록히드 A-12 – 사진 및 비디오

Tthe 록히드 A-12 클라렌스 "켈리" 존슨의 디자인을 기반으로 록히드의 스컹크 웍스에 의해 미국 중앙 정보국 (CIA)을 위해 만들어진 정찰 항공기였다. 이 항공기는 항공기의 내부 코드 이름인 "대천사"에 대한 일련의 내부 설계 노력의 일환으로 12번째인 A-12로 지정되었습니다. 1959년 CIA의 "옥스카트" 프로그램에 참가하여 콩베어 킹피쉬 제안에 맞서 경쟁했으며, 여러 가지 이유로 수상했습니다.

Tthe 록히드 A-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.
Tthe 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.