It’s still King of the Hill. Which is odd considering it’s pretty much 50 year old technology. I honestly think Lockheed has a 2nd Gen in the works and we will only find out about it when the time comes.
I would argue that the YF-12 is at least as interesting, it is the fastest fighter plane ever built after all. Maybe not so maneuverable in a dogfight but speed Vs maneuverability have been discussed since Fokker Dr I Vs Spad XIII in 1917 and speed usually wins. But yeah, these planes were out of this world. Sadly, the end of them came down to their price tag. Not only were they insanely expensive to build, operational cost would make an F-35 choke.
Remember getting the chance to visit the USS Intrepid museum and seeing the A12. Stunning aircraft with the most beautiful lines, I was in awe. Just a few days later I was married in Central Park. March 2011.
Thank you! My Father worked for Lockheed on the L-1011 Tri Star, and I'm a fan of the company. That was the best explanations of the various technologies and developments I've ever seen. Looking forward to the next installment. I recall, when I was 5 or 6 (1966 or '67) seeing the SR-71 on static display at an employee open house event. It was roped off and had armed guards near it, but it was pretty awesome!
Thank you for the excellent overview of the A-12 and its relatives; looking forward to more. I was lucky to watch an SR-71 take off from MacDill in the summer of 1969 or '70, on my to work at the ARTCC Center. Once it rotated, lifted off and immediately tucked up the gear, it was just GONE, like a movie spaceship in warp drive. I'll never see that again, but I'll never forget it. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972).
when i was on midway island in 1969 there was a SR-71 there which i had to guard a few times. i heard how it took off. the guy explained that it took half the run way and shot straight up and was gone. i would have liked to seen that.
@@wrightflyer7855 yes it was some thing new for me. actually there were other firsts for me that year. the crew of the pueblo stop there for a while on their way back to the states . we were ordered to stay in our barracks but we looked out our windows when they came through the hanger bay. i was among some of the sailors as honor guard for former president Nixon. when he met the president of South Viet Nam there. i guess i will stop there since those were the high lights of my year long stay. oh yeah Bob Hope stop there on his way to the Nam.
I remember seeing the SR-71's TEB tanks being swapped out at RAF Mildenhall in the 80's. Guy was in one of those silver fire suits and there was a firetruck parked in front of the aircraft with the nozzle pointed at whichever engine he was servicing. They actually pulled them out of the hangers they normally hid in to do that servicing.
Thank You , this brought back a lot of old memories . As a young child of 13 years , I got to see the A-12's long before the rest of the world knew anything about it . My Father was the Corporate Insurance Broker for Lockheed Aircraft , and one time we were invited to the Skunk Works by Kelly Johnson and I got to see Two A-12's being assembled inside the Skunk Works . --- (P.S. : I also got to witness the Testing of the YB-49 Flying Wing and the X-15 Rocket Plane .).
@@farmerlarbear2244 -- Actually NO , I grew up in Burbank , a couple of miles South of the North-South Runway of the Lockheed Air Terminal . Also during that time period I got to see a U-2 in flight , it flew low over the schoolyard of the Junior High School I attended . I was out on the playground after Lunch , when this big shadow passed over the School , I looked up and it was one of the U-2's gliding in to land at Lockheed .
I was fascinated by this aircraft at the age of 12. I treasured the model of the Black Bird I had assembled. I knew she was a special plain way back in 1969. I still get Goose Bumps when I see the A-12.
33:29 - One of my favorite anecdotes about the SR-71 missions came from Air Force pilot, Brian Shul. The Soviets had recently introduced a new surface-to-air missile, of which the U.S. had almost no information. A senior Air Force officer designed a mission that would have an SR-71 fly at great speed towards an area in the Soviet Union where those missiles had been recently deployed; but they were tasked with flying in a very obvious way that would allow the Soviets plenty of time to notice them and respond. Shul and his rear-seater, Walter Watson, were told they would need to obtain as much information about the missile as possible, tracking data, radar type... whatever they could get. Then, they would turn away at the last minute, without entering Soviet airspace. Shul realized there was one glaring issue with the mission, that being that the Soviets had no idea they were planning on turning away at the last moment. So, he asked, _"What happens if the Soviets really think we're about to enter into their airspace and they fire on us?"_ *_"That would be perfect... "_* said the officer (suddenly lost in thought about that prospect), *_"...that would give us launch data!"_*
@@NormAppleton-- Well, no... we haven't. I've got 42 likes on that post and, while I wouldn't automatically assume it's from people who've never heard it, I'm quite confident in assuming that at least a few of them had never hear it before. On top of that, I got a direct response from someone who very obviously had not heard the story before. That said though... Listen up, everyone... we all really need to start vetting all of our stories to ensure they're not more than a few months old. Poor Norman here is utterly incapable of skipping over stories and anecdotes he's heard before (you know... like a five year-old), because he doesn't know how to use his browser's back button (like a 90 year-old). We all need to step up and assist Norman in order to provide him some relief for this terrible affliction that's keeping him from being able to navigate through one of the easiest tasks on any given browser. I can't even imagine how horrible that must be for him.
@@thebonesaw..4634 Somewhat snarky in your response to Norm Appleton there Bonesaw, justifiably so, in my opinion! I might even have encountered the anecdote myself on some cable TV show such as Discovery, etc. years ago; But if so, I did not recall it while reading your comment, which remains an entertaining revelation whether or not some people have heard it before. Thanks for posting.
My favorite from the groundspeed on a trainingsflight, first a single engine small plane ask the tower for the groundspeed, then a twinprop, a Navypilot in a F18 wants brag and ask the tower for his groundspeed and after that the rio of the Sr can't help himself to show off that f18😁
I've watched pretty much every single video that you've made and I must say that this is your most detailed and interesting video that you've ever made......Well done my friend, 10 out of 10 for this brilliant video!!!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏
I agree, one of the best ive seen on this plane...as a kid Kelly Johnson was one of my heroes, never knew he actually got a ride- guarantee the controls were his for a bit too :)
You show that plane to anyone who doesn't know its history and ask them "when you this was designed?", you won't get an answer as early as 1964, most people would probably say 1990-2000 at earliest. It still looks futuristic today and its just a pity its so high maintenence and costly to maintain otherwise I'm sure they would still have a major military role today.
