TF-2004-17 DFRC

The YF-12 Flight Research Program

Two YF-12s, forerunners of the famed SR-71

Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, were flown in a joint
NASA-Air Force research program from 1969 to 1978
to study the thermal, structural, and aerodynamic effects
of sustained flight on airframes at speeds of Mach 3 --
three times the speed of sound -- at altitudes above 80,000
feet.

The extremely successful program, based at the

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.,
used the YF-12s as test beds for studies and experiments
that have contributed to the advancement of aeronautics
in many disciplines -- propulsion technology, structures,
aerodynamics, thermodynamics, instrumentation, and
human factors.

The YF-12s were one of several models in the

Blackbird family of aircraft built by Lockheed.
Developed as prototypes of fighter-interceptor versions
of the A-12, the YF-12s evolved into the SR-71
reconnaissance aircraft, which became the world's fastest The unique planform of a YF-12 flown in the joint NASA-
and highest-flying production aircraft -- a distinction they Air Force program can easily be seen in this overhead
still claim. view of aircraft No. 60-6935. The triple-sonic aircraft
were excellent platforms for aerodynamic and thermal
research.
NASA's involvement in supersonic research dates NASA Photo E-23131
to the pre- and post-World War II days of its predecessor
agency, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA). Once the Bell X-1 became the first
aircraft to fly supersonic in 1947, in a joint NACA-Air Force program, the agency's supersonic database
was filled fast over the next 20 years by an assortment of research and X-series aircraft. By 1967, the X-15
had reached a speed of 4,520 mph (Mach 6.7), still the fastest of any winged aircraft.

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 But as successful as the "X" planes were in a formal research effort with NASA. One of the
their individual research programs, the flights were immediate beneficiaries of the program were the SR-
very short in duration. They produced data in many 71s, which received improvements in engine
areas, but NASA engineers -- not only at Dryden efficiency, stability, and control that grew out of the
but also throughout the agency -- were still seeking research efforts.
more information on sustained flight in a true
supersonic cruise environment. The data would be At the time the research program was being
used to help develop advanced supersonic and formulated, several American aerospace companies
hypersonic aircraft. were developing plans for a supersonic transport
(SST). NASA was then looking at the YF-12s as an
The NASA-Air Force YF-12 research program important source of supersonic cruise data that would
was publicly announced in July 1969 and flying contribute to the SST's development. Although SST
commenced the following December. Except for work was stopped in 1971, YF-12 research data
down time due to maintenance and modification applicable to the design and development of a high-
work, one of the two YF-12s flew nearly every week speed transport are still useful -- and available --
for most of the program's nine-year lifetime. The today.
program ended Oct. 31, 1979, with 297 flights
logged and 450 flight hours accumulated. During the program's lifetime, engineers and
researchers, covering nearly all areas of the
program’s research and experimentation, published
Setting the Program Stage over 125 scientific reports. Research results were
also presented in several symposiums attended by
NASA engineers and researchers say the true hundreds of aerospace and military representatives.
significance of the YF-12 research program is They acknowledged that the YF-12 program
measured -- and hidden -- in its influence on the produced a wealth of information and would
design, development, and performance of current contribute to the advancement of American
and future aircraft. aeronautical capabilities.

The program was initially structured to analyze

the original Air Force-Lockheed Blackbird test Thermodynamics Research
program to better understand high-altitude
supersonic handling qualities, structural integrity, One of the major areas of research in the YF-
propulsion systems, and the relationship between 12 program was thermodynamics -- the study of heat
aerodynamics and propulsion systems. The NASA- generated by high-speed and what effects it has on
Air Force program later expanded to include aircraft structures and performance. A major goal of
experiments unrelated to the YF-12 such as upper the study was to learn how much of the airframe
atmospheric physics, human factors, and engine loading in flight stemmed from thermal heating, and
pollution studies. how much was the result of flight dynamics.

The Air Force flight test program on the YF- As the YF-12s cruised at speeds of more than
12 ended in 1966. Even though SR-71s were 2,000 mph, friction with the atmosphere produced
becoming operational then, military officials lacked structural and skin temperatures of more than 1,000
technical data in several areas of its operational degrees (F) in some areas, and the thermal heating
environment and accepted a proposal to take part in and stresses changed the shape of the airframe. At

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these speeds, aerodynamic loads are also applied to tests produced instrumentation and test procedures
the airframe and can change the shape of structures that could be applied to future aircraft and vehicles
and components. Separating aerodynamic and being subjected to high in-flight temperatures. The
thermal forces gave engineers and designers tests also gave aircraft designers timely information
additional tools to make future aircraft structurally on heat transfer and its potential impact on structural
stronger and safer. integrity.

