11 Facts About Lockheed A-12

CIA's representatives initially favored Convair's design for its smaller radar cross-section, but the Lockheed A-12's specifications were slightly better and its projected cost was much lower.

Lockheed A-12 was produced from 1962 to 1964 and flew from 1963 to 1968.

The Lockheed A-12 began flying missions in 1967 and its final mission was in May 1968; the program and aircraft were retired in June.

Lockheed A-12 responded with a simple update of the A-11, adding twin canted fins instead of a single right-angle one, and adding a number of areas of non-metallic materials.

Lockheed A-12 was well ahead of its time, many new technologies had to be invented specifically for the Oxcart project with some remaining in use in present day.

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The Lockheed A-12 trainer, known as "Titanium Goose", retained the J75 power plants for its entire service life.

The first Lockheed A-12 arrived at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa on 22 May 1967.

Lockheed A-12 program was ended on 28 December 1966 – even before Black Shield began in 1967 – due to budget concerns and because of the SR-71, which began to arrive at Kadena in March 1968.

All surviving aircraft remained there for nearly 20 years before being sent to museums around the U S On 20 January 2007, despite protests by Minnesota's legislature and volunteers who had maintained it in display condition, the A-12 preserved in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sent to CIA headquarters to be displayed there.

Lockheed A-12 training variant was a two-seat model with two cockpits in tandem with the rear cockpit raised and slightly offset.

Lockheed convinced the U S Air Force that an aircraft based on the A-12 would provide a less costly alternative to the recently canceled North American Aviation XF-108, since much of the design and development work on the YF-12 had already been done and paid for.