@@lookoutforchris Thanks for the date. Amazing that in five years it was operational. I have a chase plane photo, just a profile pic from right side (1964). It looks like a long, thin silver dart.
It’s been said countless times before, but this incredible series of aircraft, still unmatched in performance to this day, was created in an era before computer design and fluid dynamics software (hell, they didn’t even have calculators). Not only were the engineers using pencil, paper and sliderules, but also exotic materials almost none of them had any experience working with. They were inventing all the techniques and solutions as they went along. Such an impressive feat, and the resulting silhouette still looks like it’s from the future almost 70 years later. My favorite aircraft of all time, I never tire hearing/learning more about it and its escapades.
@@dilvishpa5776 Why? Because it was mach 1.3 slower than the Blackbird? Or because it was a pipe dream that was never operational? The reality of that plane is that all the hype about speeds and other things were nothing but theoretical future versions of it, it was only a mach 2 aircraft, plenty of other aircraft were already flying mach 2 at the time, the F104 and F106 were just as fast or faster not to mention what the Soviets were cooking up at the time. Most everything you think you know about the Arrow is exaggerations for the sake of sensationalism to sell books and make a TV movie.
@@dilvishpa5776 No, you haven't done your homework, overhyped BS intended to impress people for the sake of selling books and making a TV movie are not facts, try learning things from credible sources instead of movies and TV shows.
If you want to see an A-12 closeup , visit aerospace museum in Balboa Park , San Diego . They have one perched on a strong stand outside of the entrance so you can actually sit there on the edge of the flower bed that resides there ! Have your lunch or early breakfast with you & you will feel right at home ! The craft is gorgeous & it is difficult to comprehend that it was designed & flown during the era of planes still being built at Lindberg Field in San Diego. I always wished I worked in that factory on the field once I heard about the gorgeous " basement workers " that worked there also ......... I like Low altitudes for flying .......
Back in 67. On the way to Vietnam, we landed in Guam I believe and while there refueling. A YF-12 landed and taxied directly into a Hanger. First one I saw.
Same here. Stopped in Guam in July 1968 on a Flying Tiger Line DC-8 headed to Vietnam - saw that beauty taxi out of a hanger. It took off shortly thereafter, but could not see it from where I sat. I learned what it was much later.
Growing up in Southwest Montana it was not uncommon to hear the distinctive double sonic boom of these aircraft only not knowing what they were at that point in time. They would loop out of Groom Dry Lake heading north to rendezvous with tankers out of Glasgow Airforce base then resume their flight heading south and eventually back home. I can still vividly remember those booms.
I can’t stop thinking about the sleepless night that the engineer’s would’ve had to put into the development of these mind blowing machines. Wish I could meet even one of them.
It’s truly a marvel at the engineering of this plane. All the problems they had to overcome to make this plane functional, from special fuel that can withstand heat of flight to igniting it in the afterburner. From using titanium in 90% of the construction to having to invent methods and tools to be able to work with said titanium. Heck, even sourcing in from the number one geopolitical rival at the time is a story in itself. Another amazing part of the plane is the j58 engine. This plane is a friggin masterpiece. That being said, this was all done in the 1960s, before supercomputers. Imagine the crazy tech we have in black projects now… seeing as how we have a better understanding of metallurgy and the help of supercomputers to do calculations and aid with design. We have to have some insane prototypes in secret facilities somewhere.
This was a beautifully made documentary, great job @Skyships Eng! I never realized the SR-71 was so much chonkier than the A-12. I knew they were closely related, but seeing it frame-to-frame made it cristal clear.
I saw an A-12 in 2019 for first time at Hunstville, AL rocket museum. It doesn't look out of place in 21st century. My son was shocked to learn that it was older than both parents by ~20 years 😂
My dad was in Okinawa when the 1st birds arrived. He got to go see the first one there. They blacked out the base for landing but it's so loud most of the island knew it was there lol
My father was at Kadena in 1968. He said it looked alien. The MP's took his camera and told him he didn't see anything. I couldn't get anymore details from him unfortunately. I can't be sure whether it was an SR-71 or the A-12 though, they were both operating out of Kadena at that time.
my friend Frank Murray flew the A12 over n korea during i think 1968 and he would always talk about it to us, but we never knew what he was talking about until i watched his youtube on the oxcart project. I always wondered what the space suit he had sitting in his radio room was for. hell of a nice guy.
The story of the A-12 is best told by those who were involved with Project Oxcart AND were pilots of the A-12 of which there were very few. An old friend was one of these men and his stories have been a pleasure to hear. Some funny, all insightful and always based on fact. I’ve been fortunate to have known him to hear the his story. Aim High!
I was about 2 or 3 years old when my father, Joe Tomko, went up in the A12. I was on the field. My father was stationed at Ft Meade in laurel and did aerial photography. My father also knew President Johnson, and every President up to President George Bush. The day my father went up, he was so excited since he always wanted to fly. When they landed, my father looked like he was going to throw up...;-) He asked if I could go up, but I was too young...:-(
Kelley Johnson was years ahead of his time when he designed these aircraft. Can you imagine what he could do with the technology available in this time and place.
We do need someone to push the technological envelope again.. but it isn't Kelly Johnson. It's someone that grew up in the 80's or 90's, and understands the whole of modern tech in the way Johnson did in the 60's-70's.
@@ATBatmanMALS31 Thank God we got Elon Musk, so similar to Kelly Johnson in the way he approaches a problem, and handles the most basic designs... Keep it simple stupid!
I am constantly blow away by your content and production quality. Also, I just discovered your "Horizon" channel. If only my Russian were as good as your English! Please! Keep up the great work!
During my service in the AirForce I worked on these beasts. Yes, they always needed repair, but after 6 years working on them I was always amazed with the size of this cargo jet. I've crawled all over this jet and the spaces you can't see. You wouldn't believe the room in this thing you can't see. In the upper wings a short guy could stand up. More room under the floor, but unpressurized. I've tossed a nerff football back and forth inside the empty cargo compartment at 30 thousand feet. As a specialist we also repaired the C5 simulators, and of course we had to fly them to test out our repairs...if you know what I mean ! I also worked on the C141 a workhorse. I would have never believed I would later be transfer overseas during the Gulf War and end up injured and MedEvac back to the states for repairs myself, lol. I really enjoyed working on these hudge jets, but in the end the doctors couldn't repair me. I tried to continue to work inside repair shops for my specialty, but soon I was out of the game on a medical discharge, as time went on I couldn't walk. The AirForce did me right and gave me full retirement benefits. Unfortunately, a few years after retirement I was diagnosed with cancer from chemical exposure in service during the war. It's all part of the job, and of course I was compensated. I wouldn't trade my place and years I served in the AirForce for anything...I followed in my father's, a Korean War Vet, footsteps in a career in the AirForce and proud of it !
