SpaceCanada wrote:
As for the SR-71/A-12 bit, you may want to tell the USSRC to correct its museum guides, museum brochures, etc., as they have SR-71 Blackbird written all over them. However, I think the actual exhibit sign at the USSRC says A-12 Blackbird... so... what is it really??
It is an A-12. The A-12 "Oxcart" is a CIA project and the parent of the SR-71 "Blackbird". The A-12 was deleloved out of a need by the CIA for high altitude, high speed recon in much the same way as the U-2/TR-1. Both are children of Lockheed's infamous "Skunk Works" and interestingly enough were developed around the same time.
Oddly enough, none of the aircraft to ever come out of "Skunk Works" has ever had an offical aircraft designation/knickname. The SR-71 is called the "Habu" or simply "The Sled" buy those that have flown her. And one final tidbit about the "Habu," the SR-71 was originally designated the RS-71, but during the unveiling of it to the public, President LBJ had a brain fart and mistaking called it the SR-71. After that it stuck because who after all is going to correct the commander-in-chief?
Space Nerd wrote:I'd love for somebody to tell me that the story about a guy getting a barrel of lead ball paint (the stuff used on the SR-71/A-12, or at least thats what i was told it was called) and painting his pickup with it to evade radar detectors was an elaborate story cause i really dont believe it.
Utter garbage. This story has been around in one form or another since Police departments started using radar to bust speeders (during the 70s I believe). It was no doubt created by someone in the know, be they an Air Force ground crew member, or an engineer. To this day the paint used on the SR-71 and TR-1 is classified, so the likelyhood of someone getting their hands on it and painting their truck with it is slim to none.