A-12 on Intrepid

Hi,

Has anyone seen the current condition of the A-12 Blackbird residing
at the Intrepid Museum? To my eyes, she is deteriorating rather badly.
If you care to see current pictures please visit
http://www.savetheblackbird.com. PLease be advised that the Intrepid
has now moved her to the left side of the deck to facilitate one of
their many events. You can also see a live image of the flight deck
via the Intrepid Earthcam camera. You can locate this site by using
the Google search for Intrepid Earthcam. This will also allow you to
see the current conditions on the deck. I would LOVE to hear any
feedback. Thanks for the time.

"Thomas J. Paladino Jr." wrote in message
...

"Jeanne" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

Has anyone seen the current condition of the A-12 Blackbird residing
at the Intrepid Museum? To my eyes, she is deteriorating rather badly.
If you care to see current pictures please visit
http://www.savetheblackbird.com. PLease be advised that the Intrepid
has now moved her to the left side of the deck to facilitate one of
their many events. You can also see a live image of the flight deck
via the Intrepid Earthcam camera. You can locate this site by using
the Google search for Intrepid Earthcam. This will also allow you to
see the current conditions on the deck. I would LOVE to hear any
feedback. Thanks for the time.

I never understood why they didn't keep that plane inside the Intrepid, in
one of the display areas, from the beginning. It is arguably the single
most
expensive, rare and interesting piece that they have.

I remember going to the Intrepid when the A-12 had first arrived (I was
around 14 or so), with a friend of the family who was also an engineer for
Grumman (he worked on the X-29, I believe). It was the coolest thing I had
ever seen in my entire life. And it was still in it's totally original
condition. They didn't have it roped off or anything at that point, so we
could get right up next to it, and look in the engine cavities and landing
gear bays and everything. He explained some of the details to me, and
showed
me some of the seams that were a bit wider than they should have been,
explaining how they would seal up at speed. The original paint was still
on
it, and I remember that the skin of the plane in certain areas almost felt
like soft plastic. The tires were light grey, but deflated, and the engine
cavities still smelled like jet fuel. It was great.

I know that it would not be practical to have kept the plane in exactly
that
condition, but they should have moved it down into the museum area of the
ship shortly after that. It is a big plane, but it could have easily fit,
and it would not be in such a sad state as it is now. It really is a
shame.


I suspect it wouldnt fit on the elevator without being sliced up

Keith

Hey Keith,

Thanks for the feedback. As often as I naively tried to convince
Intrepid that downstairs on the hanger deck might be a better place
for the A-12, the word was that "she was better viewed from the flight
deck" They basically use her as a draw. If you've been out to
Intrepid, you know how she looks from the street level. They will
NEVER move her inside. Besides they need the area downstairs for their
banquets and events. Her wings were already cut so it isn't an issue
of moving her. believe me.

Let's face it, the A-12 does not belong on the flight deck of ANY
ship. They never served the Navy, never flew off a flight deck and
have no historical value there. This particular A-12 was "bought" by
Zak Fisher, the Late CEO/founder of the Intrepid. The A-12 on Intrepid
is just that---a meal ticket, a draw, and they consider her as nothing
more. Just like you, I was out there when they first put her on the
deck. It was what drove me to help her. If you read any of the text at
my website, there's the explanation. Only the SR-71/A-12 Blackbird
people/affeciandos can save her now by making a fuss over her
treatment.

Jeannette

"Jeanne" wrote in message
m...
Hey Keith,

Thanks for the feedback. As often as I naively tried to convince
Intrepid that downstairs on the hanger deck might be a better place
for the A-12, the word was that "she was better viewed from the flight
deck" They basically use her as a draw. If you've been out to
Intrepid,

I have

you know how she looks from the street level. They will
NEVER move her inside. Besides they need the area downstairs for their
banquets and events. Her wings were already cut so it isn't an issue
of moving her. believe me.


Yes but she's 102 ft long, the Intrepids elevators as installed
were 60ft by 34 ft , Unless you cut ger in half she aint gonna fit

Let's face it, the A-12 does not belong on the flight deck of ANY
ship. They never served the Navy, never flew off a flight deck and
have no historical value there.

However Intrepid is not just a naval museum but an aerospace one.


This particular A-12 was "bought" by
Zak Fisher, the Late CEO/founder of the Intrepid. The A-12 on Intrepid
is just that---a meal ticket, a draw, and they consider her as nothing
more. Just like you, I was out there when they first put her on the
deck. It was what drove me to help her. If you read any of the text at
my website, there's the explanation. Only the SR-71/A-12 Blackbird
people/affeciandos can save her now by making a fuss over her
treatment.