Super happy that I got to get up close and even lay my hand on the belly of an A12 at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum! Great episode Skyships!
The bird that any aviation fan cherish as the ultimate technological achievement, what a monster, what a wonder, so much ahead of its time, the state of the art of about anything. Along with Concorde, its civilian equivalent, 2 legendary machines that still keep on making me dream any time I see them. Wow. Thanks for a great video.
This aircraft has so many unconventional solutions to the myriad of problems. How many times, I wonder, in the development and testing, was said, "You want to do WHAT?"
When I was a kid I got a chance to go to the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. At that time (1980's), the planes were not cordoned off in any way, and I was allowed to get up close with the YF-12. The Blackbird and its kin were and still are my favorite aircraft, and I spent a long time looking over every inch of that plane, running my hands along the bottom of it feeling the texture, looking at the landing gear, and wishing I could see into the cockpit. That was a very special experience for me, and one I will never forget. Those planes are utterly amazing, and I think it's a shame that they are not still flying, especially considering the fact that the U2 still is.
@@TheBadboybrian - Perhaps not, but it is true to the best of my knowledge. I have also read that JP-7 fuel is no longer being made, which alone would be enough to ground the fleet. I could be wrong, of course, as you said.
Wow at 33:42 that’s at Dulles airport in Virginia when Udvar Hazy got their SR-71! That plane (on a flight to a museum where she would never fly again) set four speed records which still stand to this day, including west coast to east coast in 67 minutes averaging 2,124 MPH. I remember seeing her going into the temporary storage hanger on an ordinary commercial flight with my dad taxing to the terminal. Planes are always retired because something better comes along... the A-12/SR-71 will remain one of the few aircraft that will fade into the history books as the best in the world, never to be surpassed. Just another epic Skunkworks achievement!
That KC-135 sure is something with the new engine upgrades. Saw a few of them at low flight, and it’s a very neat plane (these days with small fuselage and 4 engines).
Soviets were kicking themselves when then learned how the US got the titanium…and titanium wielding techniques. (Joe Sutter’s book on 747 claimed they had a meeting in Paris, Soviets gave the technique, while US side explained some insight into 747 and pylon mounted engines. They even took the table cloth with scribbles on it)
Why? They made some money for a plane that never overflew the Soviet Union. Neither did the M-21, or the YF-12, or the SR-71... and the D-21 drone only accidentally did after overshooting China. No.. the only successful US overflights of Russia after Gary Powers (except for some very unsuccessful ones under Project Dark Gene) came from another Sutter design.. the OC-135 under the Treaty for Open Skies in the 1990s.
That meeting occurred years after the A-12 started flying. Lockheed already knew how to work with titanium. It was Boeing that need it for their 2707 supersonic airliner.
This has to be the best video I have seen concerning this airframe. When I was stationed on Okinawa, we always knew when the Habu was leaving because two F-15s and the KC refueler would take off. The Habu was soon to follow. We were able to see the reflections from the camera bays from our location. It was always a treat when we would be on the airbase and see it come out of its hangar.
As a teen I would see the SR at various airshows, always cordoned off, sometimes with armed sentries on guard. One time at Norton AFB in California, one was parked, no ropes, no covers over sensors elint ports etc, and you could walk right up to it. I said to my father, WEVE GOT SOMETHING ELSE. I was active duty USMC intelligence at the time-about 1982. The ole Sled was replaced by digital satellite intel gatherers. I did get to see them operate out of Beale AFB, Kadena AFB and in the UK. What a sight to see and hear.
That airplane when I was stationed at EDW AFB it was then designated YF-12A Y was for experiment back then in 1965, I was a mechanic on a TB-58 chase for the XB-70 maybe later the designation was changed. The YF-12A had internal air to air missels which no one mentions.I did have a top secret back then and often went to the secret TO room to read up on some of the airplanes in use at Edwards at the time. I am now 77
@@PegasusTenma1 It carried the AIM-54 Phoenix missile designed for the F-14, along with the AWG-9 fire control system. Why would it need the missile? The YF-12 was a prototype interceptor. It was thought the Russians were developing a supersonic bomber (ala XB-70) so an interceptor was needed. The missiles needed to be carried internally in order to preserve the area ruling needed to achieve Mach 3. The thing Sky failed to mention is the addition of the extra cockpit for the trainer version of the A-12 dropped its max speed to just over Mach 2. Yes, it really is that sensitive. (As an aerodynamicist, I want to say that this video is among the most technically accurate of any aviation video I have ever seen. As an aside, early in the video there is a short segment showing a wireframe model of the A-12. I think those may have been Flexstab models from Boeing's work on the aeroelastics.)
@@dougball328 It carried the AIM-47 missile and GAR-9 missiles, which were developed into the AWG-9 and AIM-54 Phoenix that the F-111B was to use and that the F-14 Tomcat ended up employing.
What, to be given a jet that would bankrupt him to find a place to _store_ it, let alone maintain it? Obviously he could never, ever in a million years afford to _fly_ it. 10,000 gallons of special, tailor-made jet fuel that is only used in a single aircraft (which leaks it all over the tarmac at a rate of 100 gallons per minute until it takes off and the airframe heats up and expands)? No problem, I'm sure he can afford that, easy! A personal refueling tanker to top the half filled tanks up after takeoff? Who doesn't have one of those kicking around? Some friend you are! That would be the ultimate white elephant gift! Almost like giving someone their own personal nuclear submarine. How could anyone but Jeff Bezos actually _use_ the thing? Or more realistically, like being given a $5,000,000 beach house...and no money to pay the enormous taxes that come with it. At least in that case you can sell the house and keep the money. Once Uncle Sam pockets 5-10% after all the various taxes on the sale, and the income, etc, etc.
