Message posted by Peter Merlin on March 13, 2008 at 8:27:05 PST:
It looks like Tom and Alan have covered the most obvious cosmetic differences. These are the ones most easily seen in photographs. There are also numerous small details that are only apparent up close. The best place to compare the two airframes side-by-side is Blackbird Airpark in Palmdale, California. When looking at photos of the aircraft, take note of the paint scheme. From 1963 to about mid-1964, the A-12 fleet was mostly unpainted bare metal with a black "mask" around the nose, cockpit, chines and wing edges. Later, the airplanes were painted overall flat black. The earliest photos of the first A-12 (circa 1962) show it as completely unpainted.
In Reply to: Re: cosmetic difference between A-12, SR-71 posted by J356 on March 12, 2008 at 15:05:41 PST:
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