Lockheed A-12: The CIA's Blackbird and other variants

by Paul F. Crickmore, Adam Tooby (Illustrator)

Overview

During the early years of the Cold War, the most effective way to gather strategic intelligence about the Soviet Union and its allies was manned overflight. Lockheed's U-2 was spectacularly successful in this role. Much to the concern of President Eisenhower, its shape meant that it could be tracked on Russian radars. Given the highly sensitive nature of such flights, the President insisted that every effort should be made to reduce to zero the U-2's radar cross section (RCS), thereby making the aircraft "invisible." When this was proven to be impossible, the stage was set for a U-2 replacement. Following a competition between Lockheed and Convair, the former was declared the winner and the result was the A-12. Designed to incorporate 'stealth' features before the term was even coined, the A-12 has to date proven to be the fastest, highest flying jet aircraft ever built, and is operated exclusively by the Central Intelligence Agency.

This book will also cover a two-seat variation of the design built as an advanced interceptor - the YF-12. In addition, the D-21 drone programme, known as Tagboard will also be covered.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472801135
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	01/21/2014
Series:	Air Vanguard , #12
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	573,817
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

During his time as an air traffic controller at the London Air Traffic Control Centre, Paul Crickmore gained a unique introduction into SR-71 operations from RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. Teaming up with Osprey produced the first detailed book ever to be published on the subject. When additional information became available to him in 1990 following the initial shut down of SR-71 operations, Crickmore produced an even more detailed book, Lockheed SR-71 The Secret Missions Exposed - the standard reference work on the subject. The work was acclaimed by both the aviation press, Ben Rich (late president of the Skunk Works) and the crews that flew the SR-71. He is also the author of the first detailed book about the '117 written in partnership with his wife Alison; published by Motorbooks International in 1999. The author lives in Suffolk, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Design and Development 4

Project Suntan

Supersonic Gusto

Convair's competitor

The final competition

Mayday

Technical Specifications 25

A thermal thicket

General layout

Engines

Hydraulics

Fuel system

Air Inlet Control System (AICS)

Stability Augmentation System

Inertial Navigation System (INS)

Mission sensors

Crew Survival Systems

A-12 Projects and Variants 37

Mach 3 mothership: Project Tagboard and the M-21/D-21

Project Kedlock: the YF-12 interceptor

Operational History 44

Black Shield

North Korea and the Pueblo affair

Oxcart closedown

NASA operations

Conclusion 62

Bibliography 63

Index 64

Editorial Reviews

True to the title, it focuses on the development of the A-12, M-21/D-21 and the YF-12 interceptor. As a model resource book, there are valuable references including color three views...Period photographs, some never before published, reveal internal components and construction details. If you are building an A-12, or considering converting an SR-71 to an A-12, this book would prove very helpful.” —IPMS/USA

“...a very well done book that shows attention to research that does a great job of telling the story of this remarkable aircraft.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelinmadness.com

From the Publisher