@@justforever96 Yes William! I think he deserves all that support structure along with his Blackbird! We’ll add them to the Amazon order. God bless you brother. 💛🙏🏼
Such an amazing beast. The Experimental rocket planes like x-15 where cute but they lacked flexibility and where just fast. These skunk works oxcart predecessor I builds are still the cutting edge in declassified production aircraft. And they started sooo long ago.
The SR 71 and the A12 were the pinnacle of aircraft design. They both showed the pure genius of Kelly Johnson. Ive often wondered what he could have come up with if he had access to todays modern composites and computer components. I know aircraft design can only go so far pr at least i think so but maybe we will never know because we haven't seen a designer like him since him.
I would assume what we have today is something akin to a rocket that can fly over airspace with no thermal signature, undetected by radar and flying at such high speed that nothing can track or target it. And it probably is significantly cheaper than the SR 71. And I would say every branch of the US military probably has some variant.
A breathtaking technology that gives those who are allowed to fly this machine breathtaking impressions. Flying at the edge of space must be an unearthly experience - in every sense of the word.
An interesting nuance related to ensuring invisibility due to the frequency of the radar and the flight speed of the A-12 and Blackbird. Didn't know it
These marvels were designed and produced in days when advanced computers and simulations for design and production weren't available. Wow great, well done to the teams.
A great video. This should be mandatory for schools. To teach kids and teachers . That truly great things, come from the minds that have knowledge and creativity, and hands that have talent and experience to form those plans into one of aviations greatest achievements. These are the doors that reading, writing, math, sciences, history can open. These are what should be our primary focus in education. The basic resources to make Informed decisions and create ,build, operate and maintain. Amazing things that aid in our understanding of our world and beyond.
Welcome to the legendary Mach 3 family:
YF-12 interceptor: ruclips.net/video/hq-tvsdTQao/видео.html
M-21 and D-21 - mothership and drone: ruclips.net/video/Q_6sd6Nh3go/видео.html
SR-71 Blackbird: ruclips.net/video/YgO7IYvJscw/видео.html
A beautiful, highly sophisticated aircraft that was way ahead of its time and still looks amazing today.
000⁰0 0p 0p 00H 0900 0and 00000⁰
It’s aesthetics are timeless.
It’s still King of the Hill. Which is odd considering it’s pretty much 50 year old technology. I honestly think Lockheed has a 2nd Gen in the works and we will only find out about it when the time comes.
@@RalphieMuskinyaar ⁷⁷⁷⁶t
@@flipnotrab lm m
No
I never get tired of videos about the A-12/SR-71. They’re such amazing pieces of engineering.
As is your avatar pic. That would be so damn scary to see a warthog lining up on you. Especially if you heard it's 50 beforehand lol.
I would argue that the YF-12 is at least as interesting, it is the fastest fighter plane ever built after all. Maybe not so maneuverable in a dogfight but speed Vs maneuverability have been discussed since Fokker Dr I Vs Spad XIII in 1917 and speed usually wins.
But yeah, these planes were out of this world. Sadly, the end of them came down to their price tag. Not only were they insanely expensive to build, operational cost would make an F-35 choke.
@@loke6664 ;bq
@@loke6664 Well, if they ended due to price tag; what is china building to need a mach 30 wind tunnel?
@ Tamayo1980
Reentry vehicles.
They’ve been in space for decades.
Remember getting the chance to visit the USS Intrepid museum and seeing the A12. Stunning aircraft with the most beautiful lines, I was in awe. Just a few days later I was married in Central Park. March 2011.
such a lucky man viewing wine of the most legendary planes and getting a women I envy you
One of the most beautiful planes I´ve ever seen.
Oh pl
Great airplane
Супер, но мани не оправдал.
I think a close rival for that is another Lockheed product, the Constellation airliner.
So, this is it, everyone. Big video about the great plane! Enjoy!
We did
this vid isnt about elon musk's kid. big sad
Oy blin thats some hot booster fuel! Great video, thanks!
Thanks
@@m1a1abrams3 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you! My Father worked for Lockheed on the L-1011 Tri Star, and I'm a fan of the company. That was the best explanations of the various technologies and developments I've ever seen. Looking forward to the next installment.
I recall, when I was 5 or 6 (1966 or '67) seeing the SR-71 on static display at an employee open house event. It was roped off and had armed guards near it, but it was pretty awesome!
Thank you for the excellent overview of the A-12 and its relatives; looking forward to more. I was lucky to watch an SR-71 take off from MacDill in the summer of 1969 or '70, on my to work at the ARTCC Center. Once it rotated, lifted off and immediately tucked up the gear, it was just GONE, like a movie spaceship in warp drive. I'll never see that again, but I'll never forget it. Wright Flyer, USAF (1968-1972).
when i was on midway island in 1969 there was a SR-71 there which i had to guard a few times. i heard how it took off. the guy explained that it took half the run way and shot straight up and was gone. i would have liked to seen that.
@@johnboysssss That's pretty cool you got to guard it....at least you had some close up views of an operational SR-71 not many people get to see.
@@wrightflyer7855 yes it was some thing new for me. actually there were other firsts for me that year. the crew of the pueblo stop there for a while on their way back to the states . we were ordered to stay in our barracks but we looked out our windows when they came through the hanger bay. i was among some of the sailors as honor guard for former president Nixon. when he met the president of South Viet Nam there. i guess i will stop there since those were the high lights of my year long stay. oh yeah Bob Hope stop there on his way to the Nam.
Did you graduate from Beavercreek in ‘68?
@@jayrobertson232 it was in the Great Lakes training center.
I remember seeing the SR-71's TEB tanks being swapped out at RAF Mildenhall in the 80's. Guy was in one of those silver fire suits and there was a firetruck parked in front of the aircraft with the nozzle pointed at whichever engine he was servicing. They actually pulled them out of the hangers they normally hid in to do that servicing.
Where ya from ?😵
Thanks! Always great to hear from folks who've BTDT.
Thank You , this brought back a lot of old memories . As a young child of 13 years , I got to see the A-12's long before the rest of the world knew anything about it . My Father was the Corporate Insurance Broker for Lockheed Aircraft , and one time we were invited to the Skunk Works by Kelly Johnson and I got to see Two A-12's being assembled inside the Skunk Works . --- (P.S. : I also got to witness the Testing of the YB-49 Flying Wing and the X-15 Rocket Plane .).
