☆ SKYWALKER ☆

There were four Blackbird trainers.

None of the four ever left the United States as far as I know.

By trainers, I mean the aircraft used to train pilots. Let’s start with the beginning. The first one was the A-12 trainer also called the titanium goose.

In 1965 The very first men selected to fly as pilots and navigators in the SR were read into the then beyond-top-secret A-12 program. This is important because the rest of the people in the SR 71 program were not told about the A-12. Because the SR-71 trainers were not ready yet. The first pilots Gray Sowers, Al Hichew , and Pete Collins’s went to Area 51 to use the A-12 trainer. This trainer was unique because it was the only one with the smaller engines. Instead of J-58, it had J-75 engines.

The TA-12 aircraft could not go Mach three like the others. While designer Kelly Johnson was waiting for the Pratt & Whitney engines to be upgraded and installed. These less powerful engines were used for the first test flights in 1962. All of the A-12s were replaced with more powerful engines, except for the trainer.

The A-12 trainer held 750 fewer pounds of fuel than the later SR 71B trainers. SR 71C had the same lower fuel capacity as an A-12

The SR-71 was an upgraded A-12. With two cockpits an additional person could handle many of the functions of a copilot and systems officer and was called a reconnaissance systems officer(RSO) who was also the navigator. The RSO had to memorize the pilot's cockpit along with their own. The RSO would run the checklist for the pilot and also assist if the pilot had to flip a switch that he couldn’t see by talking the pilot through it. The A-12 was not faster than the SR 71. They both had the same limitations however the A-12 could fly at a higher altitude. The SR-71 has a longer range than the A-12/YF-12 /M-21. Unfortunately, SR-71 Trainer 957 crashed in 1968. With only one trainer in the SR-71 fleet, the backup for teaching new pilots had to fly became increasingly hard to deal with.

So they invented a new trainer out of spare parts and the SR 71C was born. The back half of this unique aircraft is a YF 12 that had crashed. The front half was the static display model of an SR 71.

The three remaining trainers are on display in the United States. TA-12 is displayed outside in Southern California. SR-71 B is on display in Kalamazoo, Michigan. There will be an event at Kalamazoo in 2027 where former SR 71 crewmembers and maintainers will be on hand to talk about and answer questions about this airplane. I will give more information as time gets closer.

The SR-71 C is on display at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Written by Linda Sheffield

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter plane in flight, featuring the iconic shark mouth nose art used by the American Volunteer Group, known as the "Flying Tigers". 

Historic Significance: The P-40 was a prominent American fighter aircraft during the early years of World War II, famously utilized by the Flying Tigers in China. 

Design Features: The aircraft is known for its rugged construction, Allison V-1710 engine, and heavy armament, which included six .50-caliber machine guns in later models. 

Performance: The P-40 reached speeds of over 360 mph and was designed to be a durable fighter-bomber. 

F4U-1 Corsair fighter of US Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF-213 'Hell Hawks' being prepared for flight aboard USS Copahee, 29 Mar 1943.