AMERICAN BRAND
BY GARY GIRDVAINIS
Code Name
OXCART;
n
g
Call Si
Dutch
C
utting an aggressive profile with swept wings and a
vertically compressed body trailing behind, the needle
nose of the world’s fastest jet reached speeds exceeding
three times that of sound. What’s even more astounding
than the futuristic fuselage and sky-blazing performance is the fact
that these birds were actually fledged in the early 1960’s! As the
precursor to the record breaking SR-71 Blackbird, the A-12 Oxcart
was brought to life at the behest of the CIA as the spy plane that
would replace the aging and somewhat vulnerable 1950’s era U2.
Engineered by the Kelly Johnson led Skunkworks team, the goal
for the A-12 Oxcart was to create a platform that could fly at least
three times the speed of sound (about 2,300 MPH) with an operational ceiling of at least 90,000 feet. Mission accomplished 1962.
Although these 60’s era speed-demons of the sky are all retired,
the Roadrunners International web-site www.roadrunnersinternationale.com documents and memorializes the almost inconceiv-
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able achievements and the once top-secret details surrounding
Area 51 and the men and equipment of the world’s most amazing
aviation era. Along with the history of the aircraft you’ll also find
the personal stories of the skilled test pilots; “drivers” as they
were called, recruited by the CIA to push these titanium-skinned
raptors to speeds literally faster than a speeding bullet. Like the
planes they once flew, the five surviving drivers carrying the call
sign “Dutch”(along with their own two-digit #), as well as the entire
program that brought the Oxcart into existence, are now being commemorated in a timepiece by a small American-based watch brand.
After the recent launch and presentation in Las Vegas, Roadrunner Association president T.D. Barnes expressed his appreciation of the project: “I can envision your unique watch becoming
symbolic of high-flying aviation and aerospace as Bulova did in the
1960s. The dinner was delightful and so meaningful to your guests.
Dr. Griffin, Buz Carpenter, and Tony Bevacqua were blown away