Blackbird Questions, Anyone?

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!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:Qo6vd.561259$D%.17160@attbi_s51...
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!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay,

Please ask Bill if the story regarding the 71's designation and LBJ is
true...

Supposedly, the original official designation should have been RS-71 for
"reconisance - strategic" but LBJ muddled the words and called it an SR-71
when it was unveiled to the public...

No one wanted to correct the Prez so it stuck...True? False?

Thanks,

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

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?

"Jay Beckman" wrote:
Please ask Bill if the story regarding the 71's designation and LBJ is
true...

Supposedly, the original official designation should have been RS-71 for
"reconisance - strategic" but LBJ muddled the words and called it an SR-71
when it was unveiled to the public...

No one wanted to correct the Prez so it stuck...True? False?

The placard beside the SR-71 at the March AFB museum in Riverside tells
that story, and if I recall correctly, it also said that they change the
tires after every six landings.

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 ?

wrote in message
...
"Jay Beckman" wrote:
Please ask Bill if the story regarding the 71's designation and LBJ is
true...

Supposedly, the original official designation should have been RS-71 for
"reconisance - strategic" but LBJ muddled the words and called it an
SR-71
when it was unveiled to the public...

No one wanted to correct the Prez so it stuck...True? False?

The placard beside the SR-71 at the March AFB museum in Riverside tells
that story, and if I recall correctly, it also said that they change the
tires after every six landings.

Thanks for the information. Is it okay for Jay to ask the questions,
anyway?

Supposedly, the original official designation should have been RS-71
for
"reconisance - strategic" but LBJ muddled the words and called it an
SR-71
when it was unveiled to the public...

No one wanted to correct the Prez so it stuck...True? False?

According to Bill, this is 100% true. He still laughs about it.
--
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"

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"

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"