Blackbird Questions, Anyone?

I've made a list of questions to ask him when he gets here, but if you
have any questions about the Blackbird, the U-2, or any other Lockheed
Skunkworks stuff, post 'em here and I'll ask him for ya!

(1) Christopher Boyce first exposed to Area 51 In the book "The Falcon and
the Snowman." The facility has been referred in various texts as Dreamland.
What other code names were assigned to the facility? What name does it go by
today?

(2) How often are the (were the) tires changed on the SR-71? In other words,
how many landings could they take?

(3) How many Blackbirds are still operational?

(4) How many YF-12s were built. And do any exist today?

1. According to Bill, they called it either Area 51 or "The Ranch".

2. The tires were changed as needed (if a pilot got on the brakes too
hard) but averaged every 6 to 8 landings. They didn't have much tread,
and were made from a special high-temperature rubber by Goodyear -- who
"gave us a pretty good deal on the price..." (As compared to the
Blackbird's special hydraulic fluid, that cost $100 per quart, in the
early 1960s! It had to withstand 650 degrees at 3500 psi, and was
developed by the Louisiana State Engineering School.)

3. There are no Blackbirds operational. Clinton pulled the final plug
on the project.

4. There were 3 YF-12s built. The most accessible one is at
Wright-Pat, in the US Air Force museum.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

1. According to Bill, they called it either Area 51 or "The Ranch".

2. The tires were changed as needed (if a pilot got on the brakes too
hard) but averaged every 6 to 8 landings. They didn't have much tread,
and were made from a special high-temperature rubber by Goodyear -- who
"gave us a pretty good deal on the price..." (As compared to the
Blackbird's special hydraulic fluid, that cost $100 per quart, in the
early 1960s! It had to withstand 650 degrees at 3500 psi, and was
developed by the Louisiana State Engineering School.)

3. There are no Blackbirds operational. Clinton pulled the final plug
on the project.

4. There were 3 YF-12s built. The most accessible one is at
Wright-Pat, in the US Air Force museum.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
1. According to Bill, they called it either Area 51 or "The Ranch".

"The Ranch" came about when Kelly Johnson was looking for somewhere on
behalf of the CIA to train pilots on the U2. It was called "The Ranch" to
make it sound attractive to the personnel who would be posted there despite
the fact it was a desolate place with small rocks being blown around as if
they were tumbleweeds.


--
Richard

I know the Brit military, and take it from me that they make better friends
than enemies. The Royal Navy is well respected by our guys.

Tom Clancy
A.B.T-C
20 February 2004


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The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United
States Air Force Museum) in Dayton Ohio has a YF-12.

Casey Wilson wrote:
(4) How many YF-12s were built. And do any exist today?

Bill Fox, project coordinator for the Lockheed Skunkworks (and the guy who
donated all the unbelievably cool stuff in our "Blackbird Suite") is going
to be visiting us again soon.

Bill actually ran Area 51 for a few years, and was instrumental in the
development and deployment of the SR-71 (and a whole slew of other stuff
that hasn't been declassified yet.) from Kelly Johnson's Lockheed
Skunkworks.

I've made a list of questions to ask him when he gets here, but if you
have
any questions about the Blackbird, the U-2, or any other Lockheed
Skunkworks
stuff, post 'em here and I'll ask him for ya!

Where do they keep the UFOs ?

Bill says that in all of his years there, he never got to see any
aliens.

He says the whole UFO legend began because the Air Force didn't want to
admit that they were sending mylar balloons (then new technology) over
the Soviet Union. When people found the remains of a balloon -- which
looked like sci-fi space suit material -- they denied knowing about
them, which, of course, simply inflamed the curiosity of everyone.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Bill says that in all of his years there, he never got to see any
aliens.

He says the whole UFO legend began because the Air Force didn't want to
admit that they were sending mylar balloons (then new technology) over
the Soviet Union. When people found the remains of a balloon -- which
looked like sci-fi space suit material -- they denied knowing about
them, which, of course, simply inflamed the curiosity of everyone.

Bullsquat! You are part of the conspiracy, Jay.

The truth is out there!

--
Jim Xisher

Usually when pressed about the fabled Aurora project (the purported
replacement for the SR-71, with rumored Mach 4+ capability), Bill gets sort
of vague, with a somewhat wistful look in his eye, and artfully changes the
subject.

Today, however, he mentioned something that caught my ear, and made me perk
up. I'm paraphrasing what he said, as I was writing as fast as I could
scribble, so I may have gotten a few details wrong, but here goes:

Apparently the Air Force built a huge and extensive air base in Tonopah,
Nevada, exclusively for the F-117 Stealth program. New hangars, testing
facilities, living quarters, runways -- all were constructed at huge
expense, in the absolute middle of nowhere for this ultimate Top Secret
stealth fighter.

And then the base was "abandoned". Without fanfare the F-117s were quietly
transferred to Holliman Air Force Base, where they remain based to this day.

What's at Tonopah now? No one will say for sure, but according to Bill,
that's where he thinks the fabled Aurora was tested. All he would say after
that was that they "apparently were having a lot of trouble with the
engines" -- the first time he has actually addressed the Aurora in "real"
terms.

When pressed further, he related the following story.

One night, while at his retirement home in Charles City, IA, he saw an
aircraft fly overhead late at night. It was making sequential sonic booms,
and the engine exhaust was sequential fireballs, the proverbial "rings on a
rope" contrail that the Aurora has been rumored to produce. He said he
couldn't determine the altitude due to darkness, but he said it passed over
so fast that he called a couple of his buddies who were still working in the
program, to see if what he was seeing was the real deal.

At this point, Bill changed the subject...again!

When pressed, all he would say is that he thinks the program is probably
moribund, and that you "just don't hear much about Aurora anymore..." He
had a strange, wistful look in his eye...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
ups.com...
Bill says that in all of his years there, he never got to see any
aliens.

He says the whole UFO legend began because the Air Force didn't want to
admit that they were sending mylar balloons (then new technology) over
the Soviet Union. When people found the remains of a balloon -- which
looked like sci-fi space suit material -- they denied knowing about
them, which, of course, simply inflamed the curiosity of everyone.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message news:EOsvd.256610

Apparently the Air Force built a huge and extensive air base in Tonopah,

Slightly off-topic. My father-in-law served in the Oregon Air Guard as a
helicopter crewman. On their way south they tried to see how close they
could get to A-51. They got within distant viewing range and, any closer
than that, he said, they might as well have been Communist.

On the way back they were allowed to stop at Tonopah, however, and he
described seeing a B-25 in one of the older hangars there, looking by the
cobwebs and bird **** like it hadn't been touched in decades, but still in
mint condition.

What's at Tonopah now? No one will say for sure, but according to Bill,
that's where he thinks the fabled Aurora was tested.

Awesome! I wonder how much of that research went into the X-34a? Did he
happen to mention Pumpkinseed? If you're able to talk with him again,
that's one for him. IIRC, that was the external-combustion project (where
they injected the fuel right onto the surface of the wing at the appropriate
mixture, and ignited it there.)

This is great stuff, Jay! THANKS for including us.

-c