Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!veritas!amdcad!amdcad!military
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: D-21 drone
Message-ID: <1991May7.062835.13548@amd.com>
Date: 4 May 91 21:59:48 GMT
References: <1991May3.063259.5277@amd.com>
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 24
Approved: military@amd.com


From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)


>From: scottl@convergent.com (Scott Lurndal)
>...quick mention was made of a drone version of the Blackbird, 
>known as the D-21...

[At least Mr. Spencer edited the quote down to two lines!  Take note.  --CDR]

Not quite right.  The D-21 was a recon drone that flew at similar speeds
to the Blackbird and bore some slight resemblance to a scaled-down
Blackbird, but it wasn't the same aircraft.  The original intent was to
launch it from the Blackbird -- the drone being carried on the Blackbird's
back fairly well aft -- but separating the two proved troublesome and at
least one Blackbird was lost in an attempted drone launch.  The remaining
D-21s were converted for launch from B-52s, using a rocket booster to get
them up to cruising speed.  This apparently worked well enough, but the
D-21 was expensive and the program was eventually closed down.  A little
bit of information, including photographs of some mothballed D-21s, surfaced
a few years ago.
-- 
And the bean-counter replied,           | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
"beans are more important".             |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry