NASA's SR-71B, 831, leaves the runway at Edwards with shock diamonds in both exhaust plumes, 1992.
DeclassifiedReleased to the public
File A121 · Lockheed A-12 · YF-12 · M-21 · SR-71 · 1958 to 1999

Article 121

The Blackbird archive. Every photograph, date and figure, declassified, credited and linked to the place it came from.

Open the fileWhere they are now
SR-71B · 61-7956 · NASA 831Takeoff, Edwards, Calif.1992NASAPublic domain · source
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File A121-0001SummaryPage 1 of 1

The file

Public record

This file documents the Lockheed A-12, YF-12, M-21 and SR-71, the aircraft the world came to call the Blackbirds, from the first Archangel studies in 1958 to NASA's last flight in 1999.

Every photograph, date and figure here comes from a public, citable source, and every one is credited and linked. Article 121 was the program's own name for the first A-12 airframe, serial 60-6924.

Open the file on Article 121

Exhibit A

61-7972 at rest

SR-71A 61-7972 seen nose-on in the Boeing Aviation Hangar of the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia.
SR-71A61-7972 · Article 2023Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Va.Smithsonian NASM2016-00596CC0 · source

The SR-71A that flew from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 minutes 20 seconds on its last flight, 6 March 1990, nose-on in the Smithsonian's hangar. Move over the print to inspect it the way photo interpreters did, with a loupe. This airframe's file

