Editing Lockheed A-12 (section)

==Design and development==
With the failure of the CIA's [[Project Rainbow]] to reduce the [[radar cross-section]] (RCS) of the [[Lockheed U-2|U-2]], preliminary work began inside Lockheed in late 1957 to develop a follow-on aircraft to overfly the Soviet Union.  Designer Kelly Johnson said, "In April 1958 I recall having long discussions with [CIA Deputy Director for Plans] [[Richard M. Bissell Jr.]] over the subject of whether there should be a follow-on to the U-2 aircraft.  We agreed ... that there should be one more round before satellites would make aircraft reconnaissance obsolete for covert reconnaissance."{{sfn|History of the Oxcart Program|1968}}

Under [[Convair Kingfish#Project Gusto|Project Gusto]] the designs were nicknamed "Archangel", after the U-2 program, which had been known as "Angel". As the aircraft designs evolved and configuration changes occurred, the internal Lockheed designation changed from Archangel-1 to Archangel-2, and so on. These names for the evolving designs soon simply became known as "A-1", "A-2", etc.<ref>{{harvnb|The U-2's Intended Successor}}</ref> The CIA program to develop the follow-on aircraft to the U-2 was code-named ''Oxcart''.{{sfn|McIninch|1996}} A-4 through A-6 concepts applied blended wing/fuselage configurations with combinations of turbojet, ramjet, and rocket propellant. However, these concepts never met the required range. Concepts A-7 thru A-9 used a single J58 afterburning turbojet plus two Marquardt XPJ-59 ramjets burning JP-150 fuel.

[[File:LockheedA-11.jpg|thumb|A-11 design, March 1959]]
Design concept A-10 featured two General Electric J93-3 turbojets with 2-D underwing inlets and had better mission radius than concepts A-4 thru A-9. These designs had reached the A-11 stage when the program was reviewed. The A-11 was competing against a [[Convair]] proposal called [[Convair Kingfish|Kingfish]], of roughly similar performance. However, the Kingfish included a number of features that greatly reduced its RCS, which was seen as favorable to the board. Lockheed responded with a simple update of the A-11, adding twin canted fins instead of a single right-angle one, and adding a number of areas of non-metallic materials. This became the initial A-12 design. On 26 January 1960, the Central Intelligence Agency officially ordered 12 A-12 aircraft with the contract signed on February 11, 1960. Lockheed charged $96.6 million for design, manufacture and testing of 12 aircraft.<ref>{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|p=6}}</ref>

===New materials and production techniques===
[[File:A-12 Design.jpg|thumb|A-12 design by Lockheed Skunkworks]]

Because the A-12 was well ahead of its time, many new technologies had to be invented specifically for the Oxcart project with some remaining in use to present day. One of the biggest problems engineers faced at the time was working with [[titanium]].<ref>{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|p=21}}</ref>

In his book ''Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed'', [[Ben Rich (engineer)|Ben Rich]] stated, "Our supplier, Titanium Metals Corporation, had only limited reserves of the precious alloy, so the CIA conducted a worldwide search and using third parties and dummy companies, managed to unobtrusively purchase the base metal from one of the world's leading exporters – the [[Soviet Union]]. The Soviets never had an inkling of how they were actually contributing to the creation of the airplane being rushed into construction to spy on their homeland."{{sfn|Rich|Janos|1994}} 93% of A-12's structure was titanium.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article/829216/flight-test-historical-foundation-celebrates-50-years-of-cold-war-spy-planes/https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article-View/Article/829216/flight-test-historical-foundation-celebrates-50-years-of-cold-war-spy-planes/|title=Flight Test Historical Foundation celebrates 50 years of Cold War spy planes|date=29 April 2014|website=Edwards Air Force Base}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>[https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20090007797/downloads/20090007797.pdf]</ref>

[[File:Lockheed A-12 Pole Models.jpg|thumb|Lockheed A-12 pole models 1961]]
Before the A-12, titanium was used only in high-temperature exhaust fairings and other small parts directly related to supporting, cooling, or shaping high-temperature areas on aircraft like those subject to the greatest [[Aerodynamic heating|kinetic heating]] from the airstream, such as wing leading edges. The A-12, however, was constructed mainly of titanium. Titanium is rigid and difficult to machine, which made it difficult to form into curves given available techniques. This made it difficult to form the leading edges of the wing and similar surfaces. The solution was found by machining only small "fillets" of the material with the required shape and then gluing them onto the underlying framework which was more linear. A good example is on the wing: the underlying framework of spars and stringers formed a grid, leaving triangular notches along the leading edge that were filled with fillets.

