Aurora

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Kinda like this 40 year old Mach3+ D-21 drone. And this was 40 [F-O-R-T-Y] years ago.
 

Attachments

  • D-21.jpg
    76.4 KB · Views: 97
  • index.jpg
    106.3 KB · Views: 76
evangilder said:
Bummer I didn't get a chance to see you, Joe. Any upcoming shows in SoCal you plan on coming to?
Click to expand...
Likewise Eric - I don't know what the schedule will be in the next few months, I have a lot of things going on. I may be out your way briefly Thurs. morning. Today I'm with Stambo. I'm doing a condition inspection on his plane, then we're going to fly, weather permitting. I'll post photos....
 
HealzDevo said:
Looks a little bit like the SR-71 Blackbird in shape and wing style, that drone. A proof of concept design drone perhaps?
Click to expand...
Guess again...

The D-21 has been around for a long time and was deployed in the late 60s and 70s. Much of its operation is still classified but it is rumored it was used as a decoy and to over fly China. It was carried on top of the SR-71 and was also seen on B-52s.
 
There was a great book entitled "Blind Man's Bluff" that detailed the cold war espionage technologies and operations. In that book they identify some D-21 operations. Apparently it was not too terribly successful as many of the drones were not lost over enemy territory, but rather crashed with their mission package once outside of hostile territory. They were apparently untouchable, though.
 
Have them both just up the road at the Boeing Museum of Flight. It's my understanding the it is one of two motherships built. The other in Ohio, if I recall correctly.
 

Attachments

  • lockheedd-21b_2.jpg
    6.4 KB · Views: 71
  • lockheedd-21b_1.jpg
    5 KB · Views: 65
Um, yeah they look similar. Same designer, manufacturer and all part of project Oxcart. The D-21 was carried by the A-12. Two were set aside for the D-21 project; 60-6940 and 60-6941. After a test destroyed an A-12 and one of the crew that ejected drowned, Kelly Johnson himself cancelled the project despite the fact that engineers on the project believed that it could work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

M
Aurora Reveals New Design For VTOL High Speed Demonstrator
Replies
2
Views
655
J_P_C
J
Menu
Log in
Register