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Brown747's Avatar
 
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How to get the A-12s to Groom Lake (Area 51)

Transporting the CIA A-12 Blackbird

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Old 04-22-2013, 09:03 PM
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Über cool photos - I'm guessing the "unpacking" photos are at one of the Area 51 hangars. Wouldn't this make them still classified? Afaik the govt still does not acknowledge the existence of the Area even though its pretty much common knowledge. It still to this day does not appear on aeronautical nav charts (check a sectional or wac if you want) but is quite visible in google earth. That's about all I can say. I'm just curious whether those photos are formally declassified or not...
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Old 04-23-2013, 04:37 AM
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Awesome! I wonder how they got the trailer out of the soft sand? And the shot of the rig going over the 2 lane bridge - wow, I wonder how much sweating was going on there. We'll never see something like project that again...
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Old 04-23-2013, 04:49 AM
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Cool pics. Very dissappointed that no aliens were milling about in the hanger.
Old 04-23-2013, 05:35 AM
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Looks a lot like the old SR-71
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Old 04-23-2013, 05:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Drdogface View Post
Looks a lot like the old SR-71
A-12 was the precursor/prototype of the SR-71.

Great Link, thanks for sharing.
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Old 04-23-2013, 05:52 AM
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Very cool! Thanks for digging this up.
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Old 04-23-2013, 06:12 AM
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Neil,
I should have known that... I was stationed in Thailand near U-tapao AFB back in the 70's and they flew them there all the time. Also now live near Beale AFB where they were stationed until decommishioned. They could climb like a damn rocket.
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Old 04-23-2013, 06:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile View Post
Über cool photos - I'm guessing the "unpacking" photos are at one of the Area 51 hangars. Wouldn't this make them still classified? Afaik the govt still does not acknowledge the existence of the Area even though its pretty much common knowledge. It still to this day does not appear on aeronautical nav charts (check a sectional or wac if you want) but is quite visible in google earth. That's about all I can say. I'm just curious whether those photos are formally declassified or not...
I assume that the area is noted as no-fly on sectionals though, correct? I know that even when doing exercises with the military in that area they consider it a no-fly zone, even for military aircraft.

As for the photos, I suspect that they are old and benign enough that they are no longer considered sensitive.

Very cool piece of history. As an aerospace engineer myself, I cannot imagine being a part of something like that. Definitely something to be proud of.
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Last edited by onewhippedpuppy; 04-23-2013 at 10:28 AM..
Old 04-23-2013, 09:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile View Post
Über cool photos - I'm guessing the "unpacking" photos are at one of the Area 51 hangars. Wouldn't this make them still classified? Afaik the govt still does not acknowledge the existence of the Area even though its pretty much common knowledge. It still to this day does not appear on aeronautical nav charts (check a sectional or wac if you want) but is quite visible in google earth. That's about all I can say. I'm just curious whether those photos are formally declassified or not...
Youve been watching too much Alien, I mean, History Channel. Groom Lake / Area 51 is clearly marked as a restricted area on all aeronautical charts Ive ever seen, including the airport location. There just arent any arrows pointing to a spot labeled Alien Storage Site. And the conspiricy theorist love to say how the government does not acknowledge its existance. But it reality, they simply dont discuss it. Just like any other classified subject. Thats entirely different than saying Groom Lake "Does not exist".
Old 04-23-2013, 10:13 AM
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Cool link
Thanks & Cheers
JB
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Old 04-23-2013, 10:27 AM
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Funny... at my work they just disassembled it (Think it came from being stored at Edwards) and put it back together here...







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Old 04-23-2013, 11:25 AM
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Cool photos and a great link, thanks for posting!
Hard to imagine that that plane is a product of the fifties, amazing.
Makes me wonder what is happening now.

Cheers Richard
Old 04-23-2013, 11:27 AM
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It's too bad that they couldn't keep a few flying... I would have loved to see one do a flyby.
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Old 04-23-2013, 12:30 PM
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That engineering is so far ahead of it's time, it makes you wonder if this country is still doing things like the SR-71.

And I thought it was interesting that the first prototypes got the "A" designation. Isn't that for ground attack aircraft?
Old 04-23-2013, 12:35 PM
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They did mention in the link that they were working on an interceptor model, Yep that could catch anything in the air. Maybe not maneuver with some, but catch for sure.
I am curious about the handling characteristics of these planes, were they just fast, or could they whip it around a bit?
Old 04-23-2013, 12:54 PM
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Skunk Works is a must read for anyone interested in the A12/SR-71

Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed: Ben R. Rich, Leo Janos: 9780316743006: Amazon.com: Books
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Old 04-23-2013, 12:57 PM
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Old 04-23-2013, 01:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tevake View Post
They did mention in the link that they were working on an interceptor model, Yep that could catch anything in the air. Maybe not maneuver with some, but catch for sure.
I am curious about the handling characteristics of these planes, were they just fast, or could they whip it around a bit?
Per this fascinating story (link), turning radius is 100 miles at speed.
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Old 04-23-2013, 01:52 PM
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Cool read and pictures, thanks for posting this

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Old 04-23-2013, 01:56 PM
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