Dryden engineers placed an entire YF-12 Thermal testing also gave Lockheed engineers
airframe in the Center's where it was heated to data relating directly to the Blackbird aircraft
temperatures representing a speed of Mach 3. The because the calibrated data allowed them to correct
heating system consisted of 16,430 quartz lamps their own high-Mach loads data for adverse thermal
mounted on metallic reflectors contoured to match effects.
the aircraft shape. The system, covering a 5,000
square-foot area, had 470 independently controlled Another significant spinoff of the thermal
zones enclosing the upper and lower surfaces of the heating studies was the development by NASA of
airframe. Each zone had individual temperature and instrumentation, unavailable then, that could
time controls linked to a central computer to withstand the high temperatures generated by
duplicate flight conditions that would be encountered aerodynamic heating.
by that zone in actual flight.

Propulsion Studies

The YF-12 program furnished a significant

amount of propulsion data for future use, and --
similar to the thermal loads tests -- allowed engineers
at that time to validate then-current predictions and
wind tunnel test techniques. The research also led
to major system improvements to the operational
SR-71 fleet.

Two Pratt and Whitney J58 engines with mixed

compression inlets powered the aircraft. At higher
speeds, where the aircraft flew with greatest
efficiency, air entering the inlets was supersonic and
slowed to subsonic before reaching the first
Heat lamps tailored to the shape of the YF-12's forward
fuselage are tested in the Dryden Thermal Loads Facility prior components of the engines. The flow of air was
to thermal and flight loading tests on the actual aircraft. controlled by a moveable cone (spike) that
NASA Photo ECN 2788 positioned the standing shockwave, and forward
bypass doors that also helped position the shockwave
and allowed a certain percentage of air to bleed off
The work in the Thermal Loads Facility gave from the inlet. If airflow was not properly matched
researchers data on induced thermal stresses and to the inlet by the cone and bypass doors, the
what effects heat alone had on the structure. This shockwave created drag.
information was then compared to in-flight heating
and loads data recorded on an instrumented YF-12. Early in the program, researchers quickly saw
The correlation between flight tests and laboratory that the dynamics of the engine inlets had a negative

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effect on the stability and control of the aircraft. It prominent was called the Cold Wall Experiment.
was also known that inlet behavior was a problem The experiment was successfully carried out just
for Lockheed during aircraft development. once, but the test and its findings are considered very
significant by researchers in the fluid dynamics field.
Working with representatives of the engine
manufacturer and Lockheed, Dryden researchers The Cold Wall device was a large stainless steel
developed a computer model of the engine and inlet cylinder chilled with liquid nitrogen and
system. Scaled and full-size inlet models were then instrumented with thermocouples and sensors. An
tested in wind tunnels. Computer and wind tunnel extremely efficient insulation containing an
data were compared with flight data and the explosive primer cord was then wrapped around the
correlation between these sources produced useful cylinder, which was mounted on a pylon beneath
test and prediction techniques. the fuselage just forward of the engines.

The studies allowed researchers to understand As the aircraft neared a speed of Mach 3, the
engine "unstarts" associated with all Blackbirds. An primer cord blew the insulation away from the frigid
"unstart" occurs when the flow of air into the inlet tube, exposing it instantly to a high-temperature,
is not properly matched to the engine and causes high-pressure environment. Thermal and air
the standing shockwave to be expelled out the front pressure data collected by the instrumentation
of the inlet, resulting in insufficient pressure and air system produced readings that were compared with
for normal engine operations. This created a sudden data from theoretical analysis and wind tunnel tests,
loss of thrust and a power imbalance that caused and added greatly to the fluid dynamics scientific
violent yawing, along with pitching and rolling data base.
motions. Crewmembers unfamiliar with "unstarts"
often thought the aircraft would break up.
Improving Supersonic Cruise
The "unstart" studies led to development of
an automatic inlet sensing and cone control system Researchers used a YF-12 as a tool to study
that significantly reduced the frequency of "unstarts." handling characteristics at supersonic cruise speeds.
NASA researchers needed to know more about
The studies also revealed that strong vortices holding a high-speed aircraft at a desired cruise
rolled off each of the forward fuselage chines and
passed directly into the inlets. This information
helped determine the percentage of air passing
through the engines and the percentage leaving the
inlet through the forward bypass doors. A computer
control system for the bypass doors was developed
that hiked engine efficiency and helped increase the
range and performance of the operational SR-71
fleet.

