Lockheed YF-12

[archipeppe]

Dear All,


to complete my excursus on American Interceptors here it is the Lockheed YF-12 for sure the fastest of all.
Developed by the Lockheed A-12 Cygnus/OXCART it was realized in three aircrafts and extensively tested by both USAF and NASA during mid-60's. The F-12 program was stopped since it was clear that the major Soviet thread was represented by ICBMs rather than MACH-3 manned bombers.


It's worth to notice that the YF-12 mounted the same Hughes AN/ASG-18 radar with 3 Hughes AIM-47 missiles originally foreseen for the North American XF-108 Rapier.
[/size]
[/size]Ciao
[/size]Giuseppe

 

[jjnodice]

Always a pleasure to study your work. This and the recent A-12 drawings you did are very nice. I particularly like the cutaways because it is easy to see details of the inlet & engine. What did you use for references?

 

[Steve Pace]

Super artwork! I believe the proposed F-12B was to carry four missiles - one bay of the YF-12A carried a camera. -SP

 

[archipeppe]

Always a pleasure to study your work. This and the recent A-12 drawings you did are very nice. I particularly like the cutaways because it is easy to see details of the inlet & engine. What did you use for references?

First of all thanks for the kind comment from both of you guys, I used Scott Lowther drawings for reference.

[/size]

Super artwork! I believe the proposed F-12B was to carry four missiles - one bay of the YF-12A carried a camera. -SP

My understanding is that YF-12A carried the same 3 missiles of XF-108 and the fourth bay was used for the avionics since there was no room inside the fusalage for it.

 

[Sferrin]

My understanding is that YF-12A carried the same 3 missiles of XF-108 and the fourth bay was used for the avionics since there was no room inside the fusalage for it.

Which is really weird because F-12B drawings show four SRAMs.

 

[Michel Van]

Again fantastic artwork, archipeppe

most drawings show 3 rockets in three bays
and there was also proposal for use of M-61 gun in the four bay

i have no idea on Source of this picture, found it on internet

 

[archipeppe]

Again fantastic artwork, archipeppe

most drawings show 3 rockets in three bays
and there was also proposal for use of M-61 gun in the four bay

i have no idea on Source of this picture, found it on internet

Thanks Michel.


Several different drawings from different sources are available on Internet. Most of all come from the original proposal for the F/B-12 with different armament proposal (ranging from AIM-47 + Vulcan to SRAM or B-61s). Moreover the cutaways available show always 4 AIM-47 rather than 3.


As wrote before I understood (but I could be wrong, if so please someone would provide me reference) the 3 YF-12A built was armed with the same 3 AIM-47 foreseen for XF-108 (even if in different arrangement, each one in its own bay rather than the rotary launch system). If we look to the A-12/YF-12 we see that the nose was modified to host the massive Hughes radar antenna and apparatus (and also LERX differences the new fins etc.) with the "Q-Bay" modified also to host the RIO cockpit. So no room left for the massive electronics unit bay that was behind the XF-108 RIO (for reference please see my XF-108 drawings here: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,20222.0.html ).


So the only place that could host the Hughes electronics (without sacrifice the internal fuel tank volume) would be one of the 4 missile bay....
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[Rlewis]

I really love the work you have done here

 

[Stargazer]

Surprised there is so little in this thread.

Well, that's because you're in the "User Artwork" section of the forum!
However great, your video does not belong here.
In case there is no topic on the YF-12A in the "Aerospace" section, perhaps you could start one? ;-)

 

[SAustin16]

Archipeppe's artwork is always exquisite. GREAT work Guiseppe! Bravo from Texas!

 

[archipeppe]

I reply with a "Big Texas Thank You!!!".

Archipeppe's artwork is always exquisite. GREAT work Guiseppe! Bravo from Texas!

 

[Pioneer]

Dear All,


to complete my excursus on American Interceptors here it is the Lockheed YF-12 for sure the fastest of all.
Developed by the Lockheed A-12 Cygnus/OXCART it was realized in three aircrafts and extensively tested by both USAF and NASA during mid-60's. The F-12 program was stopped since it was clear that the major Soviet thread was represented by ICBMs rather than MACH-3 manned bombers.


It's worth to notice that the YF-12 mounted the same Hughes AN/ASG-18 radar with 3 Hughes AIM-47 missiles originally foreseen for the North American XF-108 Rapier.
[/size]
Ciao[/SIZE]
Giuseppe[/SIZE]

Beautiful drawings as per usual Guiseppe!!

Regards
Pioneer

 

[NMaude]

Not A Pound For Air To Ground has a video out about the YF-12:

On the 25th of August 1966 a JQB-47 target drone was struck by a missile near Eglin Air Force Base in California. The firing aircraft was travelling at Mach 3.2 at 75,000 feet. The JQB-47 was 40 miles away at 15,000. Even so, the experimental AIM-47 scored a direct hit.

Every single thing about this shot was remarkable, including, sadly, the fact that the prototype aircraft that fired it was never selected for series production. It was, of course, the YF-12, a fighter derivative of the CIA’s A-12 Oxcart spy plane.

Had it entered service then it would have been by far the most sophisticated pure-bred interceptor to be used in an operational capacity. This video describes the aircraft and its capabilities.

 

[jjnodice]

On the 25th of August 1966 a JQB-47 target drone was struck by a missile near Eglin Air Force Base in California. The firing aircraft was travelling at Mach 3.2 at 75,000 feet. The JQB-47 was 40 miles away at 15,000. Even so, the experimental AIM-47 scored a direct hit.

Eglin is in Florida. Getting a shot near Eglin in California would be quite an achievement.