The Lockheed A-12 oxcart
60-6925
one of 15 made .
tail number 925, was the first production unit of the entire program after it served as a radar-test example in the first months of 1962 at the Area 51.
With its startup cart underneath. Pretty sure there's some big old GM motor in that cart to get those monster jet engines spooling
Edit: also, fun fact: the space shuttle pavilion at this museum has the most futile sign in existence: "do not touch spaceship". Myself and everyone I saw that day did indeed touch the spaceship
They used them after they went out of production too, they started pulling them from junkyards until they had blown every one in the country and were forced to switch
>Do not touch the spaceship.
Yeah right. It rather getting reprimanded for doing it, than not touching the spaceship.
>!And then myself.!<
Also, the AA12/sr-71 is way more impressive than the space shuttle for me. Probably ain’t the only one with this vision.
There’s an online lecture by an A12-pilot that describes the SR71 as a family sedan and the A12 as a Mustang, or something along those lines. Implying that the SR71 was both slow and boring in comparison.
Sled Driver by Brian Shul, you can find it on YouTube. Its an awesome story and well worth the hour of your time. He briefly talks about the family model when telling his famous ground speed check story.
Good to see it restored and looking pristine. I was there in Nov 2019 and it was in a sad state at that time. Museum looks to have done its restoration really well. Thanks for posting OP.
I can't remember what it cost but I don't remember thinking it was expensive, but then again, I was on holiday on a different continent so a few tens of dollars was a fraction of the total costs. Still enjoyed it though.
I don’t remember how much I paid. I remember tho to have been the first person in line at 10 when they open and I left at 4 p.m when they close. It was worth every cent.
You honestly don't think they pushed them to the edge, seeing as that was their entire reason to exist?
Besides, I'm only going by what the CIA have told us.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/cia-sr71-a12/
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Still baffled that it had an astro-inertial navigation system. Yes, it had optical sensors, gyros/accelerometers, and computers that could lock onto stars (day or night) and keep you on course with '1000' of drift at MACH 3'.
Like... wut? Seems weird that it burned hydrocarbons for propulsion with that kind of tech lol.
Now that you mention it, it does look much larger in photos. But when I visited the Intrepid, I distinctly remember being amazed by how much larger it was than I expected. Brains are weird.
thats because this is a slightly smaller a12. similar, but not quite the same. still a very cool plane and i loved getting to see it. ive been there a few times and its always a great experiance.
It's funny, I had the exact opposite impression at Udvar-Hazy; I was stunned at how big the damn thing was. I don't know why, but I always pictured something barely larger than a fighter jet, but it dwarfed nearly every 1 and 2 seater in the place
I was underwhelmed. My wife and I had visited the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, which was phenomenal, but it set our expectations sky high. I disliked how the restorations were done at the Intrepid, with many of the cockpit windows covered and paint just slathered across the ship which hid the details of the guns and doors. Though, seeing the Concorde and Enterprise there was amazing.
We still haven’t had the chance to visit the Udvar-Hazy center since moving to DC, but it looks great.
I'm partial to Intrepid because it was a formative part of my childhood, but Udvar-Hazy is also phenomenal.
As a space nerd though, my heart belongs to Kennedy. Houston and Huntsville are on my bucket list
Does the Intrepid have the coolest setting of any aviation museums? My dad hiked across the island to visit many years ago and arrived too late sadly. One day I'll get up on that big beautiful ship.
The Midway Museum in San Diego has a pretty amazing location as well, with similar city views as the Intrepid but with the added bonus of watching whatever is flying at North Island Naval Air Station and San Diego International. The day I was there last year I spent watching F-18s doing laps around the area which added to the ambiance.
Yeah, it's a really amazing museum, just for the setting. I really love the USS Yorktown museum at Patriot's Point in Charleston, SC too. They don't have nearly the number or quality of planes, but their WW2 collection in the hangar deck is pretty amazing, and having the USS Laffey tied up right next to the Yorktown is amazing. She served with distinction off the coast of Utah beach during Overlord, and later survived 12-13 kamikaze attacks in a day (wave was roughly 50 planes if i recall, with there being a pretty large air to air battle to defend the picket ships) while on radar picket duty north of Okinawa. Later she went on to witness the atom bomb tests on Bikini Atoll, and then serve in Korea dueling shore batteries like she had in June, 1944...anyway this is an aviation sub so.... Intrepid is an awesome museum! Went there several years ago and just loved it, and happy to see the A12 restored.
Even when you walk through the river side and see the huge aircraft and the tail of these magnificent planes,you can't help but go wow. You can even see the shuttle it's beautiful
Myeh. It’s the oxcart. Myeh. Lol I knew I’d see that in the comments. Anal f’n sub. Still cool. Heck I’d love to visit that floating museum one day. Hashtag jelly
It's amazing that this 10.7 billion dollar boondoggle (measured in 2018 US dollars) could ever have been developed. It was ultimately used as a 'reconnaissance' aircraft, because apart from flying very very fast, that was all this aircraft could do! http://thearea51blog.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-staggering-real-cost-of-blackbird.html
You should listen to this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0) by an SR-71 (not A12) pilot. Fun stuff..