With the move to the A-12, another improvement in RCS was made by replacing the fillets with new radar-absorbing [[composite material]]s made from [[Allotropes of iron|iron ferrite]] and [[silicon]] laminate, both combined with [[asbestos]] to absorb radar returns and make the aircraft more stealthy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Graham |first1=Richard |title=The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated Profile of Every Aircraft, Crew, and Breakthrough of the World's Fastest Stealth Jet |date=1 November 2015 |publisher=Zenith Press |isbn=978-0-7603-4849-9 |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dX5cCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Remak |first1=Jeannette |title=A Technical Directive The Lockheed A-12 Blackbird in Captivity The Care and Feeding of a Historical Treasure |url=http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/museum_care_a12.html |website=RoadrunnersInternationale.com |access-date=13 November 2015 |date=2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021204/http://roadrunnersinternationale.com/museum_care_a12.html |archive-date=17 November 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Facts You Didn't Know About the SR-71 Blackbird |url=http://iliketowastemytime.com/facts-you-didnt-know-about-sr71-blackbird |website=iliketowastemytime.com}}</ref>

To further reduce the detectability of the aircraft's afterburner plumes a special cesium additive nicknamed "panther piss" was added to the fuel.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rich |first1=Ben R. |last2=Janos |first2=Leo |title=Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed |date=February 1, 1996 |publisher=Back Bay Books |isbn=978-0-3167-4300-6 |page=240}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Re: Panther Piss?|url=https://www.dreamlandresort.com/forum/messages/30265.html}}</ref>

===Flight testing===
[[File:A12radartesting.jpg|thumb|A-12 60-6925, No. 122, mounted inverted for radar testing at [[Area 51]] ]]

After development and production at Skunk Works, in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], California, the first A-12 was transferred to [[Area 51|Groom Lake test facility (Area 51)]].<ref>Jacobsen 2011, p. 51.</ref> On 26 April 1962 it was taken on its first (unofficial and unannounced) flight with Lockheed test pilot [[Louis Schalk]] at the controls.<ref>{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|p=16}}</ref> The first official flight took place on 30 April and subsequent supersonic flight on 4 May 1962, reaching speeds of Mach&nbsp;1.1 at {{cvt|40000|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|p=17}}</ref>

In 1962, the first five A-12s were initially flown with [[Pratt & Whitney J75]] engines capable of {{cvt|17000|lbf|kN|abbr=on}}{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} [[thrust]] each, enabling the J75-equipped A-12s to obtain speeds of approximately Mach&nbsp;2.0. On 5 October 1962, with the newly developed [[Pratt & Whitney J58|J58]] engines, an A-12 flew with one J75 engine, and one J58 engine. By early 1963, the A-12 was flying with J58 engines, and during 1963 these J58-equipped A-12s obtained speeds of Mach&nbsp;3.2.<ref name=Landis_p16-7>Landis and Jenkins 2005, pp. 16–17.</ref> 

In 1963 the program experienced its first loss when, on 24 May, "Article 123"<ref name="lacitis20100327">Lacitis, Erik. [http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/area-51-vets-break-silence-sorry-but-no-space-aliens-or-ufos/ "Area 51 vets break silence: Sorry, but no space aliens or UFOs."] ''The Seattle Times'', 27 March 2010.</ref> piloted by Kenneth S. Collins crashed near [[Wendover, Utah]].<ref>{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|pp=22, 23}}</ref> Collins safely ejected and was wearing a standard flight suit, avoiding unwanted questions from the truck driver who picked him up. He called Area 51 from a highway patrol office.<ref name="afmag-richelson">{{cite magazine |author=Jeffrey T. Richelson |url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2001/July%202001/0701crash.aspx |title=When Secrets Crash|magazine=Air Force Magazine|date=July 2001|access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref> The reaction to the crash illustrated the secrecy and importance of the project. The CIA called the aircraft a [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]] in news articles and official records.<ref name="jacobsen">[[Annie Jacobsen|Jacobsen, Annie]]. [http://www.latimes.com/la-mag-april052009-backstory,0,786384.story "The Road to Area 51."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 5 April 2009.</ref>{{r|afmag-richelson}} Two nearby farmers were told that the aircraft was carrying atomic weapons to dissuade them from approaching the crash site;{{r|afmag-richelson}} and local law enforcement and a passing family were strongly warned to keep quiet about the crash. Each was also paid {{US$|25000|1963|long=no|round=-3}} in cash to do so; the project often used such cash payments to avoid outside inquiries into its operations (the project received ample funding for many objectives: contracted security guards were paid {{US$|1000|1963|long=no|round=-3}} monthly with free housing on base, and chefs from [[Las Vegas]] were available 24 hours a day for steak, [[American lobster|Maine lobster]], or other requests).<ref name="lacitis20100327"/>

