A-12 Oxcart
12-23-2016, 04:28 AM
#1
Thread Starter
A-12 Oxcart
Dear all.
I would like to share our latest project with you.
This is our A-12 Oxcart.
The A-12 is one of the coolest plane ever designed. It is the father of the SR-71 and was operated by the CIA.
This plane didn't fly long and only 12 airframes were built by Lockheed. They got retired after a few years with 400 hours of flight per airframe on average.
This plane was significantly lighter than the SR-71 but used the same J-58 engines. Needless to say that this was a total beast to fly. The plane was also faster and could fly at higher altitudes than its successor.
Here are few pictures of the prototype:
The plane is 100% built in carbon fiber with not an once of glass fiber.
This version is painted with Dupont mat black and titanium aero spec Imron.
Here is the product description.
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...ts/a-12-oxcart
Merry Christmas to all of you on behalf of the Ultimate Jets team!
I would like to share our latest project with you.
This is our A-12 Oxcart.
The A-12 is one of the coolest plane ever designed. It is the father of the SR-71 and was operated by the CIA.
This plane didn't fly long and only 12 airframes were built by Lockheed. They got retired after a few years with 400 hours of flight per airframe on average.
This plane was significantly lighter than the SR-71 but used the same J-58 engines. Needless to say that this was a total beast to fly. The plane was also faster and could fly at higher altitudes than its successor.
Here are few pictures of the prototype:
The plane is 100% built in carbon fiber with not an once of glass fiber.
This version is painted with Dupont mat black and titanium aero spec Imron.
Here is the product description.
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...ts/a-12-oxcart
Merry Christmas to all of you on behalf of the Ultimate Jets team!
12-23-2016, 05:28 AM
#2
My Feedback: (24)
Wow. Just...wow. That has got to be the highest technology/most advanced material RC airplane I've ever seen, bar none. Very beautifully crafted and the attention to detail is stunning.
Awesome use of new manufacturing technology that I think will change the way all kinds of things get manufactured.
A bit out of my league at the moment, but can appreciate it nonetheless.
Great innovation guys - can't wait to see it in person some day!
Awesome use of new manufacturing technology that I think will change the way all kinds of things get manufactured.
A bit out of my league at the moment, but can appreciate it nonetheless.
Great innovation guys - can't wait to see it in person some day!
12-23-2016, 06:32 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Thanks Chuck.
Yes, this is our know-how demonstrator.
We are indeed using technologies that have never been offered to the hobby World yet.
We are able to keep a relatively reasonable price on this full carbon fiber airframe with fused lamination thanks to the volume of material we process for the industrial/ military industry.
I want to keep this airframe as the most advanced hobby ARF ever made because that was the nature of the real plane.
Our next project will be more focused on affordable technologies but will still be very unique.
You will find some hints of what's coming next on our Facebook page.
Yes, this is our know-how demonstrator.
We are indeed using technologies that have never been offered to the hobby World yet.
We are able to keep a relatively reasonable price on this full carbon fiber airframe with fused lamination thanks to the volume of material we process for the industrial/ military industry.
I want to keep this airframe as the most advanced hobby ARF ever made because that was the nature of the real plane.
Our next project will be more focused on affordable technologies but will still be very unique.
You will find some hints of what's coming next on our Facebook page.
12-23-2016, 07:14 AM
#4
Wow.
This gave me a bit of a jaw-drop moment, just like it did when I first saw the real A-12. There's one mounted on display outside of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which was only a few feet away from where I was working at the time. I drove up to go inside and meet my new bosses and looked up and saw what I thought was an optical illusion. Nope, it was an A-12. I turned the trash can upside down and climbed up on it so I could touch the wing-tip.
With an all-carbon airframe, what are the procedures for safe operation with 2.4Ghz?
This gave me a bit of a jaw-drop moment, just like it did when I first saw the real A-12. There's one mounted on display outside of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which was only a few feet away from where I was working at the time. I drove up to go inside and meet my new bosses and looked up and saw what I thought was an optical illusion. Nope, it was an A-12. I turned the trash can upside down and climbed up on it so I could touch the wing-tip.
With an all-carbon airframe, what are the procedures for safe operation with 2.4Ghz?
12-23-2016, 09:06 AM
#6
Thread Starter
Wow.
This gave me a bit of a jaw-drop moment, just like it did when I first saw the real A-12. There's one mounted on display outside of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which was only a few feet away from where I was working at the time. I drove up to go inside and meet my new bosses and looked up and saw what I thought was an optical illusion. Nope, it was an A-12. I turned the trash can upside down and climbed up on it so I could touch the wing-tip.
