File A121-R-61-7951SR-71AArticle 2002

61-7951

SR-71A · Article 2002
YF-12C "60-6937" (NASA cover identity)
On displayTucson, Arizona

Pima Air & Space Museum
Tucson, Arizona, USA · 32.14, -110.87

SR-71A 61-7951, flown by NASA as the "YF-12C" under the cover serial 60-6937, on the NASA Flight Research Center ramp in 1973.
SR-71A 61-7951, flown by NASA as the "YF-12C" under the cover serial 60-6937, on the NASA Flight Research Center ramp in 1973.NASA Flight Research Center · 1973 · NASA ECN-3516 · Public domain (US government work) · Source
SR-71A 61-7951 on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, on 14 August 2005.
SR-71A 61-7951 on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, on 14 August 2005.Peter Grassberger · 2005-08-14 · CC0 1.0 · Source

Record

61-7951
2002
SR-71A
796.7
5 March 1965
Preserved, on display
Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Career

  • Second SR-71 built and the oldest surviving SR-71 (61-7950 was destroyed in 1967)
  • Test-force aircraft, never flew operational missions
  • Loaned to NASA as the fictitious "YF-12C" with tail number 06937 so NASA could fly an SR-71 without revealing it; 937 followed the YF-12A tails 934, 935 and 936
  • The serial 60-6937 actually belonged to a still-classified CIA A-12 (existence of the A-12 not public until 1982), so the borrowed number caused no visible clash at the time
  • Arrived at NASA Flight Research Center 16 Jul 1971; propulsion research flights began Jun 1972; 90 NASA flights 1971 to 1978

Fate

Returned to the USAF on 27 October 1978 after NASA service and made its last flight on 22 December 1978; stored at Lockheed Palmdale until 1990, then disassembled and trucked to Pima Air and Space Museum.

In the chronology

16 Jul 1971The 'YF-12C', really SR-71A 61-7951, joins NASA NASA
Because NASA was not then allowed to openly operate the reconnaissance version, the Air Force loaned the second SR-71A, 61-7951, under the cover designation YF-12C with the borrowed tail number 06937, which actually belonged to a still-secret A-12. It arrived at the NASA Flight Research Center on 16 July 1971 and made its last NASA flight on 28 September 1978.

Where the record disagrees

Do not confuse with A-12 60-6937 (a separate CIA airframe). NASA's monograph gives arrival at NASA FRC as 16 July 1971 and start of propulsion research as 6 June 1972; one secondary summary gives the first NASA flight as 24 May 1972 (unverified). habu.org says the 27 Oct 1978 return flight was crewed by Col. Jim Sullivan and Maj. William Frazier and the last flight (22 Dec 1978) by Lt Col Calvin Jewett and Frazier.

Sources

  1. NASA. Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 (Peter W. Merlin, NASA SP-2001-4525). Open · Archived · In the register
  2. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). SR-71A #61-7951 (17951). Archived copy · In the register
  3. Habu.org. Blackbird Photo Archive: 61-7951. Archived copy · In the register
  4. SR-71 Online (sr-71.org, read via Wayback Machine snapshot). Blackbird Flight Hours (data from Peter Merlin, NASA Dryden, as of 21 May 2006). Archived copy · In the register
  5. Pima Air & Space Museum. Lockheed SR-71A (serial 61-7951). Open · Archived · In the register
  6. Joe Baugher. 1961 USAF Serial Numbers (61-7950 to 61-7981 entries). Open · Archived · In the register
  7. Roadrunners Internationale. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird production list (article numbers). Open · Archived · In the register
  8. OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocode). Map coordinates: Pima Air & Space Museum. Open · In the register