[Ben Ficklin]

The SR 71 has a larger fuel tank than the A 12. That is why the 71 is longer than the A 12.

I don't know about the need to refuel after take off, but one of those pilots talking about flying the A 12 over Korea and Viet Nam in 67-68 mention the need to refuel both before and after their over flight.

All that info about the U2 in the 50s and the A11/A12 in the 60s at Area 51 plus the CIA flights in 67-68 were declassified in 2011. There was much published at that time including the National Geographic's show on that.

[Radagast the Fool]

WANT.
Oh, wait..I’m an American.
HAVE!!

[technically right]

To all of you SR buffs; get a copy of Skunk Works by Ben Rich. It goes into detail about how the U2, SR 71 and the F 117 were developed. The whole thing is amazing. Particularly how they came up with the multi-faceted shape of the 117. It actually came from an obscure research paper done by a Russian!