I still drive past that A-12 (#6930) display aircraft/spacecraft quite often when I'm on I-565 in Huntsville; I still live only twenty minutes away from there. Kelly and the Lockheed Skunkworks designed an amazing airframe. They used to leak jet fuel like a sieve when cold and on the ground pregnant with fuel, until they were in flight and the metal would heat and expand to seal up the seams. They actually only fueled it enough to get to altitude and heat up and then a tanker would top it off. When I was flying MAC flights out of Lakenheath/Mildenhall in England I used to watch the SR-71 Blackbirds take off. It was... mesmerizing.
Damn, I need to remember to get in touch with you next time I'm working down in Huntsville. I'm usually there once a quarter, or once every six months at least...