U2 fight and were not happy - until they shot one down.
That's awesome. You should ask him what he did, find out as much as possible. He must have some amazing stories of his time. There's probably a book in his years there. You could ask him to film it like an interview too if he would?
@@ianandjohnandmaniandreni9323 he’s a mechanical engineer and came up with the variable thrust cone in front of engine that move in and out changing the thrust potential ( my layman’s terminology)
The SR-71 holds the 'official' air speed record of 2,190mph or Mach 2.87. Mach 4.4 is 3,349mph. So either a slip of the tongue, misremembered, or, he forgot the official story & revealed the truth by accident!
At high altitude the speed of sound is lower or less. It holds the record at around 3.2. I've heard with an inlet redesign it could hit 3.7. Mach 4.4 needs to be questioned to be believed.
@@jamesoconnor8932 and I've never heard them say anywhere near that fast, and I as given Ben E Rich's book by a former skunk works employee years ago, and there were deff a few minor slips of the tongue in that book, and again, not that fast.
I feel sorry for the other people he named! If it's secret, he is not only playing with his own life, but with the wellbeing of all the other people he speaks about! 😔
These engineers and pilots are a National Treasure. I don't think we'll see this level of cooperation and talent ever again. Big money and crooked politicians have ruined it.
I was honored to have worked there on the F-117A Stealth from 85-89. I'll never forget, and enjoyed working with my commrades and the Lockeed Engineers. Took polygraph tests every 6mo. TS-SBI
4.4.? Maybe the airframe aerodynamically could theoretically do it but I read the engines c.i.t. (compressor inlet temp) could only handle 426c and the maths is 3.3-3.4 ... but hey maybe I wasn't there or part of it. I worked drones, and everything I heard on news about it is b.s. lol. Btw now that the "ninja" hellfire is out we can finally talk about it?
Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes
Always knew if a chunky fat Mig 31 could break Mach 3 the SR-71 must beam past that shit!
@My Name is ? shut up goofy
😊
Did anyone actually verify this guy's story? Did he actually have the pins and other memorabilia he claimed to have gotten when he was accepted into the Skunk Works crew? He sounds like a teller of tall tails to me.
😊😊p😊px I'm😊 PO 😅😊😊
Worked at Locheed in Burbank Calif in the 1980s. Was an electronic installation mechanic. Worked on the stealth fighter program. Moved to Rockwell after that and worked on the B1 bomber program as well as installing electronics on the Endeavor shuttle. Top of the list of my favorite jobs over my lifetime.
Amazing life man, i was just a humble post room guy then went into pest control in London….aint that just as exiting as your jobs ??😂😂😂. 😢…..b1 bomber….endeavor…..that’s so cool 😎
Did you get to work on the Rockwell Turbo Encabulator?
My Great Grandfather worked for Lockheed skunk works a long time ago!! He was mechanical engineer. He build parts for the SR-71 among others! What’s interesting is my Grandfather was a full bird colonel and he had the honor of actually flying the SR-71!! I have the pictures of him in air flying the Blackbird!!! He served 37 years in USAF He was a brilliant man and a proud officer. God rest his soul!!🇺🇸
Bless him
@@Dronescapes thank you and god bless you!!
That’s awesome!
Ohhhhhhhhh how COOL is that!
I am very proud and admire what was done there...
Love this. Thanks for sharing and God Bless your grandfather!
That was amazing!!! Enginerring at its finest. Using drafting tables, slide rulers, and wind tunnels to create masterpieces of aviation. Hats off to all those men & women who made this possible.
Men
My dad worked at Lockheed for 20 years as Senior Aeronautical Engineer up till 1973 on the Syealth Bomber. He designed the cockpit and fuselage. Excited to hopefully see him in this . He worked Liaison with the pilots. He died in 1982, I miss my dad.
👍🇺🇸
i had a great uncle worked there on the stealth program also... he was in charge of the coating they used on the outside of the craft, the new stealths he say are sprayed with a final coating made up of a meteorite dust mixture and he said it could withstand temps hotter than our sun, my uncle worked on the stealth program in the late 60s surprising how long the program has been around, he said they didnt use meteorite dust on the coating till later in the program in the 70s... he passed away like 4 years ago so i dont have n ofear letting out what i know
Bless them!
I dont miss him.
@getbrainseeds LOL when are you gonna 'let something out that you know' though?
