Lockheed F-12B Model

[Steve Pace]

Before they were canceled Lockheed recieved an order for 93 production F-12B LRIs to serve in the USAF Air Defense Command. I believe this photo from LM illustrates what a production F-12B would have looked like.

 

[Steve Pace]

Re: Lockheed F-12B

Notice that this F-12B model (what it said on the envelope the transparency was in) does not have cut-off chines like the YF-12A nor the infra-red eye balls.

 

[Matej]

Re: Lockheed F-12B

Did it have radar as the YF-12A?

 

[Steve Pace]

Re: Lockheed F-12B

Doesn't look like it does it? But it must have had some sort of radar.

 

[sferrin]

Re: Lockheed F-12B

Did it have radar as the YF-12A?

Same radar IIRC they just packaged it better.

 

[Matej]

Better? I thought that the YF-12A was much simplier and effective solution with the low cost in a a bit lower speed. It seems that it is optimized for the high speed and low drag, which can cause the problems with the heating distribution in the dielectric material, not to mention also significant mass of the material just in front of the antenna. It can be done, but isnt it much complicated way?

 

[Steve Pace]

Here's the original...

 

[sferrin]

Better? I thought that the YF-12A was much simplier and effective solution with the low cost in a a bit lower speed. It seems that it is optimized for the high speed and low drag, which can cause the problems with the heating distribution in the dielectric material, not to mention also significant mass of the material just in front of the antenna. It can be done, but isnt it much complicated way?

Just telling ya what their intention was. There's a picture of the mockup of the forward fuselage of the F-12B in an issue of Classic Wings and a writeup. That's essentially what they said IIRC.

 

[SOC]

The F-12B was an A-12 derivative, and didn't have the extended tail of the R-12/SR-71. They did re-chine the nose to get back the stability lost when they hacked it up and had to add the ventrals. That model looks like the first SR-71A (note the white ring on the nose) painted to say F-12 (F12 actually, doubtful LockMart would've screwed that up in the model shop).

 

[Steve Pace]

The image came directly to me via LM ADP (Skunk Works) today via email.

 

[Steve Pace]

Prior to being designated YF-12A and F-12B, the interceptor version was known as AF-12 (Archangel Fighter-12). Here's a nose section mockup of the AF-12 (note extended missile). Photograph courtesy of Lockheed Martin

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I believe the cutaway chines affected stability, so they restored them. It certainly would complicate the radome design.

 

[F-14D]

Also restoring the chines would mean giving up the IRST sensors mounted at the front of the cutaway ones.

 

[TomcatViP]

In my memory, after the recon bird, they first went to the bomber and then to the fighter (SR-71 was even a later design). This could explain the hasty reconfigured mockup (see cockpit fully flushed in the fuselage) with chines fully on.