Thinking that isn’t an A-12, The A-12 was a SR-71 lookalike.
Okay, more #planefag stuff...
First, there were two A-12's.
One was built by Lockheed in the late 50's for the CIA to replace the U-2 under something called Project Oxcart. First flights were in 1962 from Groom Lake, 15 were built total and all were operated from Groom Lake by the CIA. (The name got changed from Oxcart to Cygnus right after the first pilot saw the thing)
SR-71 was begun for the AF after the A-12 Cygnus and first flew in 1964. The Blackbird had a crew of two (A-12 was one only), was longer, heavier and slightly slower than the Cygnus but had a greater operational range.
Kinda the same only different.
The other A-12 was a McDonnell-Doug/General Dynamics project for the Navy to replace the A-6. It was a flying wing only swoopier/more stylish than B-2, all the stores were internal and it was named the A-12 Avenger II.
Well, the Avenger got behind schedule, over budget and overweight, got cancelled before the design was finalized and the only people made anything out of the deal were lawyers. (Okay, there are probably some concept drawings and plastic model kits out there...)
JMHO it was doomed from the start. It didn't say "Grumman" on a Navy aircraft???
#ThatsHeresy
#ProbablyLeftOffTailhook