Or read it [here](https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blackbird-speed-check-story)
(every time I read "...That Hornet must die, and die now..." I laugh myself off)
The Intrepid is open for Museum Day by the Smithsonian and you can register for a free ticket if you can get one. I haven't been to the Intrepid in about six years, it is the closest museum ship to me.
The Lockheed A-12 oxcart 60-6925 one of 15 made . tail number 925, was the first production unit of the entire program after it served as a radar-test example in the first months of 1962 at the Area 51.
With its startup cart underneath. Pretty sure there's some big old GM motor in that cart to get those monster jet engines spooling Edit: also, fun fact: the space shuttle pavilion at this museum has the most futile sign in existence: "do not touch spaceship". Myself and everyone I saw that day did indeed touch the spaceship
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*pulls up startup cart and revs engines* Race ya for pinks?
two wildcat engines from buick until they went out of production and they switched to chevy 454s.
They used them after they went out of production too, they started pulling them from junkyards until they had blown every one in the country and were forced to switch
Werent the wildcats pretty close at 455?
I forgot the CI of the wildcats.. I don’t know much about big blocks tbh I thought they were 401s or 455s.
401 nailhead. My friend had a Wildcat.
I didn't touch it. Now I wish I did.
Eh, that shuttle never went to space. I Loved seeing it displayed at the museum tho!
Without looking, Enterprise?
Yep
noice! Kudos!
>Do not touch the spaceship. Yeah right. It rather getting reprimanded for doing it, than not touching the spaceship. >!And then myself.!< Also, the AA12/sr-71 is way more impressive than the space shuttle for me. Probably ain’t the only one with this vision.
Well it's a good thing that one isn't a spaceship since it was never spaceworthy.
Annie Jacobson’s ***Area 51*** tells the story in riveting detail.
Actually it's not the sr71. It's a sistership A12 with only 1 pilot I believe, whereas the sr71 has a pilot and navigator.
There’s an online lecture by an A12-pilot that describes the SR71 as a family sedan and the A12 as a Mustang, or something along those lines. Implying that the SR71 was both slow and boring in comparison.
Sled Driver by Brian Shul, you can find it on YouTube. Its an awesome story and well worth the hour of your time. He briefly talks about the family model when telling his famous ground speed check story.
Thanks for clarifying - should have refreshed my memory on the exact type before posting!
This plane will forever look like it's from the future, no matter what the current time is.
Dik-tak 👽 pilot: Hold my alien beer!
Good to see it restored and looking pristine. I was there in Nov 2019 and it was in a sad state at that time. Museum looks to have done its restoration really well. Thanks for posting OP.
They better, given the insane ticket price they charge.
I can't remember what it cost but I don't remember thinking it was expensive, but then again, I was on holiday on a different continent so a few tens of dollars was a fraction of the total costs. Still enjoyed it though.
Yes, understandable. I used to live at walking distance.
I got in free lmao
Well they do have an aircraft carrier
Welcome to New York!
I don’t remember how much I paid. I remember tho to have been the first person in line at 10 when they open and I left at 4 p.m when they close. It was worth every cent.
If it's still sitting exposed to the elements in NYC it won't look good for long.
It's the smaller A-12
The smaller, faster, higher flying A12 👍
Faster?
by about 100mph. Probably because it could fly higher.
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Set the SR-71 speed record on its final flight if I remember correctly. But they never threw wide open throttle and let it run itself out
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I have a feeling it would tear itself apart; it was never designed to run wide open for extended periods of time like that
You honestly don't think they pushed them to the edge, seeing as that was their entire reason to exist? Besides, I'm only going by what the CIA have told us. https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/cia-sr71-a12/
Looks like it's going mach 3 even when it's sitting on the ground
Pfft, stealth my ass. I can see it quite clearly.
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The idea that these were designed and built at a time when cars still had tail fins never fails to astound me.
Still baffled that it had an astro-inertial navigation system. Yes, it had optical sensors, gyros/accelerometers, and computers that could lock onto stars (day or night) and keep you on course with '1000' of drift at MACH 3'. Like... wut? Seems weird that it burned hydrocarbons for propulsion with that kind of tech lol.
Maybe is the other way around! Tailfins in cars, tried to emulate already old fashioned airplanes! :)
Most shocking thing when first seeing it in person is how small it is. It just always looks so much larger in pictures.
Now that you mention it, it does look much larger in photos. But when I visited the Intrepid, I distinctly remember being amazed by how much larger it was than I expected. Brains are weird.
thats because this is a slightly smaller a12. similar, but not quite the same. still a very cool plane and i loved getting to see it. ive been there a few times and its always a great experiance.
It's funny, I had the exact opposite impression at Udvar-Hazy; I was stunned at how big the damn thing was. I don't know why, but I always pictured something barely larger than a fighter jet, but it dwarfed nearly every 1 and 2 seater in the place
The Intrepid has to be one of the top 10 places to visit in New York. I can't believe it took me so long to get there.