I have a cousin who worked at Lockheed from the early 60's until her retirement in 2012. She was a manager over all the working drawings for all the projects Lockheed was working on. She kept them safe and controlled who had access to see or work on those drawings.
My grandad new a man who new a man that new a man that worked at Skunk works..😅😂
Hearing a narrator describe the stats of the sr71 still gives me goosebumps. Kelly was an amazing guy 😎
My dad worked at the Lockheed Skunk Works for many years in Burbank. He was a Design Engineer. We lived in Granada Hills. Sometimes dad would have to leave for a week or two. We were little kids then and we never knew where he went. Lockheed had a emergency phone number mom could call if she had a home emergency. When Dad would come back from one of his trips he would give us kids silver dollars. I kept them all this time and I still have them. Of course they flew into Las Vegas and then on to a unmarked plane that went to Area 51. It wasn't until 1964 that President Johnson announced the existence of the SR-71. He worked on a lot of things there. One of the things he helped design was a periscope that was operated the rear seater. The purpose of this was to see if the mini SR-71, that was actually a drone, launched properly. The rear seater launched the drone.
When I was in Junior high Dad took me to a lecture at the Skunk Works about the shoot down of Japanese Admiral Yamamoto. Yamamoto was the architect of the Peral Harbor attack that started WW2. He was shot down by a Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The pilot's last name was Barber as I recall. He shook my hand after the lecture. When I got back to school I told all the guys that I shook the hand of the pilot who shot down Yamamoto.
Did your dad ever mention the supposed Aurora craft? Does he know what it was/is? 😅
@@SolarWarden88 Aurora is code name for the new black projects. It's really not one craft, it's many. You want to know something really crazy, they also work with holographic tech, the UFO over Phoenix in 1997 was one.
@@therabbithole9606 For sure, and if we take the official narrative of Aurora being "procurement line funding for the B2" being incorrect or a lie, what were the craft(s) of legacy from the mid-80s to the mid-late 90s. What did Chris Gibson see in 1989? Was crashed at RAF Boscombe in 1994? Did we have space-planes, extreme high orbit, operating simultaneously on top of the SR71? SO many questions! lol.
My dad worked at Lockheed Skunk Works and he not once saw Paul Dosties' dad there.
my daddy was a sewage technician he knew his shit
This is the best video I've ever seen that spells out just what an incredible engineer Kelly Johnson was. He was always many years ahead of the men around him. I don't know if it will be possible to ever surpass him. He was a man of vision that surpassed anything from anyone in his profession. RIP sir 🫡🇺🇸 🙏❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️
He was good but the best out off the box aircraft designers back in those days came from the U.K. with out them it would have taken longer to break the sound barrier as it was brit engineering that enabled that also the F17 was designed by a Brit designer, the Americans stole all the out of the box british designers from Britain, he’ll look at the v bombers the Brits where flying back in the the 1950 and 60s the designs where light years ahead off the Americans
Very very cool man, I'm very very grateful for his small insight. An obvious team player. He holds resentments for how secretive he had to be but he did an excellent job.
Normally any manager who was this extremely hands on would utterly sabotage anything he/she was involved with. So how did Kelly Johnson pull off this absolute magic? He surrounded himself with dedicated talent, then he actually listened to his people. Imagine that! I cannot think of any other who has accomplished what he did. Much less given his level of control- which is most often counterproductive. Kelly Johnson was as unique as the aircraft he and his teams designed.
His secret was in getting rid of all the pencil pushers and letting his team get on with the job.
Although he watched everyone like a hawk, he was smart enough not to stick his nose into things unless necessary.
Great video and acurate
I would say first and foremost he was passion driven. Most everything else worked itself out as a result.
hmm, your idea that a "hands on" manager would "sabotage" a project is (please don't be offended) absurd... a hands on manager is what makes projects like this work, or not... Kelly Johnson was the epitome of hands on....
Case in point, space shuttle, hands off managers sitting in their offices working on their PowerPoint presentations... aircraft lost because they were so far from the front line that they thought their wishful thinking could overcome the reality of frozen leaking seals...
I managed 5 franchise dealerships for 16 years. It was wild I left when COVID came about. Managing that many people (about 85) was just unbelievably difficult. I'm 38 now and retired thankfully. I don't think I can go back. Kelly Johnson was truly awesome. I live next to the air base at wpafb Dayton Ohio and to see some of their craft is truly amazing. God bless USA and Donald Trump!
