D 21 Senior Bowl Project Skunk Works Secret Programme

I found this interesting.

Do any of our more knowledgeable members have a take on this?



theaviationgeekclub.com... d-project-senior-bowl/
"
For this reason in the 1960s the famed Lockheed “Skunk Works” developed the D-21 a highly-advanced, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) designed to carry out high-speed, high-altitude strategic reconnaissance missions over hostile territory."

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Broken link

Sounds interesting, please fix it.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Oh. Try this one?


www.sr71.us...

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Oh. Try this one?


www.sr71.us...

That works, thank you.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Thanks.

I seem to remember a project called PyeWacket or similar?

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

This one:


www.designation-systems.net...

The D-21 was regarded as a failure. It was originally designed to launch from the back of an M-21 mothership at mach 3, but on one of the release tests the drone lifted as expected, then dove into the back of the M-21, destroying the aircraft. The pilot and RSO, who was the launch officer, successfully ejected, but the RSO opened his helmet too soon after landing in the water and drowned.

The D-21 was modified to be carried under the wings of a B-52, and launched that way, but several missions ended in failure after systems failures of the drone. One was over China and apparently didn’t make the turn that was supposed to take it back out to sea.

The surviving M-21, with a D-21 attached is at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

D21 is pretty much an early Cruise missile with a camera pack that was supposed to guide its way over a target then parachute its film over a safe area.Four launches and no successful recoveries.

a reply to: Zaphod58
The one that went straight on ended up self destructing over Siberia.Ben Rich got the panel off it via a CIA operative who received it from a KGB operative.Russia tried to reverse engineer the wreckage but was never built.

Thanks, guys.

So interesting side note, the M-21, and the YF-12 were not SR-71s. They were both modified A-12s.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The M-21 and YF-12 weren't really modified A-12s either. They were just branches on the family tree. Kelly Johnson envisioned a "common market" airframe based on the A-12 design. The A-12 was essentially a "common ancestor" to all later variants: A-12T (trainer), AF-12 (later designated YF-12A), M-21, and R-12 (later designated SR-71A), and of course the SR-71B (trainer) and the hybrid SR-71C (trainer to replace a lost SR-71B). A bomber version of the Blackbird never went further than design studies.

a reply to: Shadowhawk

I definitely could have worded it better.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I wasn't criticizing. I was merely adding more data.

Kelly Johnson's plan called for a "common market" airframe that would be essentially identical for all versions up to the 715 joint. That's the place where the forward fuselage attaches to the aft fuselage. Based on customer requirements, the forward fuselage assembly would be configured for reconnaissance, strike, interceptor, etc.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

You can still find the SR-71 with the D-21 piggybacked…..plastic model or in diecast ….if interested. The B-52 with hanging D-21’s, not so much.

You can buy the D-21 as an add on for B-52 plastic models



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