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A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events

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A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events June 2010 1 May 1956 Pratt & Whitney contract to develop engine(JT9) for CL-400; J-58 (JT 11D-20) is 80% size of JT9 (SME)1 May 1956 Pratt & Whitney contract to develop engine(JT9) for CL- 400; J-58 (JT 11D-20) is 80% size of JT9 (SME) 5 Jul 1956 First Soviet Union U-2 over flight flown by Carmine Veto. Surprise as Aircraft seen on radar and film shows advanced SAMs being deployed around Moscow(BC) Summer 1957 CIA Director Bissell apprises President Eisenhower of growing risk to U-2 over flights. President directs a study group for a collection replacement(BC) 24 Dec 1957 First J-58 engine run (BB) 21 Apr 1958 First mention of Archangel (became A-12) in Kelly Johnson's dairy (LSW) 23 July 1958 Kelly Johnson presents his Archangel concept to Edwin Land’s committee on High Speed, Mach 3,, and flying at 90,000ft vehicle Summer 1958 Bissell commission reports back to President. Space not ready for collection – Corona project still not successful. Manned replacement required with three advanced characteristics: Mach 3 flight, flying above 80,000 ft, and America’s first stealth aircraft President gives go ahead for study competition(BC) September 1958 Skunk Works studying various configurations starting with Archangel- 1, Archangel-2 eventually just called A-1, A-2 Etc December 1958 President Eisenhower approves funding for further R & D on the U-2 successor. Bissell asked Convair & Lockheed to turn in detailed proposals Summer 1959 President Eisenhower approves program 29 Aug 1959 CIA accepts Lockheed A-12 design (LSW; BB) 3 Sep 1959 CIA ok's project "Oxcart" studies (LSW) Nov 1959 A-12 mock-up undergoes RCS testing at Groom Lake, NV (SME; LSW) 30 Jan 1960 CIA approves funding for 12 Lockheed A-12s (SME; LSW; BB) Feb 1960 CIA proposes to Lockheed to begin search for 24 pilots for A-12 Sep 1960 Work begins to enlarge and lengthen runway at Groom Lake, NV Jan 1961 Kelly Johnson sends proposal to Dr. Joseph Charyk(SAF), Col. Leo Geary (YF-12 Project Officer), Lew Meyer(Finance Officer) for RS-12 Strategic Recon Bomber (LSB; SME) 26 Feb 1962 First A-12 leaves Burbank, Ca for Groom Lake, NV by truck (SME; LSW) 28 Feb 1962 A-12 arrives by truck at Groom Lake, NV (SME) 24 Apr 1962 A-12 high speed taxi tests; Lockheed Test Pilot: Lou Schalk (AM1; LSB) 26 Apr 1962 First flight of A-12 article #121/ #6924; Lockheed Test Pilot: Lou Schalk (BIA; AM1; LSB; BB) 30 Apr 1962 A-12 article #121/#6924, first official flight; Lockheed Test Pilot: Lou Schalk May 1962 Bill Park joins Lou Schalk as 2nd pilot for A-12 program 4 May 1962 A-12 goes supersonic(Mach 1.1) for first time (LSW) 4 Jun 1962 SR-71 mock-up reviewed by USAF (BB; LSW-14 May) 26 Jun 1962 Second A-12 article #122/#6925 arrives at Groom Lake;(now on display at USS Intrepid Museum, NYC) (SME) 30 Jul 1962 J-58 completes pre-flight testing (BB) Aug 1962 Third A-12 article #123/#6926 arrives at Groom Lake, NV (SME; LSW) Aug 1962 Jim Eastham becomes third pilot for Blackbird Program (LSW) Oct 1962 Second A-12 flies at Groom Lake, NV (SME) Oct 1962 Letter of Intent for $1 million for AF-12(YF-12) delivered to Lockheed (LSW) 5 Oct 1962 A-12 flies with J-75(Left nacelle) and J-58(Right nacelle) engines (LSW) 10 Oct 1962 Skunk Works receives authorization for Drone(Q-12) study from CIA 15 Oct 1962 These pilots officially become Oxcart Test Pilots: Bill Skliar, Ken Collins, Walt Ray, Lon Walter Nov 1962 Fourth A-12 (2 seat trainer) article #124/6027 arrives at Groom Lake, NV (SME) 17 Dec 1962 Fifth A-12 article #125/#6928 arrives at Groom Lake (LSW) 28 Dec 1962 Lockheed signs USAF contract to build 6 SR-71 aircraft (AM1; LSB; BB) 7 Jan 1963 A-12 Trainer flies for first time (TL; SME; LSW) 5 Jan 1963 Bob Gilliland hired as fourth pilot for "Program" (LSW) 15 Jan 1963 First fully J-58 engined A-12 flies (SME; LSW) 15 Jan 1963 Bob Gilliland arrives at Groom Lake, NV (LSW) 4 Feb 1963 First A-12 training Flight – Bill Skliar 6 Feb 1963 First A-12 training flight – Ken Collins 10 Feb 1963 First A-12 training flight – Walt Ray 14 Feb 1983 First A-12 training flight – Lon Walter Mar 1963 Jim Eastham begins writing Flight Handbook for YF-12 (LSB) 24 May 1963 First