A-12 vs. SR-71

I visited the USAF museum in Dayton over the weekend and was lucky enough to get over to the R&D hanger where they have an A-12 parked next to the Valkere.

I was surprised to see how different it was from a standard SR-71;

1-Much larger, not smaller or same size as the SR, we could walk under it
2-Included a huge fold-down ventral fin
3-Chines did not extend to the tip of the nose
4-Engines farther apart

Does anyone out there have more info?

It's a great museum isn't it? I went last summer.
It's a YF-12, not an A-12 (the A-12 had the full chines & single seat) in the R&D hanger. I'm fairly sure it's the only one left - NASA wrote one off, and I think the other of the original 3 is now the rear part of an SR-71C after a crash
Here's a pic...




btw - I think a YF-12 is actually shorter than an SR (the SR has an extended tail cone which makes up some of the difference). I think the distance between the engines is pretty much the same. The YF-12's were based on the A-12.

[edit on 4/4/05 by Dew]

Originally posted by Realist05
I visited the USAF museum in Dayton over the weekend and was lucky enough to get over to the R&D hanger where they have an A-12 parked next to the Valkere.

I was surprised to see how different it was from a standard SR-71;

1-Much larger, not smaller or same size as the SR, we could walk under it
2-Included a huge fold-down ventral fin
3-Chines did not extend to the tip of the nose
4-Engines farther apart

Does anyone out there have more info?

As Dew Said, it's a YF-12 interceptor, not an A-12! The YF-12 carried the AIM-47 (the Precursor of the Phenoix Missile) The YF-12 had two seats, while the A-12 was single seat. the other difference is the mission. The A-12 was a CIA Spy Plane, while the YF-12 was a prototype interceptor for NORAAD. The "Cut Back" Chine on the YF-12 is the dead give away (the A-12 had a full chine like the SR-71)!

Tim
ATS Director of Counter-Ignorance

I visited that place couple of weeks back. Its great. Just next to SR-71 or YF-12 , there was one more plane, I forgot name but it was longer than SR71/YF-12. Are u people are talking abt same plane? It was white & longest in that R&D hanger. I read some info about that plane & it said, it can reach mach 3. & just 2 of them were build. It has 4 engines & it can be seen in above picture at right most. Does anyone has more info on that?

Thanks

[edit on 4-4-2005 by netscape]

Originally posted by netscape
I visited that place couple of weeks back. Its great. Just next to SR-71 or YF-12 , there was one more plane, I forgot name but it was longer than SR71/YF-12. Are u people are talking abt same plane? It was white & longest in that R&D hanger. I read some info about that plane & it said, it can reach mach 3. & just 2 of them were build. It has 4 engines & it can be seen in above picture at right most. Does anyone has more info on that?

Thanks

[edit on 4-4-2005 by netscape]

That's the XB-72 Valkeryie you can see part of it on the right hand side of the picture above.

yep - that's the XB-70 Valkyrie behind, nearly 200ft long IIRC! I've just noticed the XF-92's fin is almost exactly in line with the b-70's left hand fin -wierd!

netscape - there was a short thread about the b-70 a bit back, I linked to a decent background page and a couple of great books on this superb plane.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

there's some pics & video on Dryden's gallery page (one of my favourites!)

Dryden XB-70 gallery

btw: ghost - check a great website habu.org for loads of info & pics on the oxcart series (a-12, yf-12, sr71) including info on what happened to every single plane (brief history, where it is now)

Habu's YF-12 page

check out the interesting story on the 'YF-12C' - the plane that never was!

[edit on 4/4/05 by Dew]

Didnt the XB-70 Valkyrie have 6 engines?

surely did! 6 GE YJ-93-GE-3s developing 28000 lbf (133 kN) thrust each!