LOCKHEED SR-71A BLACLBIRD SN 61-7951
Lockheed SR-71A
61-7951 (MSN 2002) Assigned to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA as YF-12C and assigned a spurious serial number 60-6937 (which had been assigned to a CIA A-12).
The reason for this bit for subterfuge lay in the fact that NASA, while flying the YF-12A interceptor version of the aircraft, was not allowed to possess the strategic reconnaissance version for some time. But the existence of the A-12 remained classified until 1982. The tail number 06937 was selected because it followed in the sequence of tail numbers assigned to the three existing YF-12A aircraft: 06934, 06935, and 06936.
Now on display at Pima Air and Space Museum, T
LOCKHEED SR-71A BLACLBIRD SN 61-7951
Lockheed SR-71A
61-7951 (MSN 2002) Assigned to NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, CA as YF-12C and assigned a spurious serial number 60-6937 (which had been assigned to a CIA A-12).
The reason for this bit for subterfuge lay in the fact that NASA, while flying the YF-12A interceptor version of the aircraft, was not allowed to possess the strategic reconnaissance version for some time. But the existence of the A-12 remained classified until 1982. The tail number 06937 was selected because it followed in the sequence of tail numbers assigned to the three existing YF-12A aircraft: 06934, 06935, and 06936.
Now on display at Pima Air and Space Museum, T