delete - accidental dupe

[The Straight Story]

Exclusive Area 51 Pictures: Secret Plane Crash Revealed

Area 51 was created so that U.S. Cold Warriors with the highest security clearances could pursue cutting-edge aeronautical projects away from prying eyes. During the 1950s and '60s Area 51’s top-secret OXCART program developed the A-12 as the successor to the U-2 spy plane.

Nearly undetectable to radar, the A-12 could fly at 2,200 miles an hour (3,540 kilometers an hour)—fast enough to cross the continental U.S. in 70 minutes. From 90,000 feet (27,400 meters), the plane's cameras could capture foot-long (0.3-meter-long) objects on the ground below.

But pushing the limits came with risks—and a catastrophic 1963 crash of an A-12 based out of Area 51.

A rapid government cover-up removed nearly all public traces of the wrecked A-12—pictured publicly for the first time in this gallery, thanks to the CIA's recent declassification of the images.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/05/pictures/110520-spy-plane-area-51-cover-up-crash-cia-conspiracy/

[damntexdem]

1. Hmm, even on the ground it has stealthed landing gear.

;-)

[leveymg]

2. The A-12 is just the earliest designation for the SR-71 Blackbird

A beautiful aircraft, but even Lockheed could not engineer it to fly upside down at 3-foot altitude.

Actually, that looks like a 3/5 scale wind-tunnel model. Gorgeous sculpture - I'd love to have one to hang from my living room ceiling.