Appreciating the history of Lockheed’s Skunk Works program

The Overcrest podcast, which Detroit metal fabricator Josh Welton has appeared on as a guest, takes a deep dive into the history of Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs, Skunk Works, and some of the advanced aircrafts it developed and manufactured.

Prototype work can be stressful. There are secrets to keep, ridiculous deadlines, and a high bar for the requisite quality of engineering, fabrication, and overall problem-solving. Running parallel with the stress, however, is how satisfying these projects are. You are basically working in the future, and it’s a future that very few in the present are privy to. The monotony of production is nonexistent as new challenges are presented at every turn. And the payoff . . . it’s difficult to quantify how rad it is to see the things you pour your blood and tears into finally break cover and do what you built them to do.

The secrecy stokes the flames of mystery, and mystery is cool. Now let’s add in experimental aircraft development for the U.S. Department of Defense, funded by black book programs, and that level of cool goes off the charts.

At its core, Overcrest podcast is a car and car culture-centric show, but recently its team put together an epic seven-part series (starting at episode 270) on the history of Lockheed’s Skunk Works division (the official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs). Co-hosts Kris Clewell and Jake Solberg set the scene for historical context; lay out a bit of the bio of the program’s iconic lynchpin Kelly Johnson; and also get into the details of a few of the “baddest,” most technically advanced aircraft ever to exist. At least so far. That we know of.

But, the highlights of these episodes, by far, are the interviews Kris hosts with the pilots, both test and active duty, who flew these crazy machines. The F-35 Lightning, the U-2 Dragon Lady, the SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117 Nighthawk are radical to ponder, but even more so when you’re talking to their rare pilots who come complete with first-hand accounts of crazier-than-fiction, real-life experiences. And with so much pertinent information still classified, these episodes provide a peek through the looking glass at some of America’s most bonkers engineering and manufacturing feats. These episodes are more than worthy of a listen.

You can find the Overcrest podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and if you’re feeling it, make sure to check out Episode 183 from March 13, 2020, where yours truly is the guest.