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Mach 3+ NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979

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Mach 3+ NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 NASA SP-2001-4525 Mach 3+ NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 by Peter W. Merlin Monographs in Aerospace History #25 NASA SP-2001-4525 Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 by Peter W. Merlin NASA History Division Office of External Affairs NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546 Monographs in Aerospace History Number 25 2002 i Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Merlin, Peter W., 1964- Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 flight research, 1969-1979 / by Peter W. Merlin. p.cm. -- (Monographs in aerospace history; no. 25) (NASA history series) (NASA SP 2001-4525) Includes bibliogaphical references and index. 1. Aerodynamics, Supersonic--Research--United States. 2. Aerodynamics, Hypersonic--Research--United States. 3. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration--Research. 4. United States. Air Force--Research. 5. SR-71 (Jet reconnaissance plane) 6. Research aircraft--United States. I. Title II. Series, III. Series: NASA History Series IV. NASA SP 4525. TL571.M45 2002 629.132’305--dc2l 2001044726 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov. Phone: (202) 512-1800. Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001 ii YF-12 program personnel. Standing (left to right): Ray Young, Fitz Fulton, Don Mallick, and Vic Horton. Kneeling: Frank Brown, MSgt. Cliff Fenwick, Larry Barnett, Ed Nice, Bud Franklin, Carl Barnes, Joe Misplay, Charlie Grace, and Clayton Threewit. (NASA photo E72-24130) Front Cover Image: YF-12A on ramp, seen from above (NASA photo EC71-2679) Back Cover Image: YF-12C on ramp, seen from above (NASA photo E72-24985) iii Table of Contents Preface...........................................................................................................................................vi Chapter 1: YF-12 Design and Development .................................................................................1 Chapter 2: Joint USAF/NASA YF-12 Research ...........................................................................7 Chapter 3: Heating and Loads Research .....................................................................................12 Chapter 4: Propulsion Research ..................................................................................................16 Chapter 5: Landing Studies .........................................................................................................24 Chapter 6: A Flying Laboratory...................................................................................................30 Chapter 7: Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................43 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................49 Appendix 1: Flight Logs .......................................................................................................50 Appendix 2: Bibliography ....................................................................................................73 Appendix 3: Interview Transcripts, Gene Matranga and Berwin Kock ...............................87 Appendix 4: Don Mallick describes YF-12 flight operations...............................................99 Appendix 5: Don Mallick describes unstarts......................................................................105 Documents.................................................................................................................................107 Document 1: Letter, Eldon E. Kordes, [Flight Research Center] Chairman, YF-12 Struc- tural Dynamics Group, to L. Sternfield, Code RAS, NASA Headquarters, subj: NASA Research and Development Program related to YF-12, 11 September 1969.....................108 Document 2: Memorandum of Understanding, USAF-NASA YF-12 Research and Develop- ment Program, 5 June 1969................................................................................................124 Document 3: NASA Management Instruction, USAF-NASA Agreement — Loan of the YF-12A Aircraft, Serial Number 60-6935 .........................................................................129 Document 4: Extract from YF-12A flight manual (declassified), concerning the air inlet system.................................................................................................................................136 Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................142 Index ..........................................................................................................................................143 About the Author .......................................................................................................................146 Monographs in Aerospace History ............................................................................................146 The NASA History Series .........................................................................................................147 iv v Preface During the 1950s, American aircraft designers emphasized configurations that flew increasingly high and fast, a trend that continued for nearly two decades. Then, during the 1970s, efficiency, noise reduction, and fuel economy also became important considerations, in part because military analysts no longer deemed speed and altitude the paramount capabilities necessary to ensure national security. Among the aircraft designs that transitioned from paper to hardware during the high-speed era, the Lockheed Blackbirds hold a unique place. The A-12, YF-12A, M-21, D-21, and SR-71 variants outperformed all other jet airplanes in terms of altitude and speed. To this day, they remain the only production aircraft capable of sustained cruise in excess of Mach 3. Developed in utmost secrecy, they eventually became some of the world’s most famous aircraft. Conceived originally as spyplanes, several Blackbirds saw service with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as research platforms. This monograph describes the first major NASA project involving the Blackbirds. Conducted with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as a partner, the NASA/USAF YF-12 research lasted 10 years, and produced a wealth of data on materials, structures, loads, heating, aerodynamics, and performance for high-speed aircraft. More than two decades after the program ended, no comprehensive history of the joint program has yet been written. This monograph is an attempt to rectify that deficiency. Until recently, security restrictions prevented the release of some information relative to the YF-12. Since then, numerous documents have been declassi- fied, and program participants are free to speak about previously restricted aspects of the project. Unfortu- nately, some who contributed to the NASA/USAF YF-12 investigations have not outlived the blanket of security that covered their work. Those who have must reach back more than 20 years to retrieve anecdotes and historical details. In a sense, the oral history interviews in this monograph amount to a sort of salvage archeology into the fading memories of the remaining YF-12 participants. Over the years, numerous books and articles have been written about the Blackbirds, but few give more than a brief description of the YF-12 and its role as a research aircraft. In this monograph, I briefly describe the origins of the Blackbird family of aircraft and how NASA became involved with them. Each of the following chapters then describes a facet of the NASA/USAF YF-12 research program in detail. This monograph would not have been possible without access to numerous technical reports (some recently declassified), briefings, and other source material from the NASA Dryden Historical Reference Collection, as well as the oral inter- views that fleshed out the story and provided an insider’s view of the project. Finally, this work rests on the kind assistance of a number of individuals: Dr. Dill Hunley, the DFRC Histo- rian and his successor, Dr. Michael Gorn, both served as editors of the study. Archives Assistant Betty Love provided invaluable aid in identifying individuals in the group photos. Berwin Kock, a Dryden project manager and engineer; Don Mallick, a retired NASA research pilot; Gene Matranga, a former Dryden project manager and engineer; Fitz Fulton, a retired NASA research pilot; Col. Joe Rogers (USAF, Ret.), a former commander of the SR-71/F-12 Test Force; and Col. Hugh Slater (USAF, Ret.), a former commander of the 1129th Special Activities Squadron that flew the early Blackbird variants all provided valuable information about the project. Under a tight schedule, Dryden X-Press editor Jay Levine outdid himself in designing the page layout of this monograph. The many photos were printed by Kerrie Paton and scanned by Jay. Further, both Steve Lighthill and Muriel Khachooni helped shepherd the monograph through the process of printing. Peter W. Merlin Edwards, California January 2002 vi Lockheed engineers tested a scale model of the A-12 (Lockheed In 1962, the NASA Ames wind tunnel simulated Model 204) in the 8’x7’ Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at NASA speeds up to Mach 3.25 for a scale model of the Ames Research Center on Moffett Field, California, in the early A-12 (with inlet spikes installed). The white coating 1960s. Note the absence of the inlet spikes. (Lockheed photo) aided in flow visualization. (Lockheed photo) Chapter
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