My grandfather started at Lockheed in 1937 sweeping the floors on the Electra assembly line in Burbank he even said he got to meet Amelia Earhart when her Electra was getting some repairs before she disappeared. He was able to climb to better positions because of a aeronautical workers strike before the U.S. entered the war. He primarily worked on the P-38’s during the war and after Was sent to west Germany to help start the F-104 program the Germans were manufacturing them under license in Germany in the 50’s and 60’s. He also helped customize president Eisenhowers constellation Air Force One. The first 4 engine plane with that designation. He retired in 1972 from the research and development department at the empire plant Burbank California. And miss him very much. George W. Coombs
sounds like the prequel to Goodwill Hunting.
Man, that sounds so amazing. What a life to be proud of. Started sweeping floors and worked his way up. Would love to hear more.
Does that make you a *_coomer_*
We had F-104 on our flight line ready to take for their flights all the time.
Nice fictional storytelling
This video is the holy grail of what little we know about Area 51 and I love it more then I do the u-2 and sr-71
NO BS HERE! Look at the way the man speaks! Just simple, straightforward and matter-of-factly!
Man, those guys had really cool jobs. I always thought those Northrop Grumman B-2 Stealth planes were so cool. Can you imagine being allowed to fly in one as a passenger. They really were awesome-looking aircraft. You could see how well-made they were gliding in the sky. Makes ya proud to be an American! 🇺🇸
Thats a fine work of a documentation! unseen pictures and movies.
Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing this!
My grandfather was a given one of those coffee cups by one of his customers. he even had the SR 71 +3 patch and a picture of five of the SR 71 pilots all signed .He was a barber near Beale Air Force Base ,He cut hair for almost sixty years. So he would talk to a lot of the people that worked out at Beale. They were coming to the shop all the time. So many pictures, signed, autograph,patches, etc..
My Grandfather, an aeronautical engineer, worked on many lockheed aircraft including the constellation, U2, A12, SR71,SST and many others.
Bill Yoak did work at Lockheed and he did a wonderful job at moping the floors. He always had a wild imagination but that's why we liked him. He was one of Jerry's kids and if you're old enough, you get the meaning.
🤣🤣👍👍
Glad u commented. 10 seconds in, the guy seemed oily to me. Next video.
"Bill has been around warbirds and P-51s since an early age. He was a master sheet metal artist and learned the trade many years ago. He started out with a job at Lockheed where his stepfather was working. Yoak progressed and later obtained the highest clearance even working at the famed area 51. He was looking for more and started his own aircraft business. He was an accomplished pilot and began to gravitate towards warbirds. He eventually flew almost every type of single engined fighter."
@@Badmotherfuckerism Bill is also highly medicated.
@Wombats he’s too young
When you don't have much life left, life imprisonment doesn't scare you as much.
Nobody should die with secrets. IMO. Nobody. Unless it absolutely undisputedly saves lives. Gangsters think they're cool but imagine the amazing stories lost to time for no reason apart from paranoia.
People with nothing to lose are deemed dangerous, too dangerous.
Pppssycho and sad too have no legacy..
Or if you just don’t care because growing up poor you have been looking at life imprisonment your entire life many times before. Problem is they put fund you even tho you’re smarter than all of them. They’re just moving pawns ♟ and you’ve already had them in check and one move away from mate.
Exactly. Area51 was the highlight of my 29yr USAF career. Better then Desert Storm & Afghanistan. I'd do it again. I still see things...
I was fortunate enough to cross train with Air Force in my time in the US Army Air Cavalry. We spent some nights in Area 51. Many signs of No Cameras/Photographs around the area. Really the most fun was standing at end of runway at Nellis when the Thunderbirds landed.
I grew up 30 years going to air shows at offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue Nebraska it's sac headquarters so I've seen the SR-71, stealth bomber, f-117 nighthawk, Thunderbirds and blue angels and so many other amazing aircraft the F-22 raptor😅😅❤❤
This video was very well made, thank you very much.
You're very welcome!
If it weren't for these guys no one would believe aliens exist. Thanks a lot for that.....
What aliens? We are all the ones live in space here on God's earth okay. No aliens out in space.lts not true you know
@PatWix-gq1jn ignorance is bliss huh.
@@PatWix-gq1jnI didn't realize you are a space traveler and know all of what's out there. Must have taken a few fill ups to cover all those millions of worlds😂
Wow. Absolutely amazing men of integrity and dedication. There is not much else to say.
