Locations of A-12s, YF-12 & SR-71s
Locations of A-12s Jan 2012
· Tail Number/ Lockheed Build Number
o 6924/ #121
§ On display at Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, CA
o 6925/ #122
§ On display at USS Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
o 6926/ #123
§ Lost on 24 May 1963, Nevada. When water froze in the pitot tube causing an incorrect reading on the TDI(Triple Display Instrument). The aircraft (first A-12 to crash) stalled, then the A-12 entered a inverted spin, crashing 14 miles South of Wendover, UT. The CIA Pilot Ken Collins ejected safely.
o 6927/ #124B
§ 3/04- It's on display at the California Science Center.
o 6928/ #125
§ Lost on 5 January 1967, Groom Lake,Nevada. With a faulty fuel guage, CIA Pilot Walt Ray was on final to Groom Lake, NV, when the A-12 ran out of fuel. Walt Ray ejected from the aircraft, he faile to seperate from the ejection seat and was killed when he landed in seat.
o 6929/ #126
§ Lost on 28 December 1967, Groom Lake, NV. A-12 had a SAS (Stability Augmentation System) wired in reverse causing the CIA Pilot Mel Vojovidich to loose control of the A-12. Vojovidich ejected safely.
o 6930/ #127
§ On display at Alabama Space & Rocket Center, Huntsville, AL
o 6931/ #128
§ On display at CIA HQ, Langley, VA as of 20 September 2007
o 6932/ #129
§ Lost on 5 June 1968, in South China Sea off Phillipines Islands. While on a FCF (Functional Check Flight) CIA Pilot Jack Weeks and the A-12 disappered, No trace was ever found of pilot or aircraft.
o 6933/ #130
§ On display at San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, CA
o 6934-6936
§ Numbers assigned to YF-12 production, see below
o 6937/ #131
§ On display at the Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, AL
o 6938/ #132
§ On display at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, AL
o 6939/ #133
§ Lost on 9 July 1964, at Groom Lake, NV. While on approach to Groom Lake, the aircraft suffered a hydraulic failure, causing loss of control of the A-12. Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Park ejected safely.
o 6940/ #134M
§ Actually a M-21, On display at Museum of Flight, Seattle,WA. Mated with D-21 drone
o 6941/ #135M
§ M-21, Lost on 30 July 1966, near Midway Island, (some sources say Pt. Mugu, CA). While launching a D-21 drone, the drone was trapped in the shock wave of the aircraft, forcing the drone back into the M-21, causing the aircraft to break-up at Mach 3. The Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Park and the LCO (Launch Control Officer) Ray Torick ejected safely, but upon landing in the water Ray Torrick's suit, which became torn in the ejection, caused the suit to fill with water drowning Torrick. Bill Park was rescued safely. This crash prompted the end of the M-21/ D-21 program.
· Serial Numbers assigned to A-12 production was 60-6924 through 60-6948
· Serial numbers 60-6942 through 60-6948 were not used
Location of YF-12A
o 6934/ #1001
§ Lost on 14 August 1966 (some sources say 14 July 1966), at Edwards AFB, CA. Seriously damaged during a landing at Edwards. The rear half of the YF was fused with the front half of the SR-71 static model to make the SR-71C #64-17981.
o 6935/ #1002
§ On display in Annex of USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson, OH
o 6936/ #1003
§ Lost on 24 June 1971, Edwards AFB, CA. While in the traffic pattern at Edwards AFB, a fire broke due to fuel line rupture, while on final the entire aircraft became engulfed in fire and both crew members ejected safely, Lt. Col. Ronald Layton, and Major Bill Curtis.
Location of SR-71s
o 950/ #2001
§ Lost on 10 January 1967 at Edwards AFB, CA. During anti-skid braking tests, the tires blew out causing a fire, which resulted in the loss of the aircraft. Lockheed Test pilot Art Peterson survived.
o 951/ #2002
§ On display at Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ
o 952/ #2003
§ Lost on 25 January 1966 near Tucumcari, NM. While in a 30 deg. bank at Mach 3 and 80,000 ft, the right engine had an unstart. Which caused the aircraft to desintegrate. The Lockheed RSO Jim Zwayer was killed in the bailout, while Lockheed Test Pilot Bill Weaver survived even though he never ejected, the aircraft desintegrated around him!
o 953/ #2004
§ Lost on 18 December 1969 near Shosone, CA. After an inflight explosion, both USAF Pilot and RSO: Lt. Col. Joe Rogers/ Lt. Col. Garry Heidelbaugh ejected safely. No explanation for the explosion was ever found. 953 compressor stalled both engines at low speed on the back side of the power required curve. That was the noise Joe and Gary heard as the airspeed was “cash registering” down rapidly. The aircraft was fully loaded just after A/R. The problem was because of a pitot-static error.
o 954/ #2005
§ Lost on 11 April 1969 at Edwards AFB, CA. While doing maximum weight take-off tests, the left main tires blew causing a fire which engulfed the entire aircraft. USAF Pilot/ RSO: Lt. Col. Bill Skliar/ Major Noel Warner escaped safely.
o 955/ #2006
§ On display at Edwards AFB, CA
o 956/ #2007/NASA #831
§ "B" model (trainer)
§ Transferred to NASA(NASA #831) inventory with closing on USAF SR-71 program
§ With the reopening of the USAF SR-71 program used jointly by NASA and the USAF
§ With the cancelation of the USAF SR-71 program(again!), transferred to NASA
§ December 17, 2002 transferred to Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan
o 957/ #2008
§ SR-71B (Trainer) Lost on 11 Janaury 1968 near Beale AFB, CA. While over Washington state the SR suffered double generator failure. The Instructor Pilot: Lt. Col. Robert Sowers and the Student Pilot: Capt. David Fruehauf managed to get the aircraft on final to Beale when both engines flamed out due to fuel pump cavitation. Both crew members ejected safely, while the SR crashed inverted several miles from Beale AFB, CA.
