122
Johnson, "Development of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird," 3, 8.
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123
Johnson and Smith, Kelly, 139, 140.
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124
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 28.
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125
Johnson and Smith, Kelly, 140-42.
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126
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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127
Richard P. Hallion, Designers and Test Pilots (Alexandria, Va: Time-Life Books, 1983), 153.
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128
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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129
Johnson, "Development of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird," 3.
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130
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 27, 29.
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131
William H. Brown, "J58/SR-71 Propulsion Integration or The Great Adventure into the Technical Unknown," Lockheed Horizon (Winter 1981-82): 6–9.
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132
Clarence L. Johnson, "Some Development Aspects of the YF-12A Interceptor Aircraft," AIAA Paper No. 69-757 (July 14–16, 1969): 7.
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133
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 29–31.
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134
Johnson, "Some Development Aspects of the YF-12A Inteceptor Aircraft," 5.
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135
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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136
"Kelly's Way, " videotape.
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137
Paul F. Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Osceolo, Wis.: Motorbooks, 1986), 21, 22.
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138
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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139
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 33. The two men who had done so much to bring both the U-2 and A-12 into existence, Allen Dulles and Richard Bissell, had both resigned following the Bay of Pigs disaster a year before.
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140
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 23.
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141
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 33, 34.
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142
Ibid., 30.
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143
Lt. Col. Steve Stowe, USAF Test Pilot School 1944–1989 (Edwards AFB: USAF Test Pilot School, 1991), 42. Two of Skliar's classmates were Mercury astronauts L. Gordon Cooper and Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom.
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144
SR-71/A-12/YF-12 Flights/Checkout (Edwards AFB History Office, June 14, 1991).
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145
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 21, 23, 26, 29.
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146
Private source. The author has extensive contacts within the Black airplane community, both personal and through publications. This provides an insight into both the latest information and the beliefs behind it.
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Milton O. Thompson, At the Edge of Space (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), 55, 58–60. Groom Lake may have had a secret role in the X-15 program. In the event of an engine failure during the climb, the X-15 would have to land on dry lake beds scattered across the desert. If the X-15 suffered an engine failure forty to forty-six seconds after ignition, it would "land at an unnamed lake bed in a highly classified restricted area." Groom Lake meets this description, and it is along the line between Delamar Lake and Edwards AFB. Groom Lake was also larger than many of the emergency lake beds. The high mountains to the west and east would have made the unpowered approach difficult.
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148
Private source
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149
Private source
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150
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 35; and Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 26–28.
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151
Jules Bergman, "Our Watchdog at the Edge of Space," Readers Digest (December 1964): 59.
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152
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 25, 26.
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153
Untitled comments by Kelly Johnson, Lockheed Horizons, (Winter 1981/82): 16.
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154
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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155
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 24–26.
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156
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 34, 35.
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157
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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158
Untitled comments by Kelly Johnson, Lockheed Horizons, (Winter 1981/82): 15, 16. Sometimes even these efforts were not enough. On March 30, 1965, Article 126's right engine sucked off its manufacturer's nameplate during a ground run.
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159
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 37.
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160
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 25.
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161
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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162
Steve Pace, Lockheed Skunk Works (Osceolo, Wis.: Motorbooks, 1992), 183-87.
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163
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 37–41.
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164
Paul F. Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: The Secret Missions Exposed (London: Osprey Aerospace, 1993), 68–70.
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165
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 40, 41.
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166
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 35.
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167
Memorandum for the President: Agenda for Luncheon with Secretaries Rusk and McNamara (Lyndon B. Johnson Library: Austin, Tex., February 28, 1964).
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168
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 36.
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169
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 47.
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170
A-12/SR-71 Lecture, San Diego Aerospace Museum, June 14, 1991.
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171
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 65–70.
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172
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 38.
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173
Dean Rusk, Memorandum for the President, Subject: Warning to Cubans and Soviets against Interference with our Aerial Surveillance of Cuba (Lyndon B. Johnson Library: Austin, Tex., March 15, 1964).
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Memorandum for the President, Re: NSC Agenda, Tuesday, May 5, 1964 (Lyndon B. Johnson Library: Austin, Tex.). There was no intention of using the A-12 over the Soviet Union, except in a national emergency. Satellites could provide routine coverage of the USSR with zero political risk.
However, in the 1960s, the number of satellites was too small to allow them to cover targets in Cuba, North Vietnam, or North Korea.
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175
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 38, 39.
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176
Jay Miller, Lockheed SR-71 (A-12/YF-12/D-21) (Austin, Tex.: Aerofax, 1984), 6.
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177
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 38.
>
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178
Jay Miller, Lockheed U-2 (Austin, Tex.: Aerofax, 1983), 21; and Electronic Spies (Alexandria, Va.: Time-Life Books, 1991), 36.
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179
SR-71/A-12/YF-12 Flights/Checkout, Edwards AFB History Office, June 14, 1991.
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180
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed, 16, 41.
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181
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 38, 39
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182
David A. Anderton, North American F-100 Super Sabre (Osceola, Wis.: Motorbooks, 1987), 108-11.
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183
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed, 63, 64.
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184
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 36.
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185
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 38.
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186
Ibid., 41, 42.
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187
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 36.
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188
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 42.
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189
Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 (Washington, D.C.: NASA, 1968), 5.
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190
Stowe, USAF Test Pilot School 1944–1989, 61, 62. Among Scott's classmates were NASA astronauts David Scott, James B. Irwin, and Theodore Freeman, as well as X-15 astronaut Mike Adams.
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191
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 41.
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Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed, 25–31.
Sullivan's A-12 was the only U.S. aircraft over Hanoi at the time. Thus, the SA-2 batteries had their best opportunity.
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193
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 41–44.
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194
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, 171.
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195
SR-71 Blackbird: The Secret Vigil (New York: Aviation Week video, 1990).
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196
Crickmore, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed, 31–33.
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197
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 45.
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198
Ibid., 46–48.
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Crickman, Lockheed SR-71: The Secret Missions Exposed, 1–8, 34, 41.
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200
McIninch, "The Oxcart Story," 49, 50. Years later, the SR-71 operations building at Kadena was still known as the "Oxcart" building. After nearly a quarter century in storage, JP-7 fuel was still found in the A-12 tanks when they were disassembled for transfer to museums. The fuel had not evaporated even after all those years.
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William Wagner, Lightning Bugs and Other Reconnaissance Drones (Fallbrook, Calif.: Aero Publishers, 1982), 6-14.
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202
Ibid., 15–22.
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203
Ibid., 23–32.
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204
Ibid., 35–41.
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205
Dino A. Brugioni, Eyeball to Eyeball (New York: Random House, 1991), 104, 105, 116, 117.
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Chris Pocock, Dragon Lady: A History of the U-2 Spyplane (Shrewsbury, England: Airlife, 1989), 93, 196.
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207
Brugioni, Eyeball to Eyeball, 133, 135-40.
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208
Ibid., 51, 153, 157, 159, 164, 166, 181-86.
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209
Ibid., 187–217.
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210
Pocock, Dragon Lady, 78–80.
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211
Brugioni, Eyeball to Eyeball, 217, 254, 276, 277, 296, 363, 364, 452, 453.
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"One Minute to Midnight: The Real Story of the Cuban Missile Crisis" (NBC News special, October 24, 1992).
Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft Page 44