The Cold Wall Experiment

YF-12s in formation flight at dusk. The aircraft in the
The YF-12 was an excellent platform for foreground carries the insulated cylinder used in the Cold Wall
researchers studying high-temperature phenomena Experiment on a pylon mounted beneath the fuselage.
unassociated with the aircraft itself. The most NASA Photo ECN 4767

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altitude. Out of this research came the development In-Flight Diagnostics
of the Cooperative Airframe-Propulsion Control
System (CAPCS), a digital computer system that
NASA developed the precursor of in-flight
incorporates data from many sources to produce
diagnostic checkout systems used on aircraft today
what has been called a "technological breakthrough
for the YF-12 program.
in flight path control for supersonic aircraft."
The system was called a Central Airborne
CAPCS was ultimately incorporated on
Performance Analyzer (CAPA). It monitored many
operational SR-71s. Now, decades later, the research
parameters associated with the aircraft's electrical
data used to develop CAPCS are still used by
and inlet control systems, along with the hydraulic
engineers and designers improving high-speed
system.
aircraft handling qualities.
If a problem occurred during flight, a CAPA
Most all aircraft being flown by an autopilot
readout was displayed on a cockpit monitor for the
system tend to settle into a natural pitching motion
pilot, including a recommendation if the flight was
(oscillation) that can result in major altitude
serious enough to be aborted.
deviations. Such oscillations, called phugoids, were
common with the YF-12s, and with the automatic
engine inlet systems, the porpoising movements After each flight, maintenance personnel used
could become unstable. At supersonic speeds, even data displayed by the system to determine what types
the slightest deviation from the desired flight path of maintenance, beyond normal procedures, were
can quickly result in differences of thousands of feet. required before the aircraft could be flown again.
The YF-12s also experienced deviations in speed
and altitude that were triggered by quick temperature A maintenance diagnostic system is now built
and pressure changes associated with sudden into nearly every new U.S. military aircraft, many
acceleration. commercial aircraft, and also the Space Shuttles.
They alert crewmembers of system problems during
Researchers developed a CAPCS to integrate flight, while also giving maintenance technicians a
control of the aircraft's engine inlets, autopilot, post-flight list of servicing and replacement needs.
autothrottle, air data collection system, and the
navigation system. Flight tests exceeded the goals The Flying Laboratory
of the researchers and design engineers by improving
flight path control precision by a factor of 10. The
system also improved the aircraft's range by seven Many experiments unrelated to the Blackbird
percent, inlet unstarts were almost totally eliminated, family of aircraft were conducted with the YF-12s.
and CAPCS was ultimately installed on operational These flights, in which the aircraft were used as
SR-71 aircraft. airborne testbeds and wind tunnels, contributed
significantly in many scientific and aerospace
Much of the research that produced CAPCS disciplines.
was also intended to benefit development of a future
American supersonic transport. That database still Engineers at Dryden used the aircraft to help
exists to be used in the development of any future the Langley Research Center evaluate advanced
high-speed aircraft in the United States. lightweight aircraft structural panels. Each of the