The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

I sympathise with your concerns but frankly Intrepid loses
money as it is, the only admission charges dont cover maintenance
costs and without the money from those banquets the museum
would go bust.

I watched the scrap dealers cutting up aircraft at a failed museum
here in the UK once , trust me you dont want to see that happen.

Keith

"TBBlakeley" wrote in message
...
The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

Actually, the FACT is, NOT 1 of the Blackbird Aircraft went to any
scrapyard...NOT ONE!!! Believe me, everyone of these aircraft were sought
after by numerous museums.

Yep, not a single one was scrapped. Here is a good link, with a list of
every A-12/SR-71 and it's current situation.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/sr-71.htm

The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

Actually, the FACT is, NOT 1 of the Blackbird Aircraft went to any
scrapyard...NOT ONE!!! Believe me, everyone of these aircraft were sought
after by numerous museums.

In article , Keith Willshaw
wrote:

The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

Bull. Not one single Blackbird has been scrapped since the
program was shut down and the Blackbirds sent to museums. This
are historically significant aircarft, and they deserve to be
treated as the museum pieces that they are.

I sympathise with your concerns but frankly Intrepid loses
money as it is, the only admission charges dont cover maintenance
costs and without the money from those banquets the museum
would go bust.

Well, if the Intrepid cannot take care of this historic aircraft,
then they should give it up to someone who can. There are dozens
of musuems that would love to have a Blackbird.

-john-

--
================================================== ==================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ==================

On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 16:06:07 +0100, "Keith Willshaw"
wrote:


"Jeanne" wrote in message
om...

This particular A-12 was "bought" by
Zak Fisher, the Late CEO/founder of the Intrepid. The A-12 on Intrepid
is just that---a meal ticket, a draw, and they consider her as nothing
more. Just like you, I was out there when they first put her on the
deck. It was what drove me to help her. If you read any of the text at
my website, there's the explanation. Only the SR-71/A-12 Blackbird
people/affeciandos can save her now by making a fuss over her
treatment.


The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

True of many workaday aircraft, but not the Blackbirds. Look at any
list of them by serial number (there's one at
http://digilander.libero.it/maddog666/serie.htm) and you'll see that
every single one of them begins "Lost..." "On display at..." or "In
storage for...".

K-Mac


--
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Warbirding and other bad habits: http://www.sff.net/people/K-Mac/warbird.htm
Warbird sighting album: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/K-mac/

On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 19:24:36 -0500, "John A. Weeks III"
wrote:

In article , Keith Willshaw
wrote:

The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

Bull. Not one single Blackbird has been scrapped since the
program was shut down and the Blackbirds sent to museums. This
are historically significant aircarft, and they deserve to be
treated as the museum pieces that they are.

That A-12 went to Intrepid long before 1990. Don't confuse the A-12s,
which were distributed to museums first, with the SR-71s, which were
distributed after the deactivation.

You do know there's an SR-71 buried over by the Edwards AFB dump,
don't you? I think it would be more correct to say that no intact
Blackbird has been scrapped.

Folks, not all Blackbirds survived intact. A pretty fair number were
written off. Check the list in Crickmore.

Mary

--
Mary Shafer Retired aerospace research engineer

In article , Michael
Kube-McDowell writes
On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 16:06:07 +0100, "Keith Willshaw"
wrote:


"Jeanne" wrote in message
. com...

This particular A-12 was "bought" by
Zak Fisher, the Late CEO/founder of the Intrepid. The A-12 on Intrepid
is just that---a meal ticket, a draw, and they consider her as nothing
more. Just like you, I was out there when they first put her on the
deck. It was what drove me to help her. If you read any of the text at
my website, there's the explanation. Only the SR-71/A-12 Blackbird
people/affeciandos can save her now by making a fuss over her
treatment.


The alternative to that aircraft going to Intrepid was more likely
the scrapyard, thats where most went after all.

True of many workaday aircraft, but not the Blackbirds. Look at any
list of them by serial number (there's one at
http://digilander.libero.it/maddog666/serie.htm) and you'll see that
every single one of them begins "Lost..." "On display at..." or "In
storage for...".


Blue on black is very difficult to read!

Neither this site nor the one mentioned earlier by John Weeks shows that
SR-71A 64-17962 has been at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford since May
2001.
--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!