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From: gatech!p0.f7.n391.z1.fidonet.org!Scott.Johnson@gatech.edu (Scott Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: F-12
Message-ID: <1990Aug28.043443.1270@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 28 Aug 90 04:34:43 GMT
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From: gatech!p0.f7.n391.z1.fidonet.org!Scott.Johnson@gatech.edu (Scott Johnson)

 UN> It's hard to tell how seriously the F-12 was undertaken.  There 
 UN> certainly was interest,

        Two prototypes (maybe 3) were built, and one flys as a high
speed test bed for NASA, and I think the other is in the Smithsonian.

 UN> but given the obvious shift of the threat from bombers to
 UN> ballistic missiles, it was unlikely even then that real money 

        Nope, the Airforce finally realized that ultimate speed would
 not yeild the ultimate interceptor. Sure it was fast, but if you missed
 on the first target run it took an entire CONTINENT to turn around and
 try again, by which time the smart money has already bombed his target
 and gone home. Also, the mechanics of converting a lightly built reccon
 bird into a high-g fighter were beyond even Mr. Johnson.

 UN> F-12 is that it was largely intended to divert attention from
 UN> the more secret Blackbirds.

        Hmmmm, never heard of this one, but they spent an AWFUL lot of
 money creating a distraction.

                                          Henry Spencer at U of
  Toronto Zoology henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry
     
                                        (God, I love flaming him)