SR71 Film

[whogoes]

Does anyone have any idea whats happening in this clip on
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b8b_1198437513
The title talks about refueling but I cant work out what the other plane
is.....
Ideas ????

[rstro]

it is the Dr-71? Drone--it was an Mach 3 drone launched from the SR-71--a
couple of operational flights-but was not used much

anyone else have more info?

"whogoes" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone have any idea whats happening in this clip on
> http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b8b_1198437513
> The title talks about refueling but I cant work out what the other plane
> is.....
> Ideas ????
>
>

[Maple1]

Second part shows the drone colliding during launch I believe the Sr 71
was lost also

rstro wrote:
> it is the Dr-71? Drone--it was an Mach 3 drone launched from the
> SR-71--a couple of operational flights-but was not used much
>
> anyone else have more info?
>
> "whogoes" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Does anyone have any idea whats happening in this clip on
>> http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b8b_1198437513
>> The title talks about refueling but I cant work out what the other
>> plane is.....
>> Ideas ????
>>
>>
>

[miket6065]

D21 Drone, basically a SR71 engine turned into a drone intended to fly over
terrain even the SR71 won't venture over.

Saddly the drone failed and crashed on the SR, one crewman survived one road
the plane into the Pacific.

[Jack G[_2_]]

Mother ship was the M-21. One is now on display at the Museum of Flight in
Seattle.

http://www.museumofflight.org/Collection/Aircraft.asp?RecordKey=28077E43-0F70-40AB-B4B3-AA2AF8E6BB00

Jack G.

[Tom[_2_]]

Following the thread...I was in Palmdale, California for the 2006 show at Edwards AFB.

From a sign posted at the Palmdale, California exhibit:

"The D-21 was an unmanned, ramjet-powered craft designed to be air-launched from atop
an A-12 (redesignated M-21) mother ship. It was conceived as a reconnaissance
platform that would fly over high-threat targets without endangering a pilot. After
acquiring photos of its target, the D-21 would return to a safe area and eject a
hatch containing the reconnaissance equipment. As the hatch was lowered by
parachute, it would be recovered in mid-air by a JC-130B Hercules. The project was
terminated after a fatal accident on the fourth test launch. Four operational
missions were later flown from B-52 launch aircraft. This D-21 is on loan from NASA."

Tom

[Tom[_2_]]

[Tom[_2_]]

[Tom[_2_]]

[Tom[_2_]]

[Tom[_2_]]

[Tom[_2_]]

[John Szalay]

"miket6065" > wrote in
. net:

> D21 Drone, basically a SR71 engine turned into a drone intended to fly
> over terrain even the SR71 won't venture over.
>
> Saddly the drone failed and crashed on the SR, one crewman survived
> one road the plane into the Pacific.
>
>

No, BOTH parachuted out, but one drowned while waiting for rescue.

[Ron]

"Jack G" > wrote in message
. ..
> Mother ship was the M-21. One is now on display at the Museum of Flight
> in Seattle.
>
> http://www.museumofflight.org/Collection/Aircraft.asp?RecordKey=28077E43-0F70-40AB-B4B3-AA2AF8E6BB00
>
> Jack G.
>
Some more are still stored at DM, if Google Earth is reliable. Two can be
seen just south of the Golf Course (west of the Sea King and Buckeye rows),
and I remember seeing one or two more around the yard.

Ron
--
Non urinat in ventum

[Jack G[_2_]]

Ron - I take it you are referring to the D-21 - Don't think there are any
M-21s is storage...

Jack G.

>>
> Some more are still stored at DM, if Google Earth is reliable. Two can be
> seen just south of the Golf Course (west of the Sea King and Buckeye
> rows), and I remember seeing one or two more around the yard.
>
> Ron
> --
> Non urinat in ventum
>

[Ron]

"Jack G" > wrote in message
. ..
> Ron - I take it you are referring to the D-21 - Don't think there are any
> M-21s is storage...
>
> Jack G.
>
Oops, you're correct.

Ron
--
Non urinat in ventum

[John Szalay]

"Ron" > wrote in
n
>>
> Some more are still stored at DM, if Google Earth is reliable. Two can
> be seen just south of the Golf Course (west of the Sea King and
> Buckeye rows), and I remember seeing one or two more around the yard.
>
> Ron



IIRC: NASA also had several of the drones moved to Dryden for test flights
a couple of years ago, They were showing on Google Earth photos near the
shuttle mate/demate structure..along with the shuttle carrier 747.

[whogoes]

Thanks everyone. I'd read about this programme but hadnt connected it with
the film clip. You can clearly see the airspike in the early part of the
clip. It occurred to me that the drone would look very triangular from
below. Could it be an explanation for the so-called aurora sighting in the
north sea thats often cited on documentaries.

"whogoes" > wrote in message
...
> Does anyone have any idea whats happening in this clip on
> http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b8b_1198437513
> The title talks about refueling but I cant work out what the other plane
> is.....
> Ideas ????
>
>

[John Szalay]

Clark > wrote in
Could it be an explanation for the so-called
>> aurora sighting in the north sea thats often cited on documentaries.
>>
> No. The D-21 was canceled after only a few test flights.
>
> http://www.amarcexperience.com/AMARCArticleD21Drone.asp
>
>
>


Read to the end of the article, 4 D-21D models were launched
from B-52 motherships and overflew China to the Nuclear test
area at Lop Nor.
Ben Rich in his book about the Skunk Works detailed his
getting a "Gift" from a CIA agent, it proved to be an hatch cover
from a D-21B that had flown off course in China, the hatch was
reportedly picked up in Siberia, Russia

its unlikley that they were ever over the North Sea.