In June 1964, the last A-12 was delivered to Groom Lake,<ref>[http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aboutus/history/SR71Blackbird.html "SR-71 Blackbird."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310061735/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aboutus/history/SR71Blackbird.html |date=10 March 2008}} ''Lockheed Martin''. Retrieved: 13 October 2010.</ref> from where the fleet made a total of 2,850 test flights.<ref name="jacobsen"/> A total of 18 aircraft were built through the program's production run. Of these, 13 were A-12s, three were prototype [[Lockheed YF-12|YF-12A]] interceptors for the [[U.S. Air Force]] (not funded under the OXCART program), and two were M-21 reconnaissance [[drone carrier]]s. One of the 13 A-12s was a dedicated [[Trainer (aircraft)|trainer aircraft]] with a second seat, located behind the pilot and raised to permit the instructor pilot to see forward. The A-12 trainer, known as "Titanium Goose", retained the J75 power plants for its entire service life.<ref name=Landis_p16>Landis and Jenkins 2005, p. 16.</ref>

Three more A-12s were lost in later testing. On 9 July 1964, "Article&nbsp;133" crashed while making its [[Final approach (aeronautics)|final approach]] to the runway when a pitch-control [[Servomechanism|servo device]] froze at an altitude of {{cvt|500|ft|m}} and airspeed of {{convert|200|knots|mph km/h}} causing it to begin a smooth steady roll to the left. Lockheed test pilot Bill Park could not overcome the roll. At about a 45-degree bank angle and {{cvt|200|ft|m}} altitude he [[Ejection seat|ejected]] and was blown sideways out of the aircraft. Although he was not very high off the ground, his parachute opened and he landed safely.<ref name="Robarge 2012 21–23">{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|pp=21–23}}</ref>{{sfn|McIninch|1996}}

On 28 December 1965, the third A-12 was lost when "Article&nbsp;126" crashed 30 seconds after takeoff when a series of violent [[Aircraft principal axes|yawing and pitching]] actions was followed very rapidly with the aircraft becoming uncontrollable. Mel Vojvodich was scheduled to take aircraft number 126 on a performance check flight which included a rendezvous beacon test with a [[Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker|KC-135 tanker]] and managed to eject safely {{cvt|150|to|200|ft|m}} above the ground. A post-crash investigation revealed that the primary cause of the accident was a maintenance error; a flight-line electrician had mistakenly swapped the connections of the wiring harnesses linking the [[Rate integrating gyroscope|yaw- and pitch-rate gyroscopes]] of the Stability Augmentation System to the control-surface servos, meaning that control inputs commanding pitch changes counterintuitively caused the aircraft to yaw and control inputs commanding left or right yaw instead changed the aircraft's pitch angle. The investigation criticised the electrician's negligence, but also noted as contributory causes failures in the supervision of maintenance activity and the fact that the aircraft's design allowed for the swapped connection in the first place.<ref>{{cite report |author = Director of Reconnaissance |date = 10 March 1966 |title = Summary Report of Major Aircraft Accident Resulting in the Loss of A-12 Number 126, 28 December 1965 |url = https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001472027.pdf |publisher = Central Intelligence Agency |location = Washington, D.C. |access-date = 5 June 2022}}</ref>

====Walter Ray====
{{anchor|Walter Ray}}
The first fatality of the Oxcart program occurred on 5 January 1967, when "Article&nbsp;125" crashed, killing CIA pilot Walter Ray when the aircraft ran out of fuel while on its descent to the test site. No precise cause could be established for the loss and it was considered most probable that a fuel quantity system error led to fuel starvation and engine [[flameout]] {{convert|67|miles|km}} from the base. Ray ejected successfully, but was unable to separate from the seat and was killed on impact.<ref name="Robarge 2012 31–38">{{harvnb|Robarge|2012|pp=31–38}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |last = Parangosky |first = John |date = 25 January 1967 |title = Loss of Article 125 (OXCART Aircraft) |url = https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001473843.pdf |publisher = Central Intelligence Agency |location = Washington, D.C. |access-date = 5 June 2022}}</ref> Urban explorers installed a small monument to Ray near the crash site in the Nevada desert.<ref name=ray>{{Cite web |last=Scoles |first=Sarah |date=2021-01-05 |title=A CIA spyplane crashed outside Area 51 a half-century ago. This explorer found it. |url=https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/lost-cia-spyplane-area51/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=Popular Science |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105173202/https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/lost-cia-spyplane-area51/ |archive-date=5 January 2021 |url-access=subscription |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>