With an all-carbon airframe, what are the procedures for safe operation with 2.4Ghz?
This gave me a bit of a jaw-drop moment, just like it did when I first saw the real A-12. There's one mounted on display outside of the San Diego Air and Space Museum, which was only a few feet away from where I was working at the time. I drove up to go inside and meet my new bosses and looked up and saw what I thought was an optical illusion. Nope, it was an A-12. I turned the trash can upside down and climbed up on it so I could touch the wing-tip.
With an all-carbon airframe, what are the procedures for safe operation with 2.4Ghz?
Actually the nose and tail cones are made of Kevlar fiber to allow a proper transmission of the 2.4 Ghz RF signal.
I will have to make antenna field measurements but I think that the optimum configuration will be to have one ( or more for Spektrum users ) antenna/ receiver in the nose and one in the tail.
12-23-2016, 09:09 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Me too!
Consider the fact that the plane is produced from matte black gel coat and then each panel is sanded twice at 90 degree angle with a different grit for each panel.
The plane is then painted in a special Dupont titanium medium. It is then weathered with blue/ brown chalk process. The panels change color in the sun just like the real one
!
I will make a picture of this soon!
Consider the fact that the plane is produced from matte black gel coat and then each panel is sanded twice at 90 degree angle with a different grit for each panel.
The plane is then painted in a special Dupont titanium medium. It is then weathered with blue/ brown chalk process. The panels change color in the sun just like the real one
!I will make a picture of this soon!
12-23-2016, 09:11 AM
#9
I was told years ago that using carbon fiber instead of traditional materials adds a lot more weight to the model. How did you guys keep the weight down?
<-----------------okay if you add the drone like the original im all in and will add it to the bucket list
Last edited by FenderBean; 12-23-2016 at 10:06 AM.
12-23-2016, 09:23 AM
#10
I'm sure Oli can give the detailed/educated answer, but my impression has always been that it's a matter of 'how' than 'what' with respect to weight and materials. I once had someone show me an $11k bicycle with an all-carbon frame. I picked it up with one hand and suddenly understood the price tag a bit better. Whoever designed that bike knew how to make a machine that would withstand the rigors of the sport, but weighed practically nothing.
12-23-2016, 10:06 AM
#11
Im sure he will, I have a friend who builds carbon fiber wheel chairs and I spent time seeing and learning about composites in that application. Not saying you can can't do what they are doing and have a light weight jet, just wondering due to personal interest how they do it. SM made the F-14 wings solid CF so it has the applications but it does cost a bit more for carbon fiber materials.
They must be doing something right the price seems pretty good for the size, plus the jet design seems like a less complicated layup.
They must be doing something right the price seems pretty good for the size, plus the jet design seems like a less complicated layup.
Last edited by FenderBean; 12-23-2016 at 10:11 AM.
12-23-2016, 10:28 AM
#13
Thread Starter
12-23-2016, 10:31 AM
#14
Dear all.
I would like to share our latest project with you.
This is our A-12 Oxcart.
The A-12 is one of the coolest plane ever designed. It is the father of the SR-71 and was operated by the CIA.
This plane didn't fly long and only 12 airframes were built by Lockheed. They got retired after a few years with 400 hours of flight per airframe on average.
This plane was significantly lighter than the SR-71 but used the same J-58 engines. Needless to say that this was a total beast to fly. The plane was also faster and could fly at higher altitudes than its successor.
Here are few pictures of the prototype:
The plane is 100% built in carbon fiber with not an once of glass fiber.
This version is painted with Dupont mat black and titanium aero spec Imron.
Here is the product description.
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...ts/a-12-oxcart
Merry Christmas to all of you on behalf of the Ultimate Jets team!
I would like to share our latest project with you.
This is our A-12 Oxcart.
The A-12 is one of the coolest plane ever designed. It is the father of the SR-71 and was operated by the CIA.
This plane didn't fly long and only 12 airframes were built by Lockheed. They got retired after a few years with 400 hours of flight per airframe on average.
This plane was significantly lighter than the SR-71 but used the same J-58 engines. Needless to say that this was a total beast to fly. The plane was also faster and could fly at higher altitudes than its successor.
Here are few pictures of the prototype:
The plane is 100% built in carbon fiber with not an once of glass fiber.
This version is painted with Dupont mat black and titanium aero spec Imron.
Here is the product description.
http://www.ultimate-jets.net/collect...ts/a-12-oxcart
Merry Christmas to all of you on behalf of the Ultimate Jets team!