File A121-0002Chronology16 key entries of 109

Chronology

DateEventProgram
4 Jul 1956First U-2 overflight of the USSR is tracked by Soviet radar
The CIA's U-2, built by Lockheed under a 1954 contract and operational from June 1956, made its first overflights of the Soviet Union on 4 and 5 July 1956. Soviet radar tracked both flights, undercutting hopes that the U-2 could fly undetected and starting the search for a faster, harder to detect successor.
The U-2 Program: A Russian Officer Remembers · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story		Context
21 Apr 1958Skunk Works starts the Mach 3 'Archangel' studies
Lockheed's Skunk Works began designing an aircraft to cruise at Mach 3 above 90,000 feet, and Kelly Johnson presented the concept to Land's committee on 23 July 1958. The configurations were called Archangel-1, Archangel-2 and so on, after the U-2's development nickname 'Angel', soon shortened to A-1, A-2 and onward.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challen		Archangel
29 Aug 1959Lockheed's A-12 selected; OXCART is born
Bissell told Kelly Johnson privately on 28 August that Lockheed had won, and the selection panel voted for the A-12 on 29 August 1959, provided Lockheed proved its radar cross section reductions by 1 January 1960. GUSTO ended and the new work took the randomly chosen codeword OXCART; CIA then authorized a four-month, $4.5 million phase of antiradar studies, structural tests and engineering design.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story · Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challen		OXCART
1 May 1960Francis Gary Powers' U-2 shot down
A Soviet surface-to-air missile brought down the U-2 flown by CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers near Sverdlovsk, ending U-2 overflights of the Soviet Union. With the CORONA satellite still unproven, US leaders were now willing to pay heavily for the A-12.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story · D-21 Introductory Remarks		Context
25 Apr 1962Article 121's unofficial first hop
In keeping with Lockheed tradition, Lou Schalk made an unannounced first flight of Article 121, flying less than two miles at about 20 feet before wobbling caused by mis-connected controls forced him down on the lakebed beyond the runway. The next day he flew it for about 40 minutes, during which titanium fillets shed from the airframe.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story		OXCART
30 Apr 1962A-12 official first flight
With senior Air Force and CIA officials watching, Lou Schalk flew Article 121 for 59 minutes on interim J75 engines, reaching 30,000 feet and just under 400 mph. Kelly Johnson called it the smoothest official first flight of any aircraft he had designed or tested; the A-12 was christened Cygnus.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story		OXCART
7 Aug 1963YF-12A interceptor first flight
Lockheed test pilot Jim Eastham flew the first YF-12A, 60-6934, from the secret Nevada base, with Lou Schalk flying chase in an F-104. Early YF-12A testing was carried out in secret through 1963 and early 1964.
Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1 · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Tag archive: 60-6934 · The YF-12 Articles of Project OXCART at Groom La		KEDLOCK
22 Dec 1964SR-71 first flight
Lockheed test pilot Bob Gilliland flew the first SR-71A, 61-7950, from Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, California, and landed at Edwards AFB to begin the flight test program.
Lockheed SR-71A fact sheet · Flight Test Historical Foundation celebrates 50 · 22 December 1964 · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance 		SENIOR CROWN
30 Jul 1966M-21 destroyed in D-21 launch collision
On the fourth launch, off the California coast, the D-21 struck M-21 Article 135 (60-6941) on separation and the mothership broke up. Pilot Bill Park and launch control officer Ray Torick ejected into the Pacific; Park survived but Torick drowned, and Kelly Johnson ended launches from the M-21.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1 · Unlocking the Mystery of the D-21B Solid Rocket · Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challen · Project TAGBOARD		TAGBOARD
31 May 1967First operational A-12 mission, over North Vietnam
Mele Vojvodich took off from Kadena in a downpour in Article 131 (60-6937) for a 3 hour 39 minute mission flown at Mach 3.1 and about 80,000 feet. He photographed 70 of the 190 known SAM sites in North Vietnam and nine other priority targets; no radar tracked the aircraft and no surface-to-surface missiles were found.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story		OXCART
21 Jun 1968Final A-12 flight
Defense Secretary Clark Clifford reaffirmed the termination on 16 May and President Johnson concurred on 21 May 1968; the Kadena A-12s flew home on 8 and 19 June. Frank Murray made the last A-12 flight on 21 June 1968, taking Article 131 (60-6937) from the Nevada test site to storage at Palmdale, California.
Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance · The Oxcart Story · Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challen		OXCART
28 Jul 1976Absolute speed record: 2,193.17 mph
Capt. Eldon Joersz and Maj. George Morgan flew 61-7958 over a 15/25 km straight course at 3,529.56 km/h (2,193.17 mph). FAI record 8879, the absolute speed record for air-breathing aircraft, still stands.
Two crews, three world records, one historic day · Eldon W. Joersz · 28 July 1976 · Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7958 · A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events		SENIOR CROWN
28 Jul 1976Altitude record in horizontal flight: 85,069 ft
Capt. Robert Helt and Maj. Larry Elliott set the record for altitude in sustained horizontal flight, 25,929 m (85,069 ft, often written 85,068.997 ft), FAI record 3496.
Two crews, three world records, one historic day · A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events · Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7958 · 28 July 1976 · Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird		SENIOR CROWN
6 Mar 199061-7972's record-setting delivery flight to the Smithsonian
Lt. Col. Ed Yeilding and Lt. Col. J.T. Vida flew 61-7972 coast to coast (2,404 miles) in 1 hour 7 minutes 53.69 seconds, setting city-pair records including Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. in 1 hour 4 minutes 20 seconds, Kansas City to Washington in 25 minutes 59 seconds and St. Louis to Cincinnati in 8 minutes 32 seconds. The aircraft landed at Dulles and passed into the National Air and Space Museum's custody with 2,801.1 flight hours.
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird · Tag archive: 61-7972 · A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events		SENIOR CROWN
10 Oct 1997Final Air Force SR-71 flight
Maj. Bert Garrison and Capt. Domingo Ochotorena flew 61-7967 on a 4.1 hour sortie from Edwards AFB that turned out to be the last SR-71 flight in Air Force service.
Garrison and Ochotorena · A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events		SENIOR CROWN
9 Oct 1999Last flight of any Blackbird
NASA research pilot Rogers Smith and flight test engineer Robert Meyer flew NASA 844 (61-7980) at the Edwards AFB open house air show, the last flight of any SR-71. The aircraft finished with 734 flights and 2,353.6 hours and was later put on outdoor display at NASA Armstrong (moved back into a hangar in 2026).
NASA Facts FS-2008-6-030-DFRC: SR-71 Blackbird · Legendary SR-71 Blackbird · A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events		NASA

The full chronology

Viewing table

Photographs

Select any print to view it full screen, then select again to zoom.

A-12 60-6931 on its pylon display at CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia, at dusk, in a CIA photograph dated 15 September 2008.FRAME 001
A-12 60-6931 on its pylon display at CIA Headquarters, Langley, Virginia, at dusk, in a CIA photograph dated 15 September 2008.Central Intelligence Agency · 2008-09-15 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
SR-71B 61-7956, flown by NASA as NASA 831, over the southern Sierra Nevada, California, after refuelling from an Air Force tanker in December 1994.FRAME 002
SR-71B 61-7956, flown by NASA as NASA 831, over the southern Sierra Nevada, California, after refuelling from an Air Force tanker in December 1994.Judson Brohmer, U.S. Air Force (via NASA Dryden Flight Research Center) · 1994-12 · NASA EC94-42883-4 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
SR-71A NASA 844 (61-7980) and F-16XL NASA 849 in formation during a NASA Dryden sonic boom research flight on 22 March 1995.FRAME 003
SR-71A NASA 844 (61-7980) and F-16XL NASA 849 in formation during a NASA Dryden sonic boom research flight on 22 March 1995.NASA Dryden Flight Research Center · 1995-03-22 · NASA EC95-43024-2 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
A-12 60-6932 in flight in the 1960s. It was lost over the South China Sea in June 1968.FRAME 004
A-12 60-6932 in flight in the 1960s. It was lost over the South China Sea in June 1968.U.S.Air Force · 1960sdate QS:P,+1960-00-00T00:00:00Z/8 · DoD VIRIN DF-SC-82-10542 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
An SR-71A closes on the boom of a KC-135Q tanker, 1989.FRAME 005
An SR-71A closes on the boom of a KC-135Q tanker, 1989.TSgt. Michael Haggerty, USAF · 1989 · DoD VIRIN DF-ST-89-06276 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
A J58 turbojet in full afterburner during a ground run at NASA Dryden, 4 April 1997.FRAME 006
A J58 turbojet in full afterburner during a ground run at NASA Dryden, 4 April 1997.NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center / NASA/Tony Landis · Taken on 4 April 1997 · NASA EC97-44007-01 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
File A121-RRegister

