Lockheed A-12 – Φώτο &; Βίντεο

Teh Λόκχιντ Α-12 ήταν ένα αναγνωριστικό αεροσκάφος που κατασκευάστηκε για την Κεντρική Υπηρεσία Πληροφοριών των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών (CIA) από την Skunk Works της Lockheed, με βάση τα σχέδια του Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. Το αεροσκάφος ονομάστηκε A-12, το 12ο σε μια σειρά εσωτερικών προσπαθειών σχεδιασμού για το "Archangel", το εσωτερικό κωδικό όνομα του αεροσκάφους. Ανταγωνίστηκε στο πρόγραμμα "Oxcart" της CIA ενάντια στην πρόταση Convair Kingfish το 1959 και κέρδισε για διάφορους λόγους.

Teh Λόκχιντ Α-12 was a high-altitude, Mach 3+ reconnaissance aircraft developed by the Skunk Works division of Lockheed Corporation for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the 1960s. It was the precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird, and was designed to be virtually invisible to radar and other detection methods. The A-12 was capable of flying at speeds of over 2,200 miles per hour (3,540 km/h) and altitudes of over 85,000 feet (26,000 m), making it one of the fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever built. The A-12 was also equipped with sophisticated cameras and sensors that could capture detailed images and data from enemy territory.
Teh A-12 was a highly classified project that involved many technological innovations and challenges. Only 15 A-12s were ever built, and they were operated by a select group of CIA pilots under the code name OXCART. The A-12 flew its first mission in May 1967 over North Vietnam, and its last mission in May 1968 over North Korea. The A-12 was retired in 1968, and replaced by the SR-71 in the Air Force. The A-12 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in aviation history, and a testament to the ingenuity and skill of the Skunk Works team.