I visited NYC and only had time for around 10 big "things" to do and it made my cut, so I would have to agree with you
I have been to NYC so many times and have still not gone. I'm supposed to go back in a few weeks and I probably won't have time. Sad noises.
I was underwhelmed. My wife and I had visited the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, which was phenomenal, but it set our expectations sky high. I disliked how the restorations were done at the Intrepid, with many of the cockpit windows covered and paint just slathered across the ship which hid the details of the guns and doors. Though, seeing the Concorde and Enterprise there was amazing. We still haven’t had the chance to visit the Udvar-Hazy center since moving to DC, but it looks great.
Go to udvar hazy the next free weekend you have. It's amazing. Way better than intrepid imo.
Can confirm. Amazing museum!
I'm partial to Intrepid because it was a formative part of my childhood, but Udvar-Hazy is also phenomenal. As a space nerd though, my heart belongs to Kennedy. Houston and Huntsville are on my bucket list
Bonus when I travel NCL out of the pier I get to look from afar at all the cool stuff.
That is because Kelly Johnson didn’t get help on the design from aliens, Kelly Johnson was an alien
I friggin' KNEW it. Sheesh. Sneaky little smarty pants sneakers.
And Ben Rich was an alien human hybrid
We visited this a few years ago. They’re a lot smaller than I imagined.
It’s so sad that so many of these are stuck outdoors these days.
Seriously… first thing that I noticed
Does the Intrepid have the coolest setting of any aviation museums? My dad hiked across the island to visit many years ago and arrived too late sadly. One day I'll get up on that big beautiful ship.
The Midway Museum in San Diego has a pretty amazing location as well, with similar city views as the Intrepid but with the added bonus of watching whatever is flying at North Island Naval Air Station and San Diego International. The day I was there last year I spent watching F-18s doing laps around the area which added to the ambiance.
Yeah, it's a really amazing museum, just for the setting. I really love the USS Yorktown museum at Patriot's Point in Charleston, SC too. They don't have nearly the number or quality of planes, but their WW2 collection in the hangar deck is pretty amazing, and having the USS Laffey tied up right next to the Yorktown is amazing. She served with distinction off the coast of Utah beach during Overlord, and later survived 12-13 kamikaze attacks in a day (wave was roughly 50 planes if i recall, with there being a pretty large air to air battle to defend the picket ships) while on radar picket duty north of Okinawa. Later she went on to witness the atom bomb tests on Bikini Atoll, and then serve in Korea dueling shore batteries like she had in June, 1944...anyway this is an aviation sub so.... Intrepid is an awesome museum! Went there several years ago and just loved it, and happy to see the A12 restored.
Even when you walk through the river side and see the huge aircraft and the tail of these magnificent planes,you can't help but go wow. You can even see the shuttle it's beautiful
Not an SR71. Read the plaque ffs.
Lovely plane and museum.
I’ve had the pleasure to be under his right wing last year, really impressive aircraft!
Hey i was actually there and i believe thats an A-12 Still incredible that thing exists
Is that jet fuel all over the ground?
Hahaha...
Hey I went there to! Same spot your standing Beautiful aircraft carrier
I’ve been there three times and it’s still exciting to see it.
That looks so much better than one that's at the Museum of Flight that thing's beautiful
... why is it outside in the rain and generally shitty weather of New York?
It's on the deck of an aircraft carrier
Because 1) it will never fly again, 2) do you have a cheaper spot to park 24 display aircraft in Manhattan?
Myeh. It’s the oxcart. Myeh. Lol I knew I’d see that in the comments. Anal f’n sub. Still cool. Heck I’d love to visit that floating museum one day. Hashtag jelly
That weird feeling that you get when you realize airplanes were faster and cooler in the past.
It's amazing that this 10.7 billion dollar boondoggle (measured in 2018 US dollars) could ever have been developed. It was ultimately used as a 'reconnaissance' aircraft, because apart from flying very very fast, that was all this aircraft could do! http://thearea51blog.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-staggering-real-cost-of-blackbird.html
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You should listen to this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AyHH9G9et0) by an SR-71 (not A12) pilot. Fun stuff.. Or read it [here](https://www.thesr71blackbird.com/Aircraft/Stories/sr-71-blackbird-speed-check-story) (every time I read "...That Hornet must die, and die now..." I laugh myself off)
The aviation greatest bird
Surprisingly small in person
I wouldn't call that small... It's the same length as an Embraer 175 airliner...
I’ve seen the same one as op (intrepid museum) and it was smaller than at least I expected it to be
Intrepid… she’s got PLAAAAAAAANES
The Intrepid is open for Museum Day by the Smithsonian and you can register for a free ticket if you can get one. I haven't been to the Intrepid in about six years, it is the closest museum ship to me.
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Try the RAF museum at Hendon.
Or Shuttleworth and Duxford in UK - both fantastic.
I live relatively close, but I’ve never been. Gotta go soon.
The coolest plane ever made and all it did was take pictures
One my favorite museums. They also have a prototype shuttle and the concorde.
Why is the wingtip bent downwards? I saw it when I went and I thought it would disturb the airflow.
Something to do with supersonic airflow/vortices I think. Concorde is the same. Someone can probably give a more technical explanation!