Another Palmdale kid, I’m guessing?
@@farmerlarbear2244 -- Actually NO , I grew up in Burbank , a couple of miles South of the North-South Runway of the Lockheed Air Terminal . Also during that time period I got to see a U-2 in flight , it flew low over the schoolyard of the Junior High School I attended . I was out on the playground after Lunch , when this big shadow passed over the School , I looked up and it was one of the U-2's gliding in to land at Lockheed .
Interesting. Tell me this then, have you had any encounters with, direct or indirect, with the “Aurora” aircraft/spacecraft?
This is by far the most informative video I've seen on the A-12. Kudos!
Yeah- this guy did a really good job on this plane/ series of planes!
I was fascinated by this aircraft at the age of 12. I treasured the model of the Black Bird I had assembled. I knew she was a special plain way back in 1969. I still get Goose Bumps when I see the A-12.
33:29 - One of my favorite anecdotes about the SR-71 missions came from Air Force pilot, Brian Shul. The Soviets had recently introduced a new surface-to-air missile, of which the U.S. had almost no information. A senior Air Force officer designed a mission that would have an SR-71 fly at great speed towards an area in the Soviet Union where those missiles had been recently deployed; but they were tasked with flying in a very obvious way that would allow the Soviets plenty of time to notice them and respond. Shul and his rear-seater, Walter Watson, were told they would need to obtain as much information about the missile as possible, tracking data, radar type... whatever they could get. Then, they would turn away at the last minute, without entering Soviet airspace. Shul realized there was one glaring issue with the mission, that being that the Soviets had no idea they were planning on turning away at the last moment. So, he asked, _"What happens if the Soviets really think we're about to enter into their airspace and they fire on us?"_
*_"That would be perfect... "_* said the officer (suddenly lost in thought about that prospect), *_"...that would give us launch data!"_*
Great anecdotal revelation , The Bonesaw, and an entertaining one too!
we've ALL heard this story for the last 20 fucking years
@@NormAppleton-- Well, no... we haven't. I've got 42 likes on that post and, while I wouldn't automatically assume it's from people who've never heard it, I'm quite confident in assuming that at least a few of them had never hear it before. On top of that, I got a direct response from someone who very obviously had not heard the story before.
That said though...
Listen up, everyone... we all really need to start vetting all of our stories to ensure they're not more than a few months old. Poor Norman here is utterly incapable of skipping over stories and anecdotes he's heard before (you know... like a five year-old), because he doesn't know how to use his browser's back button (like a 90 year-old). We all need to step up and assist Norman in order to provide him some relief for this terrible affliction that's keeping him from being able to navigate through one of the easiest tasks on any given browser. I can't even imagine how horrible that must be for him.
@@thebonesaw..4634 Somewhat snarky in your response to Norm Appleton there Bonesaw, justifiably so, in my opinion!
I might even have encountered the anecdote myself on some cable TV show such as Discovery, etc. years ago; But if so, I did not recall it while reading your comment, which remains an entertaining revelation whether or not some people have heard it before. Thanks for posting.
My favorite from the groundspeed on a trainingsflight, first a single engine small plane ask the tower for the groundspeed, then a twinprop, a Navypilot in a F18 wants brag and ask the tower for his groundspeed and after that the rio of the Sr can't help himself to show off that f18😁
I've watched pretty much every single video that you've made and I must say that this is your most detailed and interesting video that you've ever made......Well done my friend, 10 out of 10 for this brilliant video!!!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏
Well said, fascinating details.
I agree, one of the best ive seen on this plane...as a kid Kelly Johnson was one of my heroes, never knew he actually got a ride- guarantee the controls were his for a bit too :)
You show that plane to anyone who doesn't know its history and ask them "when you this was designed?", you won't get an answer as early as 1964, most people would probably say 1990-2000 at earliest.
It still looks futuristic today and its just a pity its so high maintenence and costly to maintain otherwise I'm sure they would still have a major military role today.
It was flying by 1964
Design was started in 1959.
@@lookoutforchris Thanks for the date. Amazing that in five years it was operational. I have a chase plane photo, just a profile pic from right side (1964). It looks like a long, thin silver dart.
@@jsunit5354mñn o ver
beber
yeah and it was and still is better then the F22 or F35 will ever be
It’s been said countless times before, but this incredible series of aircraft, still unmatched in performance to this day, was created in an era before computer design and fluid dynamics software (hell, they didn’t even have calculators).
Not only were the engineers using pencil, paper and sliderules, but also exotic materials almost none of them had any experience working with. They were inventing all the techniques and solutions as they went along.
Such an impressive feat, and the resulting silhouette still looks like it’s from the future almost 70 years later. My favorite aircraft of all time, I never tire hearing/learning more about it and its escapades.
Computational fluid dynamics has existed since the 1940s when they used some of the first electronic computers for artillery shell ballistics.
If you think this aircraft is amazing, you should read about the history of the Avro Arrow.
@@dilvishpa5776
Why? Because it was mach 1.3 slower than the Blackbird? Or because it was a pipe dream that was never operational?
The reality of that plane is that all the hype about speeds and other things were nothing but theoretical future versions of it, it was only a mach 2 aircraft, plenty of other aircraft were already flying mach 2 at the time, the F104 and F106 were just as fast or faster not to mention what the Soviets were cooking up at the time.
Most everything you think you know about the Arrow is exaggerations for the sake of sensationalism to sell books and make a TV movie.
@@dukecraig2402 Not really. You haven’t done you homework on the plane, so best not to pretend you know anything
@@dilvishpa5776
No, you haven't done your homework, overhyped BS intended to impress people for the sake of selling books and making a TV movie are not facts, try learning things from credible sources instead of movies and TV shows.
If you want to see an A-12 closeup , visit aerospace museum in Balboa Park , San Diego . They have one perched on a strong stand outside of the entrance so you can actually sit there on the edge of the flower bed that resides there ! Have your lunch or early breakfast with you & you will feel right at home ! The craft is gorgeous & it is difficult to comprehend that it was designed & flown during the era of planes still being built at Lindberg Field in San Diego. I always wished I worked in that factory on the field once I heard about the gorgeous " basement workers " that worked there also ......... I like Low altitudes for flying .......