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test articles was placed on the aircraft and subjected developing more efficient cockpits and aircraft
to many hours of high-speed flight, enduring high systems on new high-altitude, high-speed aircraft.
temperatures and dynamic air pressures. Measuring
about 16 by 28 inches, the panels were examples of A series of YF-12 low lift-over-drag landing
weld brazed titanium skin stringer panels, a titanium demonstrations in the Spring of 1973 helped NASA's
honeycomb core sandwich panel, and a sandwich space shuttle planning and development team
panel of titanium honeycomb with a boron- understand the probable landing dynamics of the
aluminum face sheet. All exceeded the test shuttle vehicles. A series of 26 steep landing
requirements and are examples of today's aircraft approaches were flown with a YF-12 in a high-drag
structural technology. configuration. The flights gave engineers very useful
data for low lift-over-drag ratios of 2 to 3, the
The capability of flying at 80,000 feet -- above expected ratio of the space shuttle vehicles then
most of the earth's atmosphere -- gave NASA being developed.
researchers the chance of documenting upper
atmosphere physics and dynamics. Atmospheric A study of the landing and taxi characteristics
models were then produced that are still being used of the YF-12 produced a mixed-volume dual-mode
for weather predictions, and by designers of future gear system that reduced aircraft dynamic response
piloted and unpiloted high-altitude research aircraft. during high-speed taxi runs and produced a smoother
ride for the airframe over varying runway conditions.
Researchers used the aircraft for extensive The concept was incorporated into the SR-71 aircraft
studies of the boundary layer, the often-turbulent fleet, while analytical results from a digital computer
layer of air flowing across an aircraft's surface that program provided excellent correlation with
produces drag and reduces flying efficiency. operational test data.
Engineers typically use theories to predict the
boundary layer behavior of new aircraft designs, but Other research conducted with the aircraft
these theories often produce values that differ included studies of jet wake dispersion, and the effect
drastically from flight and wind tunnel data. of a boattail aircraft design on aerodynamic drag.
Instruments called boundary layer rakes were
attached to the YF-12 aircraft to collect data at
different points in the air stream. The flight data Aircraft History
were compared with ground tests, and discrepancies
between the two were used to update engineering The family of aircraft commonly referred to
theories. as the Blackbirds includes the A-12, YF-12, and the
SR-71: all developed by the Advanced Development
The YF-12 program also contributed to the Projects office of the Lockheed Corporation -- a
study of human factors in a high-altitude, supersonic corporate branch known as the Skunk Works.
cruise environment. Using the actions of
crewmembers during the flights, researchers The initial design was for the A-12, a
identified and studied many workload tasks. Data supersonic successor to the U-2 reconnaissance
were then compared with the results of clinical aircraft. The A-12 was capable of reaching a speed
studies to develop a pilot workload model from of Mach 3.29 and an altitude of 90,000 feet. It was
which predictions could be made. The model flown exclusively by the Central Intelligence Agency
continues to be useful to engineers and designers (CIA), which approved construction funding in

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August 1959. The A-12 fleet operated in secrecy Blackbird Specifications
until June 1968, when the aircraft remaining at that
time were placed in storage at Air Force Plant 42,
Palmdale. The Blackbird family of aircraft was built
primarily from titanium alloy, which enabled them
Before delivery of the first A-12, Lockheed to withstand skin temperatures of over 1,000 degrees
and the Air Force discussed development of a fighter- (F) while flying three times the speed of sound.
interceptor version of aircraft. The prototypes of that
model were designated the YF-12A. The first aircraft All three aircraft flown in the NASA-Air Force
carried a tail number of 60-6934 and its maiden flight research program had two-seat cockpits: a pilot
was in August 1963. Two more aircraft, No. 60-6935 station and a rear seat used by the flight engineers.
and 60-6936, were built and flight-testing continued On operational Air Force aircraft, systems operators
through 1963 and into 1964. occupied the rear seat.

In 1964, after YF-12 testing had shifted to Wingspan: 55 ft., 6 in

Edwards AFB, the aircraft established several
official speed and altitude records. That same year, Length: 101 ft., 8 in
the Air Force and Lockheed announced development
of a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft. Height 18 ft., 4 in
That aircraft was a modified version of the YF-12
and designated the SR-71 and plans for the fighter- Maximum loaded weight: 127,000 lbs
interceptor model were dropped.
Range: More than 2,000 miles, with aerial
The NASA-Air Force YF-12 research program refueling capability
began with aircraft 60-6935 and 60-6936. In 1971,
an in-flight fuel line failure on No. "936" led to an Speed: Mach 3.2 -- more than three times
engine fire during a landing approach at Edwards the speed of sound
AFB. The two crewmen ejected safely, but the
aircraft was destroyed in a fiery crash on the northern Service ceiling: Above 80,000 ft
edge of the base. The aircraft was replaced in the
program by a still-secret SR-71A that was modified Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney J-58 turbo-
with YF-12 engines and inlets. The aircraft was then ramjets rated at 32,000 lbs thrust with afterburners.
given a bogus tail number of 60-6937 and was called As the aircraft neared Mach 3 speeds a significant
a YF-12C. The main difference in appearance portion of the thrust was produced from the
between "937" and the YF-12s were the fuselage supersonic shockwave captured within each engine
chines which extended to the tip of the nose. inlet and exited through the engine nozzles.
Fuselage chines on YF-12s ended before reaching
the nose cone.