Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!sppy00!kco
From: kco@sppy00.UUCP (Kevin ONeil)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: SR71 to be retired October 1st.
Keywords: SR71
Message-ID: <66@sppy00.UUCP>
Date: 13 Mar 89 15:53:35 GMT
References: <524@gonzo.UUCP> <1475@petsd.UUCP> <13987@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <1989Mar5.011448.24095@utzoo.uucp> <6083@leadsv.UUCP> <63@sppy00.UUCP> <6972@super.ORG>
Reply-To: kco@sppy00.UUCP (Kevin ONeil)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Online Computer Library Center, Dublin, Ohio.
Lines: 28

In article <6972@super.ORG> mjt@super.UUCP (Michael J. Tighe) writes:
>In article <63@sppy00.UUCP> kco@sppy00.UUCP (Kevin ONeil) writes:
>>In an IEEE newspaper a while ago there was mention of an unmanned version of
>>the SR71.  Is that to be retired also?
>
>As far as I know there was never an unmanned SR-71, but there were  
>D-21 drones that were to fly on top of the A-12, but I don't know 
>if this was ever done beyond the test stage. Two A-12's were converted
>to carry the D-21; one crashed, the other is in storage.
>-- 
>-------------
>Michael Tighe
>internet: mjt@super.org
>   uunet: ...!uunet!super!mjt

I found the article.  IEEE Institute of December 1985, p. 12, there is a
profile of Norman Stone by John Horgan: "Defense engineer makes a hobby of
knowing what the Soviets know".  Quote: "As for the journals,
Stone said, 'They publish the
best open descriptions I've seen of some U.S. weapons systems.  I've found
out things I've never known.'  One article, for example, described and
showed a photograph of an unmanned version of the supersonic SR-71
reconnaissance jet, nicknamed Blackbird."
-- 
Kevin C. O'Neil
OCLC Inc.
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, OH 43017-0702    (614) 764-6271