The Avenger that Wasn't and the Fast Talon
How the A-12 could have changed the defense landscape, and Jackie's record setting flight in a Talon
"A modern, autonomous, and thoroughly trained Air Force in being at all times will not alone be sufficient, but without it, there can be no national security."
- General Henry H. Arnold, Military Review Volume 26 Issue 2 (1946).
On the Radar
The A-12 Avenger II - sometimes referred to as the Flying Dorito - was an ambitious project that represents one of the greatest “what-ifs” in military aviation. The Avenger was to be a carrier-based attack aircraft intended to replace the venerable and versatile A-6 Intruder yet do everything better AND be stealthy. Needless to say, these were some big shoes to fill. During the program’s short lifespan, the requirements for this all-new attack plane began to spiral out of control, and it’s timing just wasn’t right.
In the end, the Avenger project proved to be too ambitious for the time, and the program was cancelled in 1991. I am working on a video about the A-12, including a concept aircraft (pictured above) to explore what the final attack plane may have looked like. The video will also explore the domino effect the Avenger may have had on other key aircraft competitions at the time - think YF-22 Raptor versus YF-23 Black Widow. Target date for the video’s release is this Friday 22 September at 1700 Central US Time be sure to check the channel!
This week in aviation history
18 September 1961: Flying a Northrop T-38A Talon, Jackie Cochran set a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Record for Distance while acting as a test pilot and consultant for Northrop Corporation. The flight departed from Palmdale, California to Minneapolis, Minesota covering a distance of 1,492.4 miles or 2,401.8 kilometers. The aircraft landed with 250 pounds of fuel in each tank, an impressive feat of piloting skill.
Incredible to think that just 16 years after the end of World War II, you had supersonic fighters able to fly distances that were once the domain of heavy bombers or large transport aircraft. Jackie Cochran was a pioneer in women’s aviation, along with being one of the top racing pilots of her generation. A trailblazer of many firsts, some examples include: the first woman to break the sound barrier in 1953, the first woman to land and take off from an aircraft carrier, the first woman to pilot a bomber across the North Atlantic in 1941, and was the head of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during WWII.
A true inspiration and role model, Cochran shared a lifelong friendship with another famous aviator:
The 20 years following World War II saw advancements in aviation - and space flight - that we may never see again.
In case you missed it
Getting back to the A-12 Avenger, had it gone into production, we may have seen the F-14 Tomcat’s service life extended. Here is my take on what variants could have been produced, including a 5th generation version:
Photo Outlet
Who doesn’t like the P-51 Mustang? If you ever get the opportunity, you should watch the P-51 known as Quicksilver perform its airshow routine, there’s nothing quite like the sound of a V12 Merlin Engine. This photo was from an airshow I attended in 2013:
Parting Shots
In some way, we are entering a new era in aviation, there are many developments between the NGAD fighter (both the Navy and Air Force versions), the B-21 Raider, and of course all of the advancements in drone technology. I usually try to keep my channel a mix of new and historic aircraft, but you may see the next few videos feature what’s on the cutting edge of aerospace tech. Stay tuned!
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading! If you know a fellow aviation enthusiast that would enjoy these weekly newsletters, then please forward this along. Now you know!
-Tog