Never Built: Lockheed CL-1201

9 hours ago

The CL-1201 was designed by Lockheed for the US Air Force in 1969 to determine the upper size limit of aircraft using then-available materials and technology.
It was intended to carry 3000 troops, launch 22 parasite fighters, and fly for 41 days without landing, powered by a nuclear reactor producing 1.83 gigawatts.
There were two main versions: the CL-1201-1-1 Attack Aircraft Carrier with 24 fighter jets and missiles, and the CL-1201-1-3 Logistic Support Aircraft carrying troops and cargo via docked Boeing 707s.
The aircraft had a wingspan of 1120 feet, length of 560 feet, and could carry up to 5440 tonnes, with vertical takeoff using clusters of turbojet engines.
Design flaws included the need for massive runways (solved with VTOL), radiation shielding, and vulnerability to missiles, leading to high costs and eventual project cancellation.
Speculation links the CL-1201 to the 1997 Phoenix Lights UFO sightings, suggesting it might have been secretly built due to similarities in descriptions.

Hasty Briefsbeta