Where they are now

Every airframe Lockheed built has its own file: article number, first flight, career, how it ended and the museum where it stands today.

Open the register
60-6924A-12 · Article 121Blackbird Airpark (annex of the Air Force Flight Test Museum), Palmdale60-6927A-12 (trainer) · Titanium GooseCalifornia Science Center (Roy A. Anderson Blackbird Exhibit and Garden), Los Angeles61-7972SR-71A · Article 2023Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Boeing Aviation Hangar), Chantilly61-7962SR-71A · Article 2013IWM Duxford (American Air Museum), Duxford, Cambridgeshire60-6940M-21 · Article 134The Museum of Flight (Great Gallery), Seattle61-7974SR-71A · Ichi BanLost 21 Apr 1989
File A121-0004Sources on this page24

Sources

  1. Central Intelligence Agency. The U-2 Program: A Russian Officer Remembers (Alexander Orlov, Studies in Intelligence). Open · In the register
  2. Central Intelligence Agency, Center for the Study of Intelligence. Archangel: CIA's Supersonic A-12 Reconnaissance Aircraft (David Robarge, 2nd ed. 2012), p. 1. Open · In the register
  3. Central Intelligence Agency. The Oxcart Story (Thomas P. McIninch, Studies in Intelligence, Winter 1970-71; released 1994). Open · In the register
  4. NASA Technical Reports Server. Design and Development of the Blackbird: Challenges and Lessons Learned (Peter W. Merlin, AIAA 2009-1522). Open · In the register
  5. National Reconnaissance Office, Center for the Study of National Reconnaissance. D-21 Introductory Remarks (Dr. Robert A. McDonald, 21 March 2019). Open · In the register
  6. NASA. Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 (Peter W. Merlin, NASA SP-2001-4525). Open · In the register
  7. This Day in Aviation. Tag archive: 60-6934. Open · In the register
  8. Roadrunners Internationale (A-12 program veterans' association). The YF-12 Articles of Project OXCART at Groom Lake (page 1). Open · In the register
  9. National Museum of the United States Air Force. Lockheed SR-71A fact sheet. Open · In the register
  10. Edwards Air Force Base. Flight Test Historical Foundation celebrates 50 years of Cold War spy planes (29 April 2014). Open · In the register
  11. This Day in Aviation. 22 December 1964 (first flight of SR-71A 61-7950). Open · In the register
  12. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (copy hosted by Nevada Aerospace Hall of Fame). Unlocking the Mystery of the D-21B Solid Rocket Boosted Air-Launched Mach-3 UAV (Geisler, Moore, Rohrbaugh, Pignoli; AIAA 2007-5761). Open · In the register
  13. Roadrunners Internationale (A-12 program veterans' association). Project TAGBOARD. Open · In the register
  14. FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale). Two crews, three world records, one historic day: 50th anniversary of the SR-71 Blackbird FAI Records. Open · In the register
  15. FAI records database. Eldon W. Joersz (USA) (record 8879). Open · In the register
  16. This Day in Aviation (Bryan R. Swopes). 28 July 1976. Open · In the register
  17. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7958. Open · In the register
  18. Roadrunners Internationale. A-12, YF-12A, & SR-71 Timeline of Events (June 2010). Open · In the register
  19. Imperial War Museums. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Open · In the register
  20. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (object A19920072000). Open · In the register
  21. This Day in Aviation (Bryan R. Swopes). Tag archive: 61-7972 (6 March 1990 entry). Open · In the register
  22. Blackbirds.net. Garrison and Ochotorena (crew history). Open · In the register
  23. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. NASA Facts FS-2008-6-030-DFRC: SR-71 Blackbird. Open · In the register
  24. DVIDS. Legendary SR-71 Blackbird (9th Reconnaissance Wing, 4 March 2020). Open · In the register

All 202 sources