User Panel
User Panel
User Panel
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:45:48 PM EDT
[#1]
Wasn't the A12 missile intercept?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:46:38 PM EDT
[#2]
It was built to spy only.. Does not have the capability or even an option to carry weapons.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:46:41 PM EDT
[#3]
I dare say bomb bay doors at that altitude would be quite goofy?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:46:43 PM EDT
[#4]
A book by Ben Rich suggested there was no glory in it for commanders. ie.e not promotion material. *shrug* |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:46:47 PM EDT
[#5]
... Because it took all that the ground crews and pilots could muster just to keep it aloft and sustain the speed.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:46:57 PM EDT
[#6]
Vietnam and Robert Mcnamara
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:47:34 PM EDT
[#7]
Who's William? Robert perhaps? |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:49:44 PM EDT
[#8]
Fixed. Eh. It's not like I was alive when he was in power. |
||
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:53:19 PM EDT
[#9]
Maybe it was the Cold War mass warfare thinking of the time.
The Australians in Vietnam used to say the US Army just couldn't think smaller than the batallion... |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:57:03 PM EDT
[#10]
Uhh... it wasn't designed for weapon delivery maybe?
It served it's role VERY well, better than anything anyone else had for a very long time. |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 6:57:15 PM EDT
[#11]
Lockheed proposed a strike variant using nothing but KE bombs. They even had an interceptor version. However, they were extremely expensive to fly and maintain and procure. Due to their expense the USAF would have found themselves in the same position they find themselves with the F-22. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:03:15 PM EDT
[#12]
We used something else for that, it was called the B-58. Didn't stick around too long. Not much use for a single nuke bomb wagon. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:06:02 PM EDT
[#13]
If used during the 70's It would have to be able to get a dumb bomb on target from ungodly altitude and at incredible speed. Maybe we can do that now with laser guided bombs but I doubted we had the capability back then.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:06:24 PM EDT
[#14]
Does anyone knnow if the D-21 drone was ever used operationally?
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:10:26 PM EDT
[#15]
When they tested its turning radius and realized its speed was its only method of survival. Also remember that the SR-71 is built on late 1950 early 1960s tech and missles of the time were pretty bad...
From my understanding the first model of the famous Phoenix Missle were also suppose to be used with the interceptor variant of the SR-71; which never came to realization. The Phoenix also didn't come out of design / prototype for what... another decade... dacade and half? |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:13:24 PM EDT
[#16]
Wasn't designed for it
Too expensive to be worth it |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:16:02 PM EDT
[#17]
Major budgetary issues.
Also to actually use them as a delivery system would require them to negate all their best features to eject/spurt/launch/drop ordnance. In other words they would have to slow down to a reasonable (translated as subsonic) speed to launch* a weapon which based on the meagre carrying capacity would undoubtedly be the size of a tactical nuke. Back in those days they didn't have the precision ordnance capability to put on such a small package. So to hit that kind of target an ICBM would do the job cheaper and far more effectively. That said I wouldn't be surprised if the early A-12 version didn't have some capability. They did a lot of things back then just to see if it could be done. (C-130's on and off carriers, etc, atomic cannon, the Marines nuclear hand grenade, etc) *The pilot would have to start to slowdown about halfway to the target, even then he would be guesstimating distances and times, and then opening the bay would cause a real degradation in stealth characteristics (yes they had some) and add major drag, drop a small package and hope the ballistics would get it there. Then clean up and start accelerating back to supersonic. An external mounted package would add a lot of drag and also have to withstand the heat loadings that it would encounter. |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:23:45 PM EDT
[#18]
Correction: YF12 was intercept variant of the A12
There is an interesting story about one that was definitely missile equipped that probably shouldn't be repeated...  Where the Blackbirds are today |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:25:11 PM EDT
[#19]
No plane launches ordnance at Mach 3+ and 70,000ft+ altitude.
Plus...for every pound of ordnance, you must lose a pound of fuel...and that is range. The HABU was perfect for the recce role...but a fighter...or bomber? Nope. |
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:28:50 PM EDT
[#20]
wheres the story |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:29:02 PM EDT
[#21]
Well, we were working on the XB-70. Damned that's a sweet looking plane.
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:32:36 PM EDT
[#22]
SR-71.org
They don't say it hit anything. 
|
||
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:37:55 PM EDT
[#23]
It is probably best not repeated (but has something to do with the last few posts...)
|
||
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:45:54 PM EDT
[#24]
I dont see why it shouldn't be repeated, I found the pics, missles the missle bay
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:47:05 PM EDT
[#25]
it hit lots of things On 28 September 1965 flying at Mach 3.2 and 75,000 feet, #934 fired an AIM-47 missile at a target Q-2C Drone destroying the Drone at 20,000 feet. link |
|||
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:49:15 PM EDT
[#26]
Ben Rich has #s in his book and from what I can remeber it did really well. |
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 7:50:09 PM EDT
[#27]
look at the link I added in my ealier post
|
|
|
|
Posted: 8/7/2005 8:05:13 PM EDT
[#28]
The D-21 drone wqas used operationally to extend the reconnaisance range of the A12. The biggest problem with the D-21 was the recovery of the drone. The airborne capture of such a large nd fast-moving craft ultimately proved impractical. Reportedly, "several" were launched over Asia in the early 1970s and "less than several" were successfully recovered.
Incidentally, the A12+D-21 complex is known collectively as the M21 system. Good M-21 info on this page. |
|
|
Win a FREE Membership!
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.
