James C. Goodall - 75 Years of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

This book is dedicated to everyone that ever worked at the Skunk Works and built these incredible machines.

Thank you from America

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This electronic edition published in 2021 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in Great Britain in 2021

James C. Goodall, 2021

James C. Goodall has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.

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ISBN: 978-1-4728-4647-1 (HB)
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4648-8 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4645-7 (ePDF)
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4646-4 (XML)

Front cover images, from left to right: XP-80 Shooting Star (Warren Thompson), A-12 Oxcart (Lockheed Martin), F-35B Lighting II (USMC)

Publisher: Marcus Cowper (Osprey)

Desk Editor: Cleo Favaretto (Osprey)

Cover Design and layout: Stewart Larking (Osprey)

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CONTENTS

IN HONOR OF MY FRIEND

For the sake of clarity, Mr Ben R. Rich, retired President of the famed Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and I were longtime pen pals, as he liked what I did and we spoke to each other at least once a quarter or so over 25 years. Ben is also the reason the Minnesota Air Guard was blessed in getting not just any Blackbird, but an A-12 Oxcart, serial number 60-6931/128.

Just a few days before Christmas 1994, I called Ben while he was at USC Medical Center fighting a losing battle with esophageal cancer, to see how he was doing. We were talking about all things Skunk Works and about my late friend from Testors, John Andrews. Ben then made a statement that will forever be burnt into my brain. After asking about things like Aurora, UFOs and such, Ben made the following statement (this is a direct quote from Bens mouth to my ears ...):

Jim, we have things out in the desert [not referring to Area 51] that are 50 years beyond what you [referring to me] can comprehend, not what you think you could make in 50 years, but what you could comprehend. Jim, if youve seen movies such as Star Wars or Star Trek, weve been there, done that, or decided it wasnt worth the effort.

I asked Ben if he would expand on what he just said. His answer was typical Ben, it was just a simple ... No. He passed away a few weeks later.

Rest in peace my friend ... Jim Goodall