I cant even imagine how happy kelly johnson Was when he could fly with the plane he designed
Back in 67. On the way to Vietnam, we landed in Guam I believe and while there refueling. A YF-12 landed and taxied directly into a Hanger. First one I saw.
YF-12 in Guam? Interesting
Same here. Stopped in Guam in July 1968 on a Flying Tiger Line DC-8 headed to Vietnam - saw that beauty taxi out of a hanger. It took off shortly thereafter, but could not see it from where I sat. I learned what it was much later.
@@johnbuso4802
Glad you guy's made it back from Vietnam.
For what it's worth welcome home.
Growing up in Southwest Montana it was not uncommon to hear the distinctive double sonic boom of these aircraft only not knowing what they were at that point in time. They would loop out of Groom Dry Lake heading north to rendezvous with tankers out of Glasgow Airforce base then resume their flight heading south and eventually back home. I can still vividly remember those booms.
People in the UK could hear them as could people in other European countries but had no idea what it was.
I can’t stop thinking about the sleepless night that the engineer’s would’ve had to put into the development of these mind blowing machines. Wish I could meet even one of them.
using a slide rule
Absolutely dedicated engineers 👍
It’s truly a marvel at the engineering of this plane. All the problems they had to overcome to make this plane functional, from special fuel that can withstand heat of flight to igniting it in the afterburner. From using titanium in 90% of the construction to having to invent methods and tools to be able to work with said titanium. Heck, even sourcing in from the number one geopolitical rival at the time is a story in itself. Another amazing part of the plane is the j58 engine. This plane is a friggin masterpiece.
That being said, this was all done in the 1960s, before supercomputers. Imagine the crazy tech we have in black projects now… seeing as how we have a better understanding of metallurgy and the help of supercomputers to do calculations and aid with design. We have to have some insane prototypes in secret facilities somewhere.
What's even more incredible
Is how they got the basic materials for this project.
That is a story my friend
That would rate a book and movie itself.
This is the best of the best odyssey of RS 71 Blackbird în RUclips.
This was a beautifully made documentary, great job @Skyships Eng! I never realized the SR-71 was so much chonkier than the A-12. I knew they were closely related, but seeing it frame-to-frame made it cristal clear.
I saw an A-12 in 2019 for first time at Hunstville, AL rocket museum.
It doesn't look out of place in 21st century.
My son was shocked to learn that it was older than both parents by ~20 years 😂
Jet for the Star Wars
So much Smart went into this fabulous machine. I am even more amazed
My dad was in Okinawa when the 1st birds arrived. He got to go see the first one there. They blacked out the base for landing but it's so loud most of the island knew it was there lol
My father was at Kadena in 1968. He said it looked alien. The MP's took his camera and told him he didn't see anything. I couldn't get anymore details from him unfortunately. I can't be sure whether it was an SR-71 or the A-12 though, they were both operating out of Kadena at that time.
@@justinhannan1713 so this “you saw nothing” or “keep your mouth zipped” does happen after all? Interesting.
@@PegasusTenma1 speaking about classified stuff carries a rather long prison sentence
my friend Frank Murray flew the A12 over n korea during i think 1968 and he would always talk about it to us, but we never knew what he was talking about until i watched his youtube on the oxcart project. I always wondered what the space suit he had sitting in his radio room was for. hell of a nice guy.
Hello 👋 vagner
Dude would tell you about classified ops? 😳
I never turn down a good SR-71/A-12 documentary, and this one was outstanding. Great work!
Hello Sky, great video as usual. This plane is a worldwide rockstar and favorite of many. Keep up the great work dude...
Thank you for all the good videos. Tore, Norway👍
The story of the A-12 is best told by those who were involved with Project Oxcart AND were pilots of the A-12 of which there were very few. An old friend was one of these men and his stories have been a pleasure to hear. Some funny, all insightful and always based on fact. I’ve been fortunate to have known him to hear the his story. Aim High!
I was about 2 or 3 years old when my father, Joe Tomko, went up in the A12. I was on the field. My father was stationed at Ft Meade in laurel and did aerial photography. My father also knew President Johnson, and every President up to President George Bush.
The day my father went up, he was so excited since he always wanted to fly. When they landed, my father looked like he was going to throw up...;-) He asked if I could go up, but I was too young...:-(
Kelley Johnson was years ahead of his time when he designed these aircraft. Can you imagine what he could do with the technology available in this time and place.
No. No one could imagine what Kelly Johnson would do. Because he was Kelly Johnson and we're not.
We do need someone to push the technological envelope again.. but it isn't Kelly Johnson. It's someone that grew up in the 80's or 90's, and understands the whole of modern tech in the way Johnson did in the 60's-70's.
Kelley would throw his slide rule at the computer and exclaimed, ‘we don need no stinking computers’ 🤔😂
@@ATBatmanMALS31 Thank God we got Elon Musk, so similar to Kelly Johnson in the way he approaches a problem, and handles the most basic designs... Keep it simple stupid!
"That damned Swede can actually see air"
- Hall Hibbard
I am constantly blow away by your content and production quality.
Also, I just discovered your "Horizon" channel. If only my Russian were as good as your English! Please! Keep up the great work!
During my service in the AirForce I worked on these beasts. Yes, they always needed repair, but after 6 years working on them I was always amazed with the size of this cargo jet. I've crawled all over this jet and the spaces you can't see. You wouldn't believe the room in this thing you can't see. In the upper wings a short guy could stand up. More room under the floor, but unpressurized. I've tossed a nerff football back and forth inside the empty cargo compartment at 30 thousand feet. As a specialist we also repaired the C5 simulators, and of course we had to fly them to test out our repairs...if you know what I mean ! I also worked on the C141 a workhorse. I would have never believed I would later be transfer overseas during the Gulf War and end up injured and MedEvac back to the states for repairs myself, lol. I really enjoyed working on these hudge jets, but in the end the doctors couldn't repair me. I tried to continue to work inside repair shops for my specialty, but soon I was out of the game on a medical discharge, as time went on I couldn't walk. The AirForce did me right and gave me full retirement benefits. Unfortunately, a few years after retirement I was diagnosed with cancer from chemical exposure in service during the war. It's all part of the job, and of course I was compensated. I wouldn't trade my place and years I served in the AirForce for anything...I followed in my father's, a Korean War Vet, footsteps in a career in the AirForce and proud of it !
