Advertisements

Aviation / Aerospace

Lockheed YF-12

High-Altitude, High-Speed Interceptor Aircraft [ 1963 ]

Just three of the fast Lockheed YF-12A interceptors were completed - though the line found itself with no role to fulfill at its end.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/15/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from the United States Air Force image database.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

With the abandonment of the North American XF-108 "Rapier" high-speed interceptor program for the United States Air Force (USAF) came an opportunity for Lockheed to sell its A-12 design as a possible replacement. The A-12 was developed as a high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft for the Central Intelligence Agency so much work on the product had already been completed when cancellation came to the XF-108. Lockheed was able to interest USAF authorities in a modified version of their high performance plane and this gave rise to the "YF-12A" designation which encompassed three converted A-12s pulled from the A-12 production line (aircraft numbers seven, eight and nine of fifteen).

Unlike the A-12, the YF-12A relied on a crew of two (a pilot and a fire control officer) seated in tandem. Additionally it carried the Hughes AN/ASG-18 Look-Down/Shoot-Down (LDSD) Fire Control Radar (FCR) in its nose and tied to an armament display of 3 x Hughes AIM-47A "Falcon" Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs). These missiles were held in three internal bays (a forth was reserved for the fire control equipment). The radar fit was the same unit developed for the failed XF-108 product.

The A-12 was an excellent starting point for a Cold War interceptor as it was one of the earlier attempts by the Americans to feature inherent stealth features in its construction make up. A chined body and inward-canted vertical tail fins, along with Radar Absorbent Materials (RAMs), were all features of the airframe - qualities that would later be reproduced in the classic SR-71 spyplane. Radar Cross Section (RCS) reduction was also implemented where possible into the A-12's form. The chines at the nose of the A-12 were removed due to the unique radar installation.

Additionally the A-12 was a high-speed, high-altitude performer which the YF-12A would benefit from immensely. The interceptor form carried 2 x Pratt & Whitney J58/JTD11D-20A afterburning turbojet engines which outputted 20,500 lb thrust on dry and 31,500 lb thrust with rehear. Maximum speed reached Mach 3.35 (2,275 miles per hour) with a range out to 3,000 miles and a service ceiling up to 90,000 feet. Rate-of-climb was measured at 11,820 feet-per-minute.©MilitaryFactory.com

Advertisements

Its general configuration followed the A-12: a long neck holding the cockpit well-ahead of the body was used. The engines were held outboard of the fuselage in individual tubular nacelles breaking up the flow of the wing mainplanes. Two tail fins were featured, one per nacelle dorsal line. This same configuration would be repeated in the upcoming SR-71 product by Lockheed as well.

YF-12A designated the three converted A-12 models which served in the pre-production role. Its in-service designator was to become F-12B but this was never used as the program was halted before production-quality units could begin construction. YF-12C was a fictitious designation applied to SR-71 testing handled by NASA in an effort to keep the SR-71 program under wraps from public eyes.

First flight of the YF-12A was had on August 7th, 1963 and the product was announced to the public in February of the following year to help keep the A-12 secret. Ninety-three F-12B production units were ordered by the USAF in May of 1965 but the growing American military commitment to the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and mounting budgetary needs elsewhere forced the F-12B procurement to the backburner. As time wore on, the need for this dedicated interceptor ebbed away until there was no viable requirement standing. Thusly the YF-12A was cancelled in January of 1968.

The YF-12As that were completed survived a time longer as research-collecting aircraft for both the USAF and NASA where it ended its days. While one of the three examples was lost to an accident in July of 1971, the remaining two examples have been preserved - one at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio and the other making up a portion of the SR-71C display at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

Service Year

1963

Origin

United States

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

2

Production

3
UNITS

Lockheed Martin - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.

Length

101.5 ft
(30.95 m)

Width/Span

55.6 ft
(16.95 m)

Height

18.5 ft
(5.65 m)

Empty Wgt

60,859 lb
(27,605 kg)

MTOW

140,005 lb
(63,505 kg)

Wgt Diff

+79,146 lb
(+35,900 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Lockheed YF-12 production variant)

Installed: 2 x Pratt & Whitney J58 / JTD11D-20A turbojet engines developing 31,500 lb thrust each with afterburner (20,500 lb dry thrust).

Max Speed

2,274 mph
(3,660 kph | 1,976 kts)

Ceiling

89,895 ft
(27,400 m | 17 mi)

Range

2,983 mi
(4,800 km | 8,890 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

11,820 ft/min
(3,603 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Lockheed YF-12 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

3 x Hughes AIM-47A "Falcon" Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) held in three internal weapon bays (fourth reserved for fire control equipment).

Supported Types

Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon

Graphical image of a short-range air-to-air missile

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

YF-12A - Preproduction Form; three examples completed.

F-12B - Proposed operational designation

YF-12C - Designation used for SR-71 aircraft operated by NASA in testing.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from the United States Air Force image database.

Advertisements

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing all American military medals and ribbons.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)