loss A-12 article #123/#6926 crashed near Wendover, UT; CIA pilot, Ken Collins , pitched up and became inverted during subsonic flight (AM1; LSB; SME; BB) 31 May 1963 Mock-up review of AF-12 (LSW) Jun 1963 Q-12 drone fit check to A-12 (RK) 20 Jul 1963 First Mach 3 A-12 flight (LSW) 7 Aug 1963 First YF-12 flight; Lockheed Test Pilot: James Eastham (AM1; LSB; LSW; BB) 1 Oct 1963 Q-12 design finalized, and renamed D-21 (RK) Nov 1963 A-12 design speed (3.2 mach) and altitude(78,000ft) 3 Feb 1964 A-12 cruises at Mach 3.2 and 83,000ft for 10 minutes (LSW) 29 Feb 1964 President Johnson announces existence of A-11 (actually A-12, and showed pictures of YF-12) (LSW; BB) 13 Mar 1964 First Flight of YF-12 #6936, Lockheed Test Pilot: James Eastham (RK) Apr 1964 M-21 #6940 First Flight 16 Apr 1964 First AIM-47 ejected in flight from YF-12; Lockheed Test Pilot/FCO: Hughes pilot/Ray Scalise (DB)(RON) May 1964 Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara cancels RS-70 program (Recon/Strike) in favor of SR-71 program(Recon) (SME) Jun 1964 Final A-12 #6939 delivered to Groom Lake (RK) 19 Jun 1964 Fit check of mating of M-21 #134 and D-21 #504 is successful (LSW) 9 Jul 1964 Bill Park forced to eject from A-12 article #133/#6939 on final at Groom Lake; stuck outboard aileron servo valve (LSW) 24 Jul 1964 President Johnson makes public announcement to name SR-71 (LSW) 5 Aug 1964 Cuban over flights "Skylark" planning starts (Emergency operational status by 5 Nov) (SME) 29 Oct 1964 SR-71 #950 prototype delivered to Palmdale, Site 2, Air Force Plant 42 in 2 large trailers (BB) 10 Nov 1964 Planning for first A-12 mission and penetration of denied airspace over Cuba done. Flight never executed. 7 Dec 1964 Beale AFB, CA announced as base for SR-71 (BB)(LSB says Oct 64) 18 Dec 1964 First engine run of SR-71 prototype (BB) 21 Dec 1964 SR-71 taxi tests (BB) 22 Dec 1964 First flight of SR-71 #950; Lockheed Test Pilot Bob Gilliland at Palmdale; flew for 1 hour and at over 1000mph (AM1; BB) 22 Dec 1964 First flight M-21/D-21 at Groom Lake; Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Park (piloted all M- 21/D-21 flights) (BIA; SME; BB) 1 Jan 1965 4200 SRW Activated at Beale AFB, CA, along with 4200 HQS, AEMS, FMS, OMS, Medical Group (BIA; LSB; SME) Jan 1965 4200th OET & E unit activated at Edwards AFB. Two SAC pilots were Kennon & Bowles and two RSOs Fagg & Braeden 9 Jan 1965 Jim Eastham flies YF-12A at Mach 3.2 for 5 minutes 27 Jan 1965 A-12 flown for 1hr 40 min at Mach 3.1 or higher for a distance of 3000 miles (SME) 5 Mar 1965 First flight of SR-71A #951, Lockheed Test Pilot/Flt Test Eng: Bob Gilliland/ Jim Zwayer (now on display at Pima Air Museum, AZ) (LSW; BB) 18 Mar 1965 First firing of AIM-47 from YF-12A; Lockheed Test Pilot/FCO: Jim Eastham/? (LSW; RON, DB) 22 Mar 1965 Deputy Sec. of Defense Cyrus Vance briefed on Project "Black Shield", plan to base A- 12s at Kadena AB, Okinawa (SME) Apr 1965 Acton delivers the first 3 Type H(60" focal length) cameras for A-12 (SME) 29 Apr 1965 First SR-71 aerial refueling using SR-71 #952 1 May 1965 Two YF-12A(#6934 & #6936) sets Speed and Altitude Records: Class C, Group III Sustained Altitude(absolute):80,258ft USAF Pilots/FCO: Col Robert Stevens/ Lt Col Daniel Andre 15/25 KM Closed Circuit: 2,070.102mph, USAF Pilot/FCO: Col. Robert Stephens/ Lt Col Daniel Andre 500 KM Closed Circuit: 1,643.042mph, USAF Pilot/FCO: Maj Walter Daniel/ Maj. Noel Warner 1000KM Closed Circuit: 1,688.891mph, USAF Pilot/FCO: Maj Walter Daniel/ Capt James Cooney (BIA; LSW) 1 Jun 1965 SR-71/YF-12 Test force officially recognized at Edwards AFB, CA (DB) 3 Jun 1965 Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara inquires of Under Secretary of USAF practicality of substituting A-12 for U-2 over Vietnam (LSW) 4 Jun 1965 First flight of SR-71A #953; Lockheed Test Pilots: Bill Weaver/ George Andre (LSW; BB) 1 Jul 1965 Col J. A. Des Portes becomes 4200 SRW Commander thru 17 Jul 1965 (9RW) 7 Jul 1965 First T-38 companion trainers arrive at Beale AFB, CA (LSB; SME; BB) 20 Jul 1965 First flight of SR-71A #954; Lockheed Test Pilot/RSO: Bill Weaver/ George Andre (LSW; BB) 17 Aug 1965 First flight of SR-71A #955; Lockheed Test Pilot/RSO: Bill Weaver/ George Andre (Now on display at USAF Flight Test Museum, Edward AFB, CA) (LSW; BB) 18 Sep 1965 Col D.
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