I knew about the YF-12A as I mentioned in the thread with pics of your paint booth and one of these inside and I thought it was an SR-71. I'd never heard of the A-12 until now....
Great looking project Oli!
12-23-2016, 10:32 AM
#15
Oli,
Beautiful model and fantastic technology demonstrator for the hobby/ model field, but unfortunately what you have is only a stand-off scale A-12, basically an SR-71 in an A-12 fantasy paint scheme.
Whilst they generally look the same, the A-12 forward fuselage is a lot sharper in plan view, and there is only a very minor raised cockpit section, it flows in an almost straight line across the canopy into the fuselage.
Also, the A-12 was a single seat aircraft, the one-off M-12 was a 2-seater used to launch a supersonic done before the SR-71 was developed.
Fancy doing the M-12/ D-21 drone combo next with fully functional D-21???
Paul
Beautiful model and fantastic technology demonstrator for the hobby/ model field, but unfortunately what you have is only a stand-off scale A-12, basically an SR-71 in an A-12 fantasy paint scheme.
Whilst they generally look the same, the A-12 forward fuselage is a lot sharper in plan view, and there is only a very minor raised cockpit section, it flows in an almost straight line across the canopy into the fuselage.
Also, the A-12 was a single seat aircraft, the one-off M-12 was a 2-seater used to launch a supersonic done before the SR-71 was developed.
Fancy doing the M-12/ D-21 drone combo next with fully functional D-21???
Paul
12-23-2016, 10:33 AM
#16
Thread Starter
Absolutely. But this ain't a regular model carbon fiber construction. It actually has 4 layers of UD UHM fibers and is 2.5 mm thick. So I will really have to test this carefully . In any case, the kevlar nose and tail cones will be a good place for the antennas for sure.
12-23-2016, 10:38 AM
#17
Thread Starter
Oli,
Beautiful model and fantastic technology demonstrator for the hobby/ model field, but unfortunately what you have is only a stand-off scale A-12, basically an SR-71 in an A-12 fantasy paint scheme.
Whilst they generally look the same, the A-12 forward fuselage is a lot sharper in plan view, and there is only a very minor raised cockpit section, it flows in an almost straight line across the canopy into the fuselage.
Also, the A-12 was a single seat aircraft, the one-off M-12 was a 2-seater used to launch a supersonic done before the SR-71 was developed.
Fancy doing the M-12/ D-21 drone combo next with fully functional D-21???
Paul
Beautiful model and fantastic technology demonstrator for the hobby/ model field, but unfortunately what you have is only a stand-off scale A-12, basically an SR-71 in an A-12 fantasy paint scheme.
Whilst they generally look the same, the A-12 forward fuselage is a lot sharper in plan view, and there is only a very minor raised cockpit section, it flows in an almost straight line across the canopy into the fuselage.
Also, the A-12 was a single seat aircraft, the one-off M-12 was a 2-seater used to launch a supersonic done before the SR-71 was developed.
Fancy doing the M-12/ D-21 drone combo next with fully functional D-21???
Paul
You are absolutely right.
Also the plane is slightly shorter because of the non concave nose section.
I am actually working on the plug of the nose section that reproduces the canopy area and the nose cone shape perfectly.
But i will first fly with the SR-71 nose to test the config.
Well spotted Paul!
Last edited by olnico; 12-23-2016 at 10:42 AM.
12-23-2016, 07:11 PM
#18
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Interesting topic..stuff I did not know. Found this visual comparison:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...595927462).jpg
Congrats on a fantastic looking model. Very impressive.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/C...595927462).jpg
Congrats on a fantastic looking model. Very impressive.
Last edited by dbsonic; 12-24-2016 at 07:16 AM.
01-13-2017, 08:27 AM
#19
01-13-2017, 08:58 AM
#20
Thread Starter
01-17-2017, 11:58 AM
#21
My Feedback: (4)
For those of you who might be interested in the A-12 and it's story, here is a oral history of sorts of the airplane and one man's experience with it. Production value leaves a bit to be desired, but the content is fascinating. The gentleman being interviewed is one of the surviving CIA A-12 pilots and flew the last flight in the aircraft, repositioning it from Area 51 to Palmdale to be placed in storage. Very interesting man, and though it's not talked about in the video, a modeler as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSTRXGP0nWM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSTRXGP0nWM
01-17-2017, 07:44 PM
#22
My Feedback: (24)
Was lucky enough get an up close look at an A-12 many years ago. shortly after the CIA had it shipped out of Minnesota to somewhere on the East Coast. This particular air frame only had 300 hours on it, one can only imagine where its been
Last edited by Mark Basel; 01-18-2017 at 09:45 AM.
