Locations of A-12s, YF-12As & SR-71s
A-12s
Tail number/ build number
- 6924/ #121
- On display at Blackbird Airpark,
Palmdale, CA
- 6925/ #122
- On display at USS Intrepid
Sea-Air-Space Museum
- 6926/ #123
- Lost on 24 May 1963, Nevada.
When water froze in the pitot tube causing an incorrect reading
on the TDI(Triple Display Instrument). The aircraft (first A-12
to crash) stalled, then the A-12 entered a inverted spin, crashing
14 miles South of Wendover, UT. The CIA Pilot Ken Collins ejected
safely.
- 6927/ #124B
- First heard it was in storage
for Cal Museum of Science,but know heard that it is in storage
for New Orleans, LA; or for CIA Headquarters.
- 6928/ #125
- Lost on 5 January 1967, Groom
Lake,Nevada. With a faulty fuel guage, CIA Pilot Walt Ray was
on final to Groom Lake, NV, when the A-12 ran out of fuel. Walt
Ray ejected from the aircraft, he failed to seperate from the
ejection seat and was killed when he landed in seat.
- 6929/ #126
- Lost on 28 December 1967,
Groom Lake, NV. A-12 had a SAS (Stability Augmentation System)
wired in reverse causing the CIA Pilot Mel Vojovidich to loose
control of the A-12. Vojovidich ejected safely.
- 6930/ #127
- On display at Alabama Space
& Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
- 6931/ #128
- On display at Minnesota Air
National Guard Museum, MN
- 6932/ #129
- Lost on 5 June 1968, in South
China Sea off Phillipines Islands. While on a FCF (Functional
Check Flight) CIA Pilot Jack Weeks and the A-12 disappered, No
trace was ever found of pilot or aircraft.
- 6933/ #130
- On display at San Diego Aerospace
Museum, San Diego, CA
- 6934-6936
- Numbers assigned to YF-12
production, see below
- 6937/ #131
- First A-12 deployed to Kadena
AB, Okinawa, Operation Black Shield
- Flew the first of the 29
A-12 missions over North Vietnam, 22 May 1967
- Flew the last Black Shield
mission in support of AGER-2 USS Pueblo, 8 May 1968
- Flew last A-12 flight 21
June 1968
- Flew 345.75 hours in 177
flights.
- On display at the Lockheed
Martin Skunk Works, AF plant 42, Palmdale, CA. It is just inside
the fence at the South entrance to the main plant.
- 6938/ #132
- On display at USS Alabama
Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, AL
- 6939/ #133
- Lost on 9 July 1964, at Groom
Lake, NV. While on approach to Groom Lake, the aircraft suffered
a hydraulic failure, causing loss of control of the A-12. Lockheed
Test Pilot Bill Park ejected safely.
- 6940/ #134M
- Actually a M-21, On display
at Museum of Flight, Seattle,WA. Mated with D-21 drone
- 6941/ #135M
- M-21, Lost on 30 July 1966,
near Midway Island, (some sources say Pt. Mugu, CA). While launching
a D-21 drone, the drone was trapped in the shock wave of the
aircraft, forcing the drone back into the M-21, causing the aircraft
to break-up at Mach 3. The Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Park and
the LCO (Launch Control Officer) Ray Torick ejected safely, but
upon landing in the water Ray Torrick's suit, which became torn
in the ejection, caused the suit to fill with water drowning
Torrick. Bill Park was rescued safely. This crash prompted the
end of the M-21/ D-21 program.
- Serial Numbers assigned to
A-12 production was 60-6924 through 60-6948
- Serial numbers 60-6942 through
60-6948 were not used
YF-12A
- 6934/ #1001
- Lost on 14 August 1966 (some
sources say 14 July 1966), at Edwards AFB, CA. Seriously damaged
during a landing at Edwards. The rear half of the YF was fused
with the front half of the SR-71 static model to make the SR-71C
#64-17981.
- 6935/ #1002
- On display in Annex of USAF
Museum, Wright-Patterson, OH
- 6936/ #1003
- Lost on 24 June 1971, Edwards
AFB, CA. While in the traffic pattern at Edwards AFB, a fire
broke due to fuel line rupture, while on final the entire aircraft
became engulfed in fire and both crew members ejected safely,
Lt. Col. Ronald Layton, and Major Bill Curtis.
SR-71s
- 950/ #2001
- Lost on 10 January 1967 at
Edwards AFB, CA. During anti-skid braking tests, the tires blew
out causing a fire, which resulted in the loss of the aircraft.
Lockheed Test pilot Art Peterson survived.
- 951/ #2002
- On display at Pima Air Museum,
Tucson, AZ
- 952/ #2003
- Lost on 25 January 1966 near
Tucumcari, NM. While in a 30 deg. bank at Mach 3 and 80,000 ft,
the right engine had an unstart. Which caused the aircraft to
desintegrate. The Lockheed RSO Jim Zwayer was killed in the bailout,
while Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Weaver survived even though he
never ejected, the aircraft desintegrated around him.
- 953/ #2004
- Lost on 18 December 1969
near Shosone, CA. After an inflight explosion, both USAF Pilot
and RSO: Lt. Col. Joe Rogers/ Lt. Col. Garry Heidelbaugh ejected
safely. No explanation for the explosion was ever found.
- 954/ #2005
- Lost on 11 April 1969 at
Edwards AFB, CA. While doing maximum weight take-off tests, the
left main tires blew causing a fire which engulfed the entire
aircraft. USAF Pilot/ RSO: Lt. Col. Bill Skliar/ Major Noel Warner
escaped safely.