WOW..... highly classified, CIA, we'll make a film about it, OUTSTANDING. Thank you for this video.
Just found out recently that my grandfather worked on the SR-71. I don’t want to say what his job but I will say that it had to do with the reconnaissance systems (wink wink).
Can’t describe how proud I am to be descended from a man of that caliber. I’ve got MASSIVE shoes to fill. He said that he remembered how parts of the engine were plated with gold (not sheets, plating) for thermal conduction and radiative management.
Anyhow, hope somebody learns something from that, can’t begin to imagine what we’re working on nowadays.
I didn’t know this about him. He skirted some rules once and did some tricks over the lake at Boy Scout camp. I know his son Scott who now flies that p-51 behind him in air shows. What an amazing story.
Dear Bill Yoak, thank you for your Service.👌✌👍😎
I was privileged to work on SDI at the White Sands Missile Range back in the day. It is officially known as: The US Army White Sands Test and Evaluation Command. It was a thrill to see such cutting edge technology unfold in front of me. We still can’t speak of it. Significant dollar fines and likely imprisonment. Crazy business, and they paid me to do it. I would like to have seen 51.
I still visited White Sands as a member of special projects at LANL. I also got to go to Tonopah for some projects.
Kelly Johnson said this: "I'm not here to build the possible, but to overcome the impossible."
When the first F35s were delivered to our Airforce in Australia, the aircrews and ground crews who had trained in the USA, were told when they first got to touch one, that "Kelly Johnson's dna is in this plane."
And here's hoping someday they finally get all the bugs out after close to 20 years.
No it isn't, the F-35 violated one of his golden rules. "NEVER do business with the Navy or Marines, as they will send you to the poor house."
@@yourhandlehere1 shhhhhh
@@hanzat_molemaev Oh right... I meant uh..."get those bugs off the windshield".
Haha silly autocorrect
@@yourhandlehere1 thank you. That's better. 👌
For 10 years, I worked on every part of all SR-71's and U-2's as the Section Chief of Metals Technology, Fabrication, Maintenance, Repairs, and Modifications. We made them fly faster and safer. It was amazing to be on the early morning launch support. Now I make rings from mission flown titanium parts of the SR-71 Blackbirds.
I took a look at your website! Wicked cool stuff! Would love to be able to afford something one day!
I think your job is pretty amazing,.. which leads me to believe your a pretty smart guy..nothing Sexier than a smart man....
How much for a ring?
Excellent production.
Thanks for listening
The sound of a F104 Starfighter is unique, there was an air show at Dobbins AFB in early 90’s and I heard one for the first time.
great documentary. I hope America continues to build aircraft and not subcontract with other countries.
Kelly was truly a remarkable Engineer and Leader, leaving his mark on many planes and all the teams of creative individuals that made it all happen. Sometimes you just have to watch one of these documentaries to just fathom the broad and extensive affect all of his body of work did for aviation history. RIP Kelly!
It would be very impressive if he mentioned ANYTHING about antigravity tech, the Philly project or teleport secrets
I thought maybe the tr3 would be brought up! (Edit for spelling)
The most interesting thing about Area 51 is the fact that everyone loves who they worked with while there. Many great minds must be buried in there
@@noahmac9231 - Exackery
What a dream job, even with all the threats for secrecy. My grandfather was an engineer for NASA and I was always so fascinated by what they do. Imagine working on projects only a few select people are privy to working on- amazing. The technology alone is fascinating
THIS. Is fcking AWESOME. Thanks for the post!!
Glad you like it!
I’m not necessarily complaining, but I’m not sure how Bill Yoak figures into this story considering he is only featured in the documentary for a couple minutes prior to over an hour of 100% Lockheed history and Kelly Johnson biography with the company.
I had a friend who’s dad worked at area51 he was a firefighter working on burn pits he got really sick from exposure and retired around 97 he told me what he could witch wasn’t much he told me if he ever could he would tell me the truth but unfortunately he passed away a few years back
Too bad he didn’t talk before he died. Lots of old timers have done that
Kelly was a great man, anyone who goes hands on in production they understand so much more!!
You are so right Rick 👍
Just like Elon musk does.
Whenever I see RUclips include a "context" information panel below a video, I know the video is going to be good! (Thanks RUclips - best algorithm ever) 😜
The A-12, YF-12 and The SR-71.. Three of The Most Awesomely Amazing Aircraft Ever Built..and Absolute Beauties 👊👊💯💯
Dude i love your videos thank you
Thanks for watching and for the kind compliment NirvanaAndSirens!
