What I’d give to have one of those original wind tunnel models hanging from my ceiling.
Lockheed A-12 (SR-71 Blackbird predecessor) wind-tunnel test models at NASA Langley, showing an interesting canard configuration as well as the more familiar configuration that was ultimately used. Seeing a SR-71/A-12 without the inlet spikes is super weird.
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Blackbird-wind-tunnel-test-models-1024x507.jpg)
YF-12 inlet airframe interaction test in Ames 8X7ft supersonic wind tunnel
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/YF-12-inlet-airframe-interaction-test.jpg)
YF-12 aircraft model in the 10X10 foot wind tunnel.
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/yf-12-aircraft-model-in-the-10x10-foot-wind-tunnel-c4c5af.jpg)
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/yf-12-aircraft-model-in-the-10x10-foot-wind-tunnel-79a5ef.jpg)
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/yf-12-aircraft-model-in-the-10x10-foot-wind-tunnel-a5d9bc.jpg)
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/yf-12-aircraft-model-in-the-10x10-foot-wind-tunnel-66b126.jpg)
![](https://aviationhumor.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/yf-12-aircraft-model-in-the-10x10-foot-wind-tunnel-c06018.jpg)
….love it.