o 958/ #2009
§ On display at Museum of Aviation, Robbins AFB, GA
o 959/ #2010
§ "Big Tail" On display at USAF Armament Museum, Eglin AFB, FL
o 960/ #2011
§ On display at Castle Air Museum, California
o 961/ #2012
§ On display at Kansas Cosomphere and Space Center, Hutchinson, KS
o 962/ #2013
§ Now on display at he Imperial War Museum at Duxford, England as of April 11, 2001
o 963/ #2014
§ Contonment area at Beale, directly across from the “All-Ranks Clug at Beale AFB, CA
o 964/ #2015
§ On display at SAC Museum, Offutt AFB, NE
o 965/ #2016
§ Lost on 25 October 1967 near Lovelock, NV. The aircraft suffered an INS (Inertial Navigation System) failure while on night flight. After unknowingly entering a dive, the USAF Pilot/ RSO: Capt. Roy St.Martin/ Capt. John Carnochan ejected safely. The aircraft crashed near Lovelock, NV. This was the second SR lost by USAF.
o 966/ #2017
§ Lost on 13 April 1965 near Las Vegas, NM. The aircraft entered a subsonic stall after a night refueling. The aircraft crashed near Las Vegas, NM, after both USAF Pilot/RSO: Capt. Earle Boone/ Capt. Richard Sheffield ejected safely. First SR loss by USAF.
o 967/ #2018
§ Now on display at Barksdale AFB, Shreveport, LA
§ Was in storage at Palmdale, CA; Now being refurbished by Lockheed for USAF, Made first flight after refurbishing on 28 August 1995. Now being flown by USAF out of Edwards AFB, CA.
o 968/ #2019
§ On display at Richmond Air Museum, Richmond VA
o 969/ #2020
§ Lost on 10 May 1970 near Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB), Thailand. After refueling the aircraft was in a climb back to altitude, when it entered a huge thunderstorm with clouds well above 45,000 ft. Both engines flamed out and unable to save the aircraft both USAF Pilot/ RSO: Maj. William Lawson/ Maj. Glibert Martinez ejected safely.
o 970/ #2021
§ Lost on 17 June 1970 near El Paso, TX. After refueling, the SR and the KC-135Q collided, when the SR suddenly pitched up and hit the tanker. The USAF Pilot/RSO: Lt. Col. Buddy Brown/ Maj. Mortimer Jarvis both ejected safely, but Buddy Brown broke both his legs during the ejection. The KC-135Q limped back to Beale AFB, CA and arrived safely.
o 971/ #2022/ NASA #832
§ On display at Edwards AFB, CA
§ Fly-by aircraft at Beale Air Fest '97; Lt. Col. Gil Luloff Pilot; ? RSO
o 972/ #2023
§ On display at Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, VA National Air & Space Museum
o 973/ #2024
§ On display at Blackbird Airpark, Palmdale, CA
o 974/ #2025
§ Lost on 21 April 1989 near the Phillipines in the South China Sea. While climbing out from Kadena AB, Okinawa, the right engine exploded severing the hydraulic lines for the flight controls. Seeing the lowering hydraulic pressure the USAF PIlot: Lt. Col. Dan House headed for the nearest base, which was in the Phillipines, nearing the coast they lost all control of the SR and he and his RSO: Maj. Blair Bozek ejected safely landing just off the coast of the Phillipines. They were rescued by native fisherman shortly before US Rescue forces arrived. The SR was recovered after a lengthy salvage mission.
o 975/ #2026
§ On display at March Field Air Museum, CA
o 976/ #2027
§ On display at USAF Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
o 977/ #2028
§ Lost on 10 October 1968 at Beale AFB, CA. After returning from maintenance at Lockheed ADP, on take-off one of the wheel hubs exploded causing a fire, which engulfed the aircraft. USAF RSO: Maj. James Kogler ejected, Pilot: Maj.Gabriel Kardong elected to stay with the aircraft. Both crew members survived.
o 978/ #2029
§ Lost on 20 July 1972 at Kadena AB, Okinawa. Attemping to land with a severe crosswind, USAF PIlot: Capt. Dennis Bush had to abort the landing after deploying the braking chute. He jettisoned the chute and went around and attempted to land again, without the chute. The second attempt was too fast and the SR went off the end of the runway, ripping off the main landing gear and causing considerable damage to the underside of the aircraft. The RSO: Capt. James Fagg and pilot survived safely. This aircraft was known as"Rapid Rabbit". They tried to destroy the aircraft by burning it, but were not successful, it was buried near the end of the runway in a small hill, now known as Habu Mtn.
o 979/ #2030
§ On display at USAF History and Traditions Museum, Lackland AFB, TX
o 980/ #2031/ NASA #844 Is on display at Edwards/NASA Dryden
o 981/ #2001
§ "C" model (trainer), built from front end of SR-71 static test model & aft end of YF-12 #934; On display at Hill AFB, UT
AF Serial Numbers assigned for the SR-71: 61-17950 through 61-17985
o Serial numbers 61-17982 through 61-17985 were not used
Sources:
o Buddy Brown
o Ernest Mesa
o Albert Dobyns
o Ralph Champion
o Michael J. Poirier
o "Lockheed Skunk Works, The First 50 Years" by Jay Miller
o "Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird" by Paul Crickmore
o "Lockheed SR-71, The Secret Missions Exposed" by Paul Crickmore
o Paul Suhler
o Randolph "Randy" Tirazona
Thanks to these sources for all their hard work.