Document Created: 23 Apr 2007
Air
& S pace Power Journal-Spring 2008
Lockheed’s SR-71 “Blackbird” Family: A-12, F-12, M-21, D-21, SR-71 by James Goodall and Jay Miller. Midland Publishing (http://www.ianallan publishing.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=480), Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG, 2002, 128 pages, $24.95 (softcover).
Is this book worth your time? Yes, and here’s why. Lockheed’s SR-71 “Blackbird” Family is a well-written and well-documented work containing a military story that will fascinate the casual reader, inform the Air Force reader, and enrich the aviation-history buff—and the many excellent pictures of jets will hold the interest of every aircraft enthusiast. Authors James Goodall and Jay Miller offer a detailed review of an exciting period of US history—specifically, one element of America’s military strength during the Cold War—distinguished by one of this country’s greatest series of production aircraft: Lockheed’s Blackbird family, consisting of the A-12, F-12, M-21, D-21, and SR-71. The ability of the American industrial base to produce such a tremendous technical marvel as the A-12/SR-71 speaks volumes for US design ingenuity, engineering skill, and manufacturing capability from the 1950s through the 1970s. Correspondingly, the military’s determination to fly such aircraft during the Cold War reflects the world situation and military strategy at that time.
This book tracks the development history of the entire family of A-12/SR-71 air vehicles, beginning when political and military leaders decided that the U-2 would soon need to be replaced. The text discusses the various early designs for a follow-on aircraft to this reconnaissance air vehicle—a replacement that needed to defeat a growing threat from Soviet ground-to-air missiles. The authors describe the competition between Convair and Lockheed to win the government contract to build this new aircraft, which had to fly faster and higher than any previous production jet. The section highlighting the manufacturing phase of the winning entry—the A-12—includes the design of the aircraft, its early testing, and considerable discussion on selection of the all-important engines, which propelled the platform to speeds in excess of Mach 3 and altitudes above 90,000 feet. Another exciting portion of the book describes the operational experiences of the CIA’s A-12 deployment and operations from Kadena AFB, Japan, during the 1960s.
Intermingled with the major technological sections on engines and flight characteristics is a slight but rather important discussion of the acquisition and political strategy within the power halls of several federal agencies and departments in Washington, DC, and Strategic Air Command. The authors also examine the decision to terminate the A-12 CIA air vehicle just one year after its initial operational mission in favor of a fleet of SR-71s procured and operated by the Air Force. These insights present the reader with other dimensions of airplane production that make this work a must-read for anyone interested in aviation. Other topics include the interceptor version of the A-12 air vehicle as well as development of the Mach 3 drone—the D-21—launched from both a derivative of the A-12 (called the M-21) and from one of two specially modified B-52H aircraft.
I found the final section, which focuses on the SR-71’s history of flight operations, extremely interesting. Goodall and Miller cover the history, construction, and operational use of the SR-71, which served the nation for over 25 years, in sufficient detail to satisfy the most ardent aviation reader. Of special note is the information concerning the onboard sensors and especially the workings of the J-58 Pratt and Whitney engines, which performed in subsonic, transonic, and high-Mach regimes. Read ers also learn about Pres. Lyndon Johnson’s announcement in the open press of the aircraft’s existence, the individual who attained the most flight hours in the SR-71, the termination of the program, and the final disposition of all aircraft (A-12, YF-12, and SR-71) as well as the D-21 drone.
Although the authors do not include a description of what an SR-71 flight was really like (I flew the aircraft at Beale AFB, California, from 1982 to 1986, accumulating 500 hours), they do a wonderful job of telling the story of the Blackbird’s family. Anyone who enjoys reading about aviation history will find this book rewarding.
Col Joe McCue, USAF, Retired
Springfield, Virginia
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