Lockheed A-12 Trainer

The Lockheed A-12, predecessor to the SR-71 Blackbird, beat the Convair Kingfish in 1959 to become the CIA's supersonic reconnaissance aircraft.  Most A-12 jets were single-seaters, but there was also a unique two-seat trainer first flown in 1963.  It was the first airplane to be built mostly of titanium, which held up better than aluminum at the high speeds the A-12 (and later SR-71) would achieve.  Most of the world's titanium reserves were held in the Soviet Union, so Lockheed asked the CIA for help, and the CIA used third parties and dummies to get the titanium.  The A-12 trainer is now on display in front of the California Science Center in Expo Park.