OXCART LEGACY TOUR - More than 450 aviation enthusiasts packed the IMAX theatre ae the National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center Friday night to hear about the marvels of the state of the art A-12 Spyplane--it's design, engine technology, stealth, piloting and it's key role in national security as the CIA's Mach 3.2 reconnaissance plane.
The panel of four moderated by CIA Historian Dr. David Robarge was A-12 Project pilot, Ken Collins, Skunkworks' A-12 Industrial Manager, Bob Murphy, J-58 engine designer, Dr. Robert Abernethy and Stealth designer Dr. Gene Poteat talked about the challenges and the uniqueness of the A-12 and it's development that served our country for a short time during the Cold War.
"Tools had to be invented to produce this plane,"said Murphy. "This was all new." Murphy explained the dynamics of the work ethic instilled by his boss, Clarence A"Kelly" H Johnson. 'We worked as a small team--very hands on-no one was in the office, we were all out there on the floor," he said.
According to pilot, Ken Collins, he and the other pilots were recruited as 'volunteers for a space program' They didn't give any details, but when he saw the plane he said it was the most beautiful sight as the sun shown on it through the hangar. "I saw the light shining through the hangar and I thought it was the most exotic and exceptional plane I had ever seen."
The A-12 birthed the Air Force operated SR-71. Between the two they collected key intelligence that helped policymakers and war fighters handle international crisis and conflicts. It paved the way for future stealth projects.
One of it's features included being coated with special materials that adsorbed radar energy. Designer, Dr. Gene Poteat and his staff developed parts of it's structure to 'trap' radar energy and prevent it from traveling back to it's source. The J-58 powerful engine produced 32,000 lbs of thrust and it was the first engine to be able to operate on afterburner for extended periods of time.
Flying at altitiude in excess of 80,000 feet the A-12 was equipped with three camera systems to provide range of photogtrpahy from high resolution stereo to very high resoltion spotting.
There still is no other plane like it. Most say it is still ahead of it's time.
The Oxcart legacy tour continues with more lectures and events.
L-R: Dennis Nordquist (former Pratt & Whitney J-58 Engineer), Thornton D. "TD" Barnes (Hypersonic Flight Support Specialist), Colonel Rich Graham (former SR-71 pilot), Dr. Bob Abernethy (Pratt & Whitney J-58 Engineer), Dr. David Robarge (Chief Historian CIA), Colonel Ken Collins (former CIA A-12 pilot), Bob Murphy (Former Lockheed Manager), Lt. Col. Roger Andersen (Former Air Force Operations Officers Groom Lake). Missing was Dr. Gene Poteat, (former CIA head of Project Palladium and currently President of AFIO, National.
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