Lockheed YF-12A with canards

flying-finn

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Someone knows are they were really fitted with canards?
Any photos are welcome.
I have only these two pictures:
 

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See:
http://www.air-and-space.com/Lockheed%20A-12%20YF-12%20SR-71%20Blackbirds.htm

7th pic down.
 
You're welcome!

I recall reading an article about this configuration,
in AW&ST back then, I think. I also recall other
photos. So happy hunting!
 
I'm just found the online NASA report "Flight and Analytical Investigations of a Structural Mode Excitation System on the YF-12A Airplane". It is about oscillating canard vane mounted on the YF-12A to study dynamic behavior of the large flexible aircraft over a wide range of Mach numbers and flight conditions.

Thank you again, shockonlip!!

Here is this report:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19870013252_1987013252.pdf
 
flying-finn said:
I'm just found the online NASA report "Flight and Analytical Investigations of a Structural Mode Excitation System on the YF-12A Airplane". It is about oscillating canard vane mounted on the YF-12A to study dynamic behavior of the large flexible aircraft over a wide range of Mach numbers and flight conditions.

Thank you again, shockonlip!!

Here is this report:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19870013252_1987013252.pdf

They put those things on the XB-70 when NASA had it as well and then they put them on the B-1B.
 
Peter Merlin wrote about the YF-12 in the time frame between 1969-1979 in regards to NASA/USAF Mach 3+ research. A good explaination and diagrams (with one up close production shot of the actual system) can be found on page 40 through 43.

A very interesting read for all those who loved that great big bird.

Peter Merlin, Mach 3+ NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979
 
sferrin said:
They put those things on the XB-70 when NASA had it as well and then they put them on the B-1B.

Do we have one possible explanation here of the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings???
 
Stargazer2006 said:
Do we have one possible explanation here of the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings???

How do you figure?
 
http://www.air-and-space.com/Lockheed%20A-12%20YF-12%20SR-71%20Blackbirds.htm
 
SOC said:
Stargazer2006 said:
Do we have one possible explanation here of the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings???

How do you figure?

Brilliant Buzzard has been described variously as a sort of Blackbird or Valkyrie with canards, that's why.
 
The Valkyrie already had canards. And these things are so small that it's doubtful an observer on the ground would notice them anyway. Plus, the YF-12A stopped flying in 1979-the one that got the NASA canards went to the USAF Museum. The Valkyrie stopped flying a lot earlier, and is in the same place. Right next to the YF-12A, actually ;D
 
Thanks, Ian33. Very detailed source indeed. With some interesting pictures. There were only 10 test flights made with those "canards".
Anyway additional info and pics are welcome!
 
Ok! If you want to know something first look at own sources. If you find nothing - ask somebody for it.
From Warbirdtech series No10 (why i'm not look at it earlier?)
 

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sferrin said:
They put those things on the XB-70 when NASA had it as well and then they put them on the B-1B.

Do we have one possible explanation here of the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings???
In his book Dark Eagles, the late aviation historian Curtis Peebles states on page 268 that the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings were actually of the Rutan Long-EZ homebuilt aircraft, because that aircraft has canards like the XB-70 Valkyrie and upturned wingtips (as described by eyewitnesses in Atlanta, Georgia, and Helendale, California). He also quotes US Air Force officials as saying that an object seen being loaded into a C-5 Galaxy in January 1992 looking like the forward part of an SR-71 fuselage except for rounded chines that reporters believed to be the forward fuselage of the "Brilliant Buzzard" was actually a radar cross section test article (this object also had no cockpit canopy).
 
In his book Dark Eagles, the late aviation historian Curtis Peebles states on page 268 that the so-called "Brilliant Buzzard" sightings were actually of the Rutan Long-EZ homebuilt aircraft, because that aircraft has canards like the XB-70 Valkyrie and upturned wingtips (as described by eyewitnesses in Atlanta, Georgia, and Helendale, California). He also quotes US Air Force officials as saying that an object seen being loaded into a C-5 Galaxy in January 1992 looking like the forward part of an SR-71 fuselage except for rounded chines that reporters believed to be the forward fuselage of the "Brilliant Buzzard" was actually a radar cross section test article (this object also had no cockpit canopy).

IIRC Bill Scott did not share his sources with Peebles (I do not have my copy of Dark Eagles handy). Peebles must have guessed that the sightings collected by Scott were misidentifications of Long-Ezs. They could have been, though the Long-Ez is a small airplane that makes a distinct prop sound. It would be difficult for even a lay observer to mistake it for large jet.

There were quite a few more sightings that Peebles definitely did not have access to, some of which were definitely not misidentifications of Long-Ezs or Starships.

There is a Brilliant Buzzard / Blackstar thread on the site. If that topic interests you I suggest you post in that thread.

 

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