"Rapid unscheduled disassembly" :-) Nice one Sky. Nice one.
Musk approves
This is the Blackbird type doco to end all doco’s. - Bloody well done !!
This is great. Gives you a excellent view of the brilliant trade-offs needed to construct an operational aircraft.
"Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly"....lol...gotta love it.
Super happy that I got to get up close and even lay my hand on the belly of an A12 at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum! Great episode Skyships!
Love the adeptus mechanicus music in the video, its so fitting.
Jared
The bird that any aviation fan cherish as the ultimate technological achievement, what a monster, what a wonder, so much ahead of its time, the state of the art of about anything. Along with Concorde, its civilian equivalent, 2 legendary machines that still keep on making me dream any time I see them. Wow. Thanks for a great video.
The SR71 Blackbird isn’t just a plane it’s a “Work of Art” a beautiful looking plane🤷♂️😮🙂😀😍
This aircraft has so many unconventional solutions to the myriad of problems. How many times, I wonder, in the development and testing, was said, "You want to do WHAT?"
When I was a kid I got a chance to go to the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH. At that time (1980's), the planes were not cordoned off in any way, and I was allowed to get up close with the YF-12. The Blackbird and its kin were and still are my favorite aircraft, and I spent a long time looking over every inch of that plane, running my hands along the bottom of it feeling the texture, looking at the landing gear, and wishing I could see into the cockpit. That was a very special experience for me, and one I will never forget. Those planes are utterly amazing, and I think it's a shame that they are not still flying, especially considering the fact that the U2 still is.
You can't be sure of that, remember the CIA works mysteriously in every decade...we just simply do not know that for a Fact...
@@TheBadboybrian - Perhaps not, but it is true to the best of my knowledge. I have also read that JP-7 fuel is no longer being made, which alone would be enough to ground the fleet. I could be wrong, of course, as you said.
Great video, a short documentary in my opinion, very well made, scripted and narrated.
Subscribing straight away mate.
Wow at 33:42 that’s at Dulles airport in Virginia when Udvar Hazy got their SR-71! That plane (on a flight to a museum where she would never fly again) set four speed records which still stand to this day, including west coast to east coast in 67 minutes averaging 2,124 MPH.
I remember seeing her going into the temporary storage hanger on an ordinary commercial flight with my dad taxing to the terminal.
Planes are always retired because something better comes along... the A-12/SR-71 will remain one of the few aircraft that will fade into the history books as the best in the world, never to be surpassed. Just another epic Skunkworks achievement!
The SR71 used to fly low over parts of Suffolk regularly during the 80s to land at Mildenhall. We lived on the approach path.
Mildenhall.... Good old "Mouldy hole!" TDY six times there early in my career...
@@philhand5830 Haha, I will have to remember that name "Mouldy hole"
Okay, timing the ad spot for right in the MiB neuralizer clip is an artistic touch and I LOVE it.
Excellent documentary on the most amazing aeroplane ever made. Thanks!
Rapid, unscheduled disassembly. Love it!
This airplane truly looks like something straight out of StarWars. I love it.
I don’t know how I found this channel but I’m so glad I did. I’m not a big fan of planes but his videos are so well done and informative.
Very...very good episode...I would say...the best of this channel....!!!!!
More? Yes, please and thank you.
Fascinating documentary,and brilliant description of the working of her turbo ram-jets!
The thing to do is find the video of the speed checks with Los Angeles Center. I LOVE IT!!!
Seen that one, that was funny
That KC-135 sure is something with the new engine upgrades. Saw a few of them at low flight, and it’s a very neat plane (these days with small fuselage and 4 engines).
Great job on this vid Sky! Looking forward to the follow ups.
I don't want to take anything away from Lockheed but Convair Corp. Had some of the greatest ideas also.
The narration is superb, easy to listen to and I love the humor added in! Well done! New subscriber!
Crazy futuristic plane, even fo the XXI century. The year 1964. Incredible
Sky is the best dude!! Thank you so much sir! You definitely came through on your promise!
Very enjoyable. Looking forward to the following installments.
These are the most beautiful and most impressive aircraft ever made. I don't want to be funny but I have never seen a plane that could compare to it.
Try looking at BAe Concorde . . . ?
Soviets were kicking themselves when then learned how the US got the titanium…and titanium wielding techniques. (Joe Sutter’s book on 747 claimed they had a meeting in Paris, Soviets gave the technique, while US side explained some insight into 747 and pylon mounted engines. They even took the table cloth with scribbles on it)
Umm, the Soviets were building Alfa class double hull titanium fast attack nuclear subs in the mid '60's [wiki].
@@crankychris2 I think you should re-read the OP.
What were they using for the aircraft surface that did not burn at such a high speed?
Why?
They made some money for a plane that never overflew the Soviet Union. Neither did the M-21, or the YF-12, or the SR-71... and the D-21 drone only accidentally did after overshooting China.
No.. the only successful US overflights of Russia after Gary Powers (except for some very unsuccessful ones under Project Dark Gene) came from another Sutter design.. the OC-135 under the Treaty for Open Skies in the 1990s.
That meeting occurred years after the A-12 started flying. Lockheed already knew how to work with titanium. It was Boeing that need it for their 2707 supersonic airliner.
Love these documentaries on these before their time birds.
3 minutes into this and I am impressed.
This has to be the best video I have seen concerning this airframe. When I was stationed on Okinawa, we always knew when the Habu was leaving because two F-15s and the KC refueler would take off. The Habu was soon to follow. We were able to see the reflections from the camera bays from our location. It was always a treat when we would be on the airbase and see it come out of its hangar.
Hey Walsh 🤐
Ahh, you didn't even mention the sonic morse! Great video!
As a teen I would see the SR at various airshows, always cordoned off, sometimes with armed sentries on guard. One time at Norton AFB in California, one was parked, no ropes, no covers over sensors elint ports etc, and you could walk right up to it. I said to my father, WEVE GOT SOMETHING ELSE. I was active duty USMC intelligence at the time-about 1982. The ole Sled was replaced by digital satellite intel gatherers. I did get to see them operate out of Beale AFB, Kadena AFB and in the UK. What a sight to see and hear.
