Tag Archives: Lockheed A-12

F-12 Fighter-Interceptor: What Could Have Been the World’s Fastest Ever Combat Aircraft

F-12 Fighter-Interceptor: What Could Have Been the World's Fastest Ever Combat Aircraft

YF-12A and YF-12C in flight formation at dawn – credits: NASA The Lockheed A-12 family, known as the Blackbirds, were designed by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson. They were constructed mostly of titanium to withstand aerodynamic heating. Fueled by JP-7, the Blackbirds were capable of cruising at Mach 3.2 and attaining altitudes …

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That time NASA YF-12 BLACKBIRD flew carrying a ‘Coldwall’ Heat Transfer pod beneath the forward fuselage

That time NASA YF-12 BLACKBIRD flew carrying a 'Coldwall' Heat Transfer pod beneath the forward fuselage

In 1967 the NASA intiated an ambitious “coldwall” research project supported by Langley Research Center. In the project, NASA YF-12s flew carrying the so-called ”coldwall” heat transfer pod on a pylon beneath the forward fuselage to Sustained heat produced by cruising at Mach 3 A stainless steel tube equipped with …

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