Redacted OXCART production

Any idea what this could be? B-12? F-12?

www.cia.gov...

a reply to: BlackDog10
I would say -
oxcart a12 - A12 single seater - 13 built
Kedlock - af12 - YF12 - 2 seater - 3 built
Earning - R12 - SR71 - 32 built
Tagboard drone - D21 - 38 built

Seems to add up given known models, add a few extra drones.
Just refer to Wikipedia ...

a reply to: BlackDog10

Oxcart A-12 - single seater - 13 built #924 - 933 , #937 - 939.
Kedlock - af12 - YF-12 - 2 seater - 3 built #934 - 936

Tagboard aircraft M-21 2 seater - 2 built #940 and 941 First flight Dec 22nd 1964

Earning - - SR- 71 - 31 built (+ 1 SR-71C which was a later trainer replacement)
Tagboard drone - D21 - 38 built

I think he asks if anybody knows what the censored line could hide.

a reply to: BlackDog10

M-21 "mother ship" maybe?

edit:
as already mentioned by @ajsr71

a reply to: ajsr71

The M-21 / TAGBOARD Program was transferred from the CIA to the USAF on 4th June 1963 and Budget funding was held until further discussion were held.

originally posted by: verschickter
I think he asks if anybody knows what the censored line could hide.

By 1960 the principles of motion--not "flight" but motion--was well defined for alien UFOs. About the list (where ever it came from) is indicative that the production of actual craft (whether a prototype or multiples) was being financed and underway. This should not come as a surprise to anybody.

a reply to: ajsr71

What is missing is WEDLOCK an order signed in Oct 62 for 3 A-12's and 2 M-21's. These 3 A-12's transferred to the Oxcart Program in Oct 63 brining the total to 13. And the M-21/DRONES to the USAF on 4th June 63.

We dlock conversion program

a reply to: BlackDog10

I took a quick peek into the archive.

There does seem to be a good amount of data about the A-12.

Probably more in there if you dig deep.

Caught this one.

www.cia.gov...

moving articles from plant b-6 to area 51. I'm assuming that it's a blackbird. But it could be something else.

a reply to: grey580

Its is about moving the A-12 to Groom Lake



A-12 Convoy

These pictures are also available in a book ( 33 pages) "Oxcart Convoy" how they got to Area 51. By Frank Murray - A-12 Pilot.

a reply to: BlackDog10

The real question when you talk about Oxcart is why the A-12 was retired so quickly in 1968, and what, if anything, mught have replaced it.

Remember that spysats with EO sensors that could return imagery instantaneously didn't fly until the first KH-11 launched in the late 70's, meaning that there was a 10-year gap in which the only way that the CIA/NRO could get more or less instantaneous imagery through a (known) owned asset would have been by prematurely dropping a Gambit or Hexagon reentry vehicle, which potentially meant the loss of an entire satellite's capabilities until a replacement could be launched, an expensive option, not to mention a risky one when you think of lost capabilities.

Just some food for thought, that's all.

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: BlackDog10

The real question when you talk about Oxcart is why the A-12 was retired so quickly in 1968, and what, if anything, mught have replaced it.

Remember that spysats with EO sensors that could return imagery instantaneously didn't fly until the first KH-11 launched in the late 70's, meaning that there was a 10-year gap in which the only way that the CIA/NRO could get more or less instantaneous imagery through a (known) owned asset would have been by prematurely dropping a Gambit or Hexagon reentry vehicle, which potentially meant the loss of an entire satellite's capabilities until a replacement could be launched, an expensive option, not to mention a risky one when you think of lost capabilities.

Just some food for thought, that's all.

SR-71 was a major reason for the early retirement. There was even a flyoff where both aircraft competed against each other.

a reply to: moebius

Fly off was called NICE GIRL.

A-12 Oxcart demise, a reply to: Barnalby

www.cia.gov... I typed in Ramayana just to see what will come up. They merely mention that carts had imagery of the Ramayana and were pulled by ox.

Not much to go on there. Keep digging guys.

a reply to: ajsr71

Just an interesting bit of trivia regarding the A-12 shipping convoy pictures. The photos labeled as "Article 121" being uncrated are actually pictures of Article 123. In better copies of these images, you can clearly see that the article number has been written on various components, most notably skin panels on the stub fins. Additionally, the chines have been labeled "FRAGILE" to warn against damaging the composite materials. Article 121 had metal chines.

a reply to: ajsr71

Pretty neat to read the report from the CIA though.

There's probably more interesting things on there.

a reply to: Aliensun

how does this relate to my post, can you tell me? No offense.