@@laurie3546 Mill Valley Ca.
@@laurie3546 I dont understand. Are you talking about area code? Mill Valley is 415.
That airplane when I was stationed at EDW AFB it was then designated YF-12A Y was for experiment back then in 1965, I was a mechanic on a TB-58 chase for the XB-70 maybe later the designation was changed. The YF-12A had internal air to air missels which no one mentions.I did have a top secret back then and often went to the secret TO room to read up on some of the airplanes in use at Edwards at the time. I am now 77
It could carry air to air weapons? Really?? But why would it need that?
@@PegasusTenma1 It carried the AIM-54 Phoenix missile designed for the F-14, along with the AWG-9 fire control system. Why would it need the missile? The YF-12 was a prototype interceptor. It was thought the Russians were developing a supersonic bomber (ala XB-70) so an interceptor was needed. The missiles needed to be carried internally in order to preserve the area ruling needed to achieve Mach 3. The thing Sky failed to mention is the addition of the extra cockpit for the trainer version of the A-12 dropped its max speed to just over Mach 2. Yes, it really is that sensitive. (As an aerodynamicist, I want to say that this video is among the most technically accurate of any aviation video I have ever seen. As an aside, early in the video there is a short segment showing a wireframe model of the A-12. I think those may have been Flexstab models from Boeing's work on the aeroelastics.)
@@dougball328 It carried the AIM-47 missile and GAR-9 missiles, which were developed into the AWG-9 and AIM-54 Phoenix that the F-111B was to use and that the F-14 Tomcat ended up employing.
Great video. Best presentation of the SR 71 on the internet. Well done.
Todd
Out of all the aircraft out there in this world,this would be my first choice for a ride along.
D7lí
I think Sky should be given an SR to use as private jet. He deserves such good things. 🙏🏼💛
What, to be given a jet that would bankrupt him to find a place to _store_ it, let alone maintain it? Obviously he could never, ever in a million years afford to _fly_ it. 10,000 gallons of special, tailor-made jet fuel that is only used in a single aircraft (which leaks it all over the tarmac at a rate of 100 gallons per minute until it takes off and the airframe heats up and expands)? No problem, I'm sure he can afford that, easy! A personal refueling tanker to top the half filled tanks up after takeoff? Who doesn't have one of those kicking around? Some friend you are! That would be the ultimate white elephant gift! Almost like giving someone their own personal nuclear submarine. How could anyone but Jeff Bezos actually _use_ the thing? Or more realistically, like being given a $5,000,000 beach house...and no money to pay the enormous taxes that come with it. At least in that case you can sell the house and keep the money. Once Uncle Sam pockets 5-10% after all the various taxes on the sale, and the income, etc, etc.
@@justforever96 Yes William! I think he deserves all that support structure along with his Blackbird! We’ll add them to the Amazon order.
God bless you brother. 💛🙏🏼
Such an amazing beast. The Experimental rocket planes like x-15 where cute but they lacked flexibility and where just fast. These skunk works oxcart predecessor I builds are still the cutting edge in declassified production aircraft. And they started sooo long ago.
Probably my favorite family of planes. So weird, so strange, so extreme, I love them.
Good stuff as always! Well done! One of the lesser known legends... Oxcart
You chose the perfect soundtrack to introduce this bird, bravo!
It's nice to see what we called Brand X still has a strong following. The gentleman that flew them were the best of the best.
My Grandpa Jack flew the A-12 and YF-12. Thank you for saying that. 🙂
The SR 71 and the A12 were the pinnacle of aircraft design. They both showed the pure genius of Kelly Johnson. Ive often wondered what he could have come up with if he had access to todays modern composites and computer components. I know aircraft design can only go so far pr at least i think so but maybe we will never know because we haven't seen a designer like him since him.
I would assume what we have today is something akin to a rocket that can fly over airspace with no thermal signature, undetected by radar and flying at such high speed that nothing can track or target it.
And it probably is significantly cheaper than the SR 71. And I would say every branch of the US military probably has some variant.
Kelly Johnson. No one like him before him. No on like him after him. Only him.
Kelly Johnson was a genius and an American hero.
A breathtaking technology that gives those who are allowed to fly this machine breathtaking impressions. Flying at the edge of space must be an unearthly experience - in every sense of the word.
As little as I like military aviation, it is an impressive and fascinating piece of technology and this is again an excellent video of you.
Excellent video from start to end. Thank you very much indeed. Subbed and 'belled'.
Maybe this is just me but I’m loving the inclusion of footage for Ace Combat 7!
Space ex phrases to remember "rapid unscheduled disassembly" ergo "kaboom"
An interesting nuance related to ensuring invisibility due to the frequency of the radar and the flight speed of the A-12 and Blackbird. Didn't know it
Great video. I like the way you package the information and your injection of humor is well done.
28:11 look how f'n proud he is man
These marvels were designed and produced in days when advanced computers and simulations for design and production weren't available. Wow great, well done to the teams.
Brilliant stuff.Even by your very high standards!Thanks!
Another awesome documentary Sky
The most beautiful and badas.s plane ever built. Ever! There's not even a distant second.
I say the most beautiful is the B-2
The SR 71 is not distant.
The english electric lightning.
How was it badass? 20 of the type crashed all by themselves, pretty useless in the real world.
A great video.
This should be mandatory for schools.
To teach kids and teachers . That truly great things, come from the minds that have knowledge and creativity, and hands that have talent and experience to form those plans into one of aviations greatest achievements. These are the doors that reading, writing, math, sciences, history can open.
These are what should be our primary focus in education.
The basic resources to make Informed decisions and create ,build, operate and maintain.
Amazing things that aid in our understanding of our world and beyond.
Probably one of the best videos on these planes on RUclips! Excellent job.
Your commentary is actually much better than the aircraft itself. Kudos!!
all those numbers and info sounds like poetry dedicated to a beautiful bird.
I certainly didn't expect the Mechanicus music in beginning of this video.
16:01 _You see Ivan, to spy on the Soviets, you must be made from the motherland itself._
Hahaha) In the Soviet Union titanium spies you!
@@ervandrush3116 uh
" Col Gant, You Must Think In Russian "
And expecting rewards : Gulag sauna ingenuity
@@catchaser52 Saw what you did there..