Great video, thanks for posting
🙏
People just don't appreciate how iconic and versatile Kelly Johnson was. American aviation, and the World's as well both military and civilian owes a lot to this one visionary.
Could have left Area 51 completely out of the title. It is 99% about Kelley Johnson. He deserves top billing.
Oh man this video got me going!!!!
ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VDEOS IVE EVER SEEN.
👍👍🙏
People like Kelly Johnson are one in millions. Remember folks he didn’t do it alone, he was a team builder.
Kelly Johnson raised in Ishpeming, Michigans upper peninsula. Not far from there is Huron mountain club. Lots of American history in that place, hard to find info on it for a reason.
I have always knew that the aircraft was definitely capable of exceeding the reported mach 3.4/3.5
WoW 4.4
Engines were toasted after 3.3 or so. Overhaul required after. $$$$
Him saying that breaks credibility with me, big time. Real pilots said they knew one test pilot who did 3.4, then both engines would quit due to shock cone ingestion or some such, so they kept the max at 3.2, 3.3 was emergency speed (missiles coming, etc). 4.4 is a lie beyond belief.
I always felt 6 Mach, but the "Aurora" was faster...
4.4 mach
While I like the video the title is a bit misleading. No real discussion of what Area 51 was or is or mention of Groom Lake and ties to the U2, SR-71, or F-117 much less other activities beyond mentioning in the beginning. Actually would probably be better to split video in 2. Beginning interview and a Clarence Kelley Johnson video IMHO. Also wish the upside down SR-71 on pole for RCS testing was shown too. Just my thoughts. Still enjoyed the video.
Agreed. Misleading title. But great content.
Worked two one day assignments on administrative issues concerning pay. Found the food great and inexpensive. Inquired about those who actually lived there and found out a lot.of nice inepensive things to do: trap shoot, movies, pool, bowling etc. Biggest complaint was distance from.workers homes. Saw many young security men in brown uniforms but could not tell who they were. Rumors were they were all Marines rotated in and out on short duty assignments. At the time it was no big deal. Just a place where advanced aircraft were flown. Did see a plane take off. After a short roll It shot straight up. Wow!.I thought wow!
I spent quite a few months there working on a special project for my employer. Family thought I was in Las Vegas but I took a Janet flight to Tonopah on a daily basis except a 2 month period where I was working both DOE and DOD projects at the same time.
@@stevenf7683 Back in 1964 Tonopah was an impact range and I know of one tower shot there. What mess dead animals, wounded animals and pigs eating each ! In Tonopah the casino owner would let players see the dealer’s up cards blackjack.
@@tommorgan1291 I am quite aware of what has happened there. I worked at Los Alamos, Sandia, and Livermore National Laboratories in the past and had a few special projects I was assigned to that had testing done there. I am probably one of a very few people that got to commute by road between NTS and Tonopah Test Range as needed during a 3 month stretch of time. I got to drive between sites as much as needed for the 2 programs that were running concurrently. I think I did a total of 6 trips between the sites on a day once. Boy did my Q and TS-SSBI clearances get used back then -special projects are quite interesting.
Impressive story!! How I would have loved to have had a chance to work on aircraft like that!! That was amazing!! What's truly impressive is how the SR-71 was designed and built during a time before there were any calculators!! All that engineering work was done by hand and slide rules!! And then for decades they couldn't come up with another aircraft to surpass the success of the SR-71!! Amazing 👏!! They are now working on an SR-72 but in reality I don't think it will fly much faster than Mach 6.0 which still is truly amazing!! Mach 10.0 I think is unrealistic. At Mach 10.0 that's a rocket not an airplane!!!
Mechanical calculators have been around since the 1600’s. Commercially available since the 1800’s.
I'm glad to know good information.
Wow It's great to know that someone is still working and not staying at home and not doing anything, thank goodness that the military graduates with excellent grades and excellent military personnel who know their stuff work in these bases all over the world, we hope that they will also be able to decrease the costs for international management, for global warming and to find water in Africa and in case to be able to have much, much safer and more effective transport in Africa. all over the world in case there are always other countries competing
In the 70s, My dad had a flight school at Burbank Airport - so I grew up on the outskirts of Skunkworks Burbank
Imagine the feeling from a pilot when his craft just out speeds the opposition,( Me262 ) Imagine the relief from a pilot when his craft out turns the opposition ( P51 Mustang )
20:13 yeah that skip doesn't seem super sus.
