Question

[1pLUs44]

What difference is there between the A-12 OXCART and the SR-71 Blackbird?

I can't see any view difference except for the trainer, or are they the same thing, just different names?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-71_Blackbird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_A-12

[oakranger]

From the look, the A-12 was introduce in 1967 and retired 1968 and SR-71 introduce in 1966 and retired 1998.  the one thing i did notice is that SR-71 develop from the A-12.  Note: A-12 did took first flight in 1962 and SR-71 IN 1964.

[Spikes]

I thought originally the A-12 was almost like a test version of the SR-71, but now that I read...it doesn't look so.

[oakranger]

I thought originally the A-12 was almost like a test version of the SR-71, but now that I read...it doesn't look so.

i wonder if the A-12 was the first type of the family and upgrade to the SR-71.  To be honest, i never heard of A-12 untill now.

[Hornet33]

The SR-71 was the new and improved A-12. Same basic design, but the A-12's were built for the CIA and were single seat aircraft. The SR-71's were built under an Air Force contract and were designed as a two seat aircraft from the start with a pilot and system operator/navigator. The CIA retired their aircraft when the SR-71's were coming online and the Air Force was tasked with airborne recon missions. A few of the original A-12's were sent to the Air Force for testing while the CIA was running the program, hence the YF-12 Interceptor prototype, and the single 2 seat version for training, as well as the 2 set up for the launching of the D-21 drones. The A-12 was slightly smaller than the SR-71.

Think of them like the F/A-18A Hornet compared to the F/A-18E Super Hornet. Same basic plane but the Super Hornet is a little bigger and more capable than it's older brother.

[1pLUs44]

oh okay. I was wondering, because the OXCART didn't look different at all. And, I also learned that it's an OXCART on the Intrepid. I always thought that was a Blackbird.

Any other relatively known plane with an older or little brother with a completely different name to the plane?

I think the B-29 had quite a few, as did the B-17.

[Hornet33]

Well the basic B-29 design was developed into the Stratoliner, the world first pressurised airliner, the C-97 cargo plane, and the KC-97, the first production airborne tanker.

The B-17 was never developed beyond the basic bomber variant. Some were converted into target drones and what not, and I think a few were modifed shortly after the war as water bombers, but the design never really lent itself to public commercial applications such as an airliner, not when the DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, Lockheed Constellation, and the Stratoliner were either in service or coming into service at the end of the war and the years immediately afterwards.

Also the OXCART isn't the name of the A-12, that's the name of the CIA program that funded and flew the plane. The A-12 was never given an "official" name.

[1pLUs44]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-50_Superfortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XB-38_Flying_Fortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XB-39_Superfortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YB-40_Flying_Fortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-41_Liberator

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-44_Superfortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-54

Many as you can see were never actually put into use, or production, the last one was only on paper.

but there is a lot for the B-29 and a few for the B-17 as well.

I remember seeing a picture of a B-17 with an engine in the nose for I guess experimental Engine testing.

[Hornet33]

Those were all prototypes and never went into serial production.

[Saxman]

I know B-17s were used at one point for air-sea rescue (great shot of one in action at the end of Thunderball).

[sandwich]

they both came out of the Lockheed skunkworks but they operated from different agencies.

i think

didn't want to read the wikipedia article


they're structurally the same plane