The A-12 Avenger II arrives at Veterans Memorial Air Park.
photo courtesy of Veterans Memorial Air Park.
A. Lee Graham Reporter Aviation enthusiasts are invited to see the A-12 Avenger II take its place at Fort Worth Veterans Memorial Air Park. Known as the “Flying Dorito” because of its shape, the fighter was expected to fly by 1994 – but never did. Instead, the Pentagon scrapped what was known as the “black program” in 1991, grounding a deep strike attack airplane that relied on stealth technology. Work on the program occurred in St. Louis and in Fort Worth at Air Force Plant No. 4, now Lockheed Martin Corp., whose aeronautics division is based in Fort Worth. A McDonnell Douglas-General Dynamics team won its design concept in 1988. When the fighter arrived at Veterans Memorial Air Park at Meacham Airport on June 28, the city received the only remaining full-scape mockup built during the program. More information is available at www.veteransmemorialairpark.com. lgraham@bizpress.net