Something's definitely up at our Groom Lake facility.
That's a very exclusive club of people skilled enough that Kelly Johnson considers them worth hiring.
👍
I wish I could upvote this twice
🙏🙏
Excellent video.
I just found out kelly was born in the same town i was born and raised in. Ishpeming, Michigan. I thought that was so cool!
Thank you for this work
You're very welcome Randy
Great documentary about an amazing man. Wow.
Wow, thank you!
My Father used to change the tires on an SR71 out in Robins Air Force Base in GA. I remember seeing it as a kid and thinking it was the coolest thing ever.
Robins Air Force Base, located in Georgia, was one of the primary bases where the SR-71 was maintained and serviced. * I just learned this today
It was certainly one of the coolest, and it probably will forever be
Imagine not knowing about the sr71 in the 60s now Imagine what they have now
To be an excelent shepherd is not easy task, that is compensate by huge passion
I know how he feels, i was given the opportunity to Sell Aerospace alloys, (1998 to 2000) Aircraft alloys and there's times when you get to see Commercial and Military aircraft which is under development ,thus asking questions is the normal thing to do, Boeing, Qantas, Ansett airlines Hawker De Havilland ( OLD GAF Factory ) and the small maintenance bases were my clients.
Before that i had never sold any specialised alloys , prior to that sold a lot of specialised engineering supply products, but not Aircraft Alloys ,learned so much, just how precise everything was done in the maintenance areas of the aircraft and mil spec alloys as well was the most fulfilling aspect of selling and discussing with aircraft engineers.
😎👌✌👍
Awesome content
🙏❤
I am very proud of those Americans who work at Area 51 today and in the past years. Americans can accomplish anything, most of it benefits all peoples.
Control through fear, just beautiful 👤
There it is! The SR-71 could fly mach 4.4. Incredible!
YUP, it also says in the flight manual.
I’m blown away with the amazing creation of the 71 blackbird and how cool does it look , Hats off to Kelly Johnson and to all the people involved with that epic craft , rip Kelly
Nope. Fastest it ever went was Mach 3.52 according to Blackbird pilot David Peters.
@@stevenf7683 Did you watch the video you are commenting on? Clearly you didn’t. 😅
@@KeithKman I did watch it - the plane couldn't handle the inlet temperatures that high. David Peters was an actual Blackbird pilot and says that the fastest it ever went was Mach 3.52 because of an unusual weather event over Murmansk. I, for one, believes a pilot of the SR-71 over someone else's memory of an event that they were not a part of, especially since they comment on the TR-2, which was a British plane not built by Lockheed (The TR-1 was a tactical reconnaissance version of the U-2) . You need to remember that while the plane might have been designed to fly faster, it is still limited to the temperature of the lowest alloy. If that temperature is exceeded, the plane breaks apart in the sky.
Is there a full version of the first interview ? Would love to hear it.
After the military I worked for General Atomics then Lockheed Martin. Nothing fast but UAV's. Predators, Reapers & Avengers. We as the public as so far behind in tech. If and when any of the tech gets funneled down to the public by way of dual use technology it will still be years. Some pretty cool stuff as far as hardware but to be honest it's so compartmentalized you don't have a full picture by design. But if your curious and stay around and talk to enough engineers you eventually learn it.
Every Wednesday at the Area 51 cafeteria the special is ham hocks with sauerkraut! Umumum good!
What Mach 4.4 they kept that quiet didn't they? (Wow!)
I remember looking at a youtube video in which an ex F111F pilot stated that his plane can hit Mach (+3) officially Mach 2.5.
Just makes you think what are the actual speeds modern USAF can achieve.
We'll probably find out in decades to come!
I can’t believe there aren’t more 4.4 comments
According to David Peter's who actually flew the A-12 and SR-71, the fastest the plane could fly was Mach 3.52 and it was unusual because weather. Above that speed the titanium on the airframe would start to melt.
@@stevenf7683 Yes that may be true, I've never heard that before but was the SR-71 made 100% titanium or was there other secret materials involved. The SR-71 was like no other plane and when Bill Yoak talks about mach 4.4 he was probably talking classified information. At the start of the video he's not sure whether the information he's about to disclose on Area-51 is still classified or not.