- 955/ #2006
- On display at Edwards AFB,
CA
- 956/ #2007
- "B" model (trainer);
Now being shared by NASA and USAF
- 957/ #2008
- SR-71B (Trainer) Lost on
11 Janaury 1968 near Beale AFB, CA. While over Washington state
the SR suffered double generator failure. The Instructor Pilot:
Lt. Col. Robert Sowers and the Student Pilot: Capt. David Fruehauf
managed to get the aircraft on final to Beale when both engines
flamed out due to fuel pump cavitation. Both crew members ejected
safely, while the SR crashed inverted several miles from Beale
AFB, CA.
- 958/ #2009
- On display at Museum of Aviation,
Robbins AFB, GA
- 959/ #2010
- "Big Tail" On display
at USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, FL
- 960/ #2011
- On display at Castle AFB,
CA
- 961/ #2012
- On display at Kansas Cosomphere
and Space Center, Hutchinson, KS
- 962/ #2013
- In storage at Palmdale, CA
- 963/ #2014
- On display on flightline
at Beale AFB, CA
- 964/ #2015
- On display at SAC Museum,
Offutt AFB, NE
- 965/ #2016
- Lost on 25 October 1967 near
Lovelock, NV. The aircraft suffered an INS (Inertial Navigation
System) failure while on night flight. After unknowingly entering
a dive, the USAF Pilot/ RSO: Capt. Roy St.Martin/ Capt. John
Carnochan ejected safely. The aircraft crashed near Lovelock,
NV. This was the second SR lost by USAF.
- 966/ #2017
- Lost on 13 April 1965 near
Las Vegas, NM. The aircraft entered a subsonic stall after a
night refueling. The aircraft crashed near Las Vegas, NM, after
both USAF Pilot/RSO: Capt. Earle Boone/ Capt. Richard Sheffield
ejected safely. First SR loss by USAF.
- 967/ #2018
- Was in storage at Palmdale,
CA; Now being refurbished by Lockheed for USAF, Made first flight
after refurbishing on 28 August 1995. Now being flown by USAF
out of Edwards AFB, CA.
- 968/ #2019
- In storage at Palmdale, CA
- 969/ #2020
- Lost on 10 May 1970 near
Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB), Thailand. After refueling
the aircraft was in a climb back to altitude, when it entered
a huge thunderstorm with clouds well above 45,000 ft. Both engines
flamed out and unable to save the aircraft both USAF Pilot/ RSO:
Maj. William Lawson/ Maj. Glibert Martinez ejected safely.
- 970/ #2021
- Lost on 17 June 1970 near
El Paso, TX. After refueling, the SR and the KC-135Q collided,
when the SR suddenly pitched up and hit the tanker. The USAF
Pilot/RSO: Lt. Col. Buddy Brown/ Maj. Mortimer Jarvis both ejected
safely, but Buddy Brown broke both his legs during the ejection.
The KC-135Q limped back to Beale AFB, CA and arrived safely.
- 971/ #2022
- Was on loan to NASA
- Now being flown by the USAF
out of Edwards AFB, CA
- Fly-by aircraft at Beale
Air Fest '97; Lt. Col. Gil Luloff Pilot; ? RSO
- 972/ #2023
- In storage at Dulles Intl.
Airport for National Air & Space Museum
- 973/ #2024
- On display at Backbird Airpark,
Palmdale, CA
- 974/ #2025
- Lost on 21 April 1989 near
the Phillipines in the South China Sea. While climbing out from
Kadena AB, Okinawa, the right engine exploded severing the hydraulic
lines for the flight controls. Seeing the lowering hydraulic
pressure the USAF PIlot: Lt. Col. Dan House headed for the nearest
base, which was in the Phillipines, nearing the coast they lost
all control of the SR and he and his RSO: Maj. Blair Bozek ejected
safely landing just off the coast of the Phillipines. They were
rescued by native fisherman shortly before US Rescue forces arrived.
The SR was recovered after a lengthy salvage mission.
- 975/ #2026
- On display at March AFB,
CA
- 976/ #2027
- On display at USAF Museum,
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- 977/ #2028
- Lost on 10 October 1968 at
Beale AFB, CA. After returning from maintenance at Lockheed ADP,
on take-off one of the wheel hubs exploded causing a fire, which
engulfed the aircraft. USAF RSO: Maj. James Kogler ejected, Pilot:
Maj.Gabriel Kardong elected to stay with the aircraft. Both crew
members survived.
- 978/ #2029
- Lost on 20 July 1972 at Kadena
AB, Okinawa. Attemping to land with a severe crosswind, USAF
PIlot: Capt. Dennis Bush had to abort the landing after deploying
the braking chute. He jettisoned the chute and went around and
attempted to land again, without the chute. The second attempt
was too fast and the SR went off the end of the runway, ripping
off the main landing gear and causing considerable damage to
the underside of the aircraft. The RSO: Capt. James Fagg and
pilot survived safely. This aircraft was known as"Rapid
Rabbit". They tried to destroy the aircraft by burning it,
but were not successful, it was buried near the end of the runway
in a small hill, now known as Habu Mtn.
- 979/ #2030
- On display at USAF History
and Traditions Museum, Lackland AFB, TX
- 980/ #2031
- Currently being flown by
NASA as #844
- Currently has Linear Aerospike
engine mounted on it for LASRE tests.
- 981/ #2001
- "C" model (trainer),
built from front end of SR-71 static test model & aft end
of YF-12 #934; On display at Hill AFB, UT
AF Serial Numbers assigned
for the SR-71: 61-17950 through 61-17985
- Serial numbers 61-17982 through
61-17985 were not used
Sources:
"Lockheed Skunk Works, The First 50 Years" by Jay Miller
"Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird" by Paul Crickmore
"Lockheed SR-71, The Secret Missions Exposed" by Paul Crickmore
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