"Thomas J. Paladino Jr." wrote in message
...

"Jeanne" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

Has anyone seen the current condition of the A-12 Blackbird residing
at the Intrepid Museum? To my eyes, she is deteriorating rather badly.
If you care to see current pictures please visit
http://www.savetheblackbird.com. PLease be advised that the Intrepid
has now moved her to the left side of the deck to facilitate one of
their many events. You can also see a live image of the flight deck
via the Intrepid Earthcam camera. You can locate this site by using
the Google search for Intrepid Earthcam. This will also allow you to
see the current conditions on the deck. I would LOVE to hear any
feedback. Thanks for the time.

I never understood why they didn't keep that plane inside the Intrepid, in
one of the display areas, from the beginning. It is arguably the single
most
expensive, rare and interesting piece that they have.

I remember going to the Intrepid when the A-12 had first arrived (I was
around 14 or so), with a friend of the family who was also an engineer for
Grumman (he worked on the X-29, I believe). It was the coolest thing I had
ever seen in my entire life. And it was still in it's totally original
condition. They didn't have it roped off or anything at that point, so we
could get right up next to it, and look in the engine cavities and landing
gear bays and everything. He explained some of the details to me, and
showed
me some of the seams that were a bit wider than they should have been,
explaining how they would seal up at speed. The original paint was still
on
it, and I remember that the skin of the plane in certain areas almost felt
like soft plastic. The tires were light grey, but deflated, and the engine
cavities still smelled like jet fuel. It was great.

I know that it would not be practical to have kept the plane in exactly
that
condition, but they should have moved it down into the museum area of the
ship shortly after that. It is a big plane, but it could have easily fit,
and it would not be in such a sad state as it is now. It really is a
shame.


I suspect it wouldnt fit on the elevator without being sliced up

Keith