I'll go with 4.4, they wouldn't want us to know that though would they?
The most crucial, highly sensitive and secured govt of USA research centre which is still undiscovered
When they rebuilt the U-2 it was known as TR-1 not TR-2....obviously he's trying to mislead or just misspoke or didn't remember correctly...still a nice upload
The original program was code named Oxcart and it was a CIA aircraft designated A-12. The US air force wanted their own version with mods and that was designated the RS-71. The President presented the aircraft and mis-spoke and called it the SR-71. So that stuck.
Groom Lake is the name of the actual test area for many classified programs. Saying Area-51 is like using just your house number on your street. There is a lot more there than just Area-51. The CIA will still redact "Groom Lake" on the Oxcart and U2 declassified documents.
The U-2 was basically a glider that they then added an engine to. CIA didn't think the aircraft could be detected but they based their info on previous experience with older Russian gear. It turns out that the Soviets knew of every U2 fight and were not happy - until they shot one down.
Mk-Ultra Partical Physics, for jets, teleporting method, shape shifting, to weld injuries/damage
Cool archival footage.
I like how he points out the seat belts in the chase car are a good idea.
The Avro Arrow was an interceptor at over Mach 2 in the 50s
USA politics/greed ruined the program. They would be scared if the Avro be a threat since it did over Mach 2 cruising.
My grandfather worked on the Skunk works SR-71 program and retired from Lockheed with 35 years in. He is 98 years old so this guy is a little young
That's awesome.
You should ask him what he did, find out as much as possible. He must have some amazing stories of his time.
There's probably a book in his years there.
You could ask him to film it like an interview too if he would?
@@ianandjohnandmaniandreni9323 he’s a mechanical engineer and came up with the variable thrust cone in front of engine that move in and out changing the thrust potential ( my layman’s terminology)
@JO’ MaMa Inlet spike. Adjustable in and out, to move the shockwave within the engine.
The SR-71 holds the 'official' air speed record of 2,190mph or Mach 2.87. Mach 4.4 is 3,349mph. So either a slip of the tongue, misremembered, or, he forgot the official story & revealed the truth by accident!
At high altitude the speed of sound is lower or less. It holds the record at around 3.2. I've heard with an inlet redesign it could hit 3.7. Mach 4.4 needs to be questioned to be believed.
mach 4.4 at above 40,000 feet is 660mph x 4.4 =2,904 mph ! not 3349. speed of sound at sea level is 760mph.
@@jamesoconnor8932 and I've never heard them say anywhere near that fast, and I as given Ben E Rich's book by a former skunk works employee years ago, and there were deff a few minor slips of the tongue in that book, and again, not that fast.
The fastest the Blackbird ever flew was Mach 3.52 according to David Peter's - a Blackbird pilot. Things in the airframe would melt above that speed.
I feel sorry for the other people he named! If it's secret, he is not only playing with his own life, but with the wellbeing of all the other people he speaks about! 😔
Amazing 👏
I'm familiar with TR 3 b, but what is TR2? I've never even heard of that one?
These engineers and pilots are a National Treasure. I don't think we'll see this level of cooperation and talent ever again. Big money and crooked politicians have ruined it.
🙂😂😂❤️. This channel keeps me going
I can’t believe that I am going to watch this video.
PJ DOC MAGOO
I was honored to have worked there on the F-117A Stealth from 85-89. I'll never forget, and enjoyed working with my commrades and the Lockeed Engineers. Took polygraph tests every 6mo. TS-SBI
😯🙂👍👍
What kind of stuff did you get asked?
Waffle
My grandfather is Bruce Galt
@@JOMaMa.. - I probably met him. It’s been so long ago. I’m 67.
4.4.? Maybe the airframe aerodynamically could theoretically do it but I read the engines c.i.t. (compressor inlet temp) could only handle 426c and the maths is 3.3-3.4 ... but hey maybe I wasn't there or part of it. I worked drones, and everything I heard on news about it is b.s. lol. Btw now that the "ninja" hellfire is out we can finally talk about it?
The fastest it ever flew was Mach 3.52 due to an unusual weather event according to Blackbird pilot David Peters.
Awesome video. Where did you get all this footage from?
Searching the web 🕸
@@factsdonthavefeelingsbeawa2953 But where did the web get it from!?
RAF Mildenhall, England, mid to end of '80's. USAF ARFF, Black was a European home. And that's all I'm saying 🇺🇲💪❤️