Originally known by the Lockheed designation Q-12, the drone was intended for reconnaissance deep into enemy airspace. The D-21 was designed to carry a single high-resolution photographic camera over a preprogrammed path, then release the camera module into the air for retrieval, after which the drone would self-destruct. [1] .

Oct 24, 2019 · After flying the Photo Reconnaissance mission, the D-21 flew to friendly territory and the camera was ejected from the D-21 Drone. The cameras were recovered in flight by a C-130 mid-air recovery system. The D-21 drone would self-destruct at a low altitude.

Jun 8, 2018 · Today the D-21 rides on the back of a Lockheed M-21, a specialized variant of the SR-71 Blackbird, the famous Mach 3+ high altitude spy plane.

3 days ago · Due to the agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States restricting the use of manned vehicles over the Soviet landmass, this unmanned aircraft was developed. The drone was carried and launched by two A-12-like aircrafts called M-21s, and a number of B-52Hs.

Jan 16, 2022 · The D-21 required a mothership to launch given its ramjet engine, which needed to be air-launched at a certain speed to activate. Initially, Lockheed testers used an M-21 (essentially a modified SR-71 Blackbird) to air launch the D-21 drone. The D-21 would be launched from the back of the M-21.

On December 22, 1964, the first flight of the D-21/M-21 combination (now referred to as the “M/D-21”) was successfully completed from Groom Lake. Per Johnson: "Bill Park flew at the end of the day. It flew well and, in spite of having low-powered engines, went supersonic on the first flight."

Within Kelly Johnson’s family of Blackbirds, the smallest and least known wonder was, and continues to be, the D-21. In both forms (the M/D-21 Tagboard program and the Senior Bowl operational USAF program), this unmanned Blackbird has been carefully hidden behind a veil of secrecy for over 40 years.

Created during the height of the Cold War, the Lockheed D-21 Strategic Reconnaissance Drone is a high-speed, high-altitude unmanned aircraft using many technical innovations derived from the SR-71 Blackbird.

3 days ago · Unlike the Blackbirds, the D-21 Locations are quite elusive. Below is a compilation of D-21 serial numbers and their corresponding dispositions. This list is loosely based on one previously obtained from the National Museum of the United States Air Force many years ago.

Lockheed Skunk Works Ultra-Secret Unmanned Reconnaissance Drone Carried by M-21 (A-12 Spyplane, Forerunner of SR-71 Blackbird) and B-52