When released, the drone could not break through the shock wave wall of the MD-21. It basically bounced off the shock wave and back down unto the MD-21 essentially cutting it in half (with the assistance of the very high dynamic pressures involved at mach 3). They had performed this same routine many times in a .9 dive but never in level flight. This flight marked the end of the program. It was called off by the narrarator of this video - Kelly Johnson - the designer of the beautiful P-51.
They both survived the ejection and landed on sea, but Ray Torick opened his helmet visor by mistake and his suit filled up with water which caused him to drown.
For God sake why were they flying so close together? Once they launched the darn thing, why didn't they peel away? It looked like they ran into it from behind? I heard that the early SRs had problems with compressor stalls until they figured out how to move the spike properly. Maybe the D21 had a compressor stall and plowed backwards into the M21.
A typical flight path would be.. Takeoff from Edwards or later Mcullem (sp) and meet a tanker off the California/Oregon coast then up to northern Alaska over the ice pack for a second refuel. Then the mission would be over central Russia, landing in Turkey. Unload camera footage. Either return home or head east over central China and Vietnam landing in Okinawa. Unload camera again and return home. Similar flights were originally flown by U2 aircraft and those are still flown today.
@guspech the drone was used for reconnosance. inside the drone was a "high res" camera, for the time period, and it was suppost to take pictures of enemy terretory.
Whats possible is that you see the forward part of the fusilage breaking away after being subjected to forces that it wasnt designed to. They did not have an ejection pod as Kelly Johnson saw how complicated it was in the B-58 and decided not to use it plus it was very heavy. The SR-71 did use ejection seats and the crew had pressure suits to deal with the temperature and speed.
The Blackbirds NEVER had "ejection pods." The XB70 did. The Blackbirds had ejection seats similar to other jets. Ejection was possible at Blackbird cruise speed and altitude because of the pressure difference at altitude. Cruise speed, while over mach 3, was about 450-500 knots equivalent airspeed at sea level due to lower air pressure. So you see, ejection was not only possible, it happened several times with success.
Some models of the SR-71 had ejection pods which would separate from the aircraft via explosive bolts and a small rocket. A drogue shute would deploy from the pod to slow it, then when the had slowed to a "safe" speed and altitude the drogue would separate and the crew would be ejected for a standard ejection decent and and landing. I don't know if this was one of the Blackbirds so equipped, but I would suspect so.
on all sr71s and m21s the crew wore full pressure suits like on the shuttle. when they ejected in these they still had oxygen and the suit to protect them for a mach 3+ cool breeze.
I bet that drone could have been optimize to carry a nuclear warhead and easily deliver a very fast and decisive attack during the cold war ERA to the adversaries. and it probably was given to the president (LBJ) in secret as a worst and last preventive scenario to protect america in case of a REAL launched nuclear attack.
Of course it can't be the same way of ejection than actual figther, those need a relativly low speed for ejection. (to the point where they can now eject on the ground)
@Blackbird101 actually it was based on the a-12 not yf-12, the yf-12 is the prototype fighter version of which only 2 were built. no blackbird was ever converted to carry the d-21 drone, the 2 m-21s built were built seperatly on the line and built from scratch. but it took the design of the a-12. the plane was called an m-21 and the drone is called a d-21 but when together the combination is the m/d-21 not the plane.
Wow! I knew of this many years ago, but seeing it something else. This was an incredibly ambitious project for the early 60's. It's a shame that a brilliant company such as Lockheed would later bribe countless politicians (and royalty) in Europe & Japan with millions of $ to get them to buy the F-104, a plane totally unsuitable for the NATO role. Unforgivable.
When released, the drone could not break through the shock wave wall of the MD-21. It basically bounced off the shock wave and back down unto the MD-21 essentially cutting it in half (with the assistance of the very high dynamic pressures involved at mach 3). They had performed this same routine many times in a .9 dive but never in level flight. This flight marked the end of the program. It was called off by the narrarator of this video - Kelly Johnson - the designer of the beautiful P-51.
flyboy3633 1 year ago 2
what caused it to break up, what actually happened?
Nickomfacc 1 year ago
@Nickomfacc at mach 3, if something pushes the back of the plane down and the nose goes up, the sheer force of resistance will break up the plane...
What a beautiful aircraft...
electricsoldiers 1 year ago 4
What was the drone for?
Mrpl3973 1 year ago
@Mrpl3973 Originally to carry a high speed nuke
tonyktx44 1 year ago
They both survived the ejection and landed on sea, but Ray Torick opened his helmet visor by mistake and his suit filled up with water which caused him to drown.
DeKarle1992 1 year ago
For God sake why were they flying so close together? Once they launched the darn thing, why didn't they peel away? It looked like they ran into it from behind? I heard that the early SRs had problems with compressor stalls until they figured out how to move the spike properly. Maybe the D21 had a compressor stall and plowed backwards into the M21.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
Long live the SR-71, its pilots, its managers, its designers, its constructors, and let's not forget this tragic incident. *snif*
NFSKing 1 year ago
Crazy what man can do!
EvilMoran 1 year ago
MD21 seems to fly well with blended-body-wings and chines, for low radar observability.
Wonder if blended-chines can be bolted onto GBU-31, AIM-120, or AIM-9 to decrease the radar observability of externally mounted munitions?
3A7C 1 year ago
The Boeing Air Museum has the MD-21 on display with the D-21 Drone attached... Remaining D-21 were stored at AMARC (Bone Yard) Davis Monthan AFB, AZ.
ephoagygmail 1 year ago
RIP
86Timewarp 2 years ago
A typical flight path would be.. Takeoff from Edwards or later Mcullem (sp) and meet a tanker off the California/Oregon coast then up to northern Alaska over the ice pack for a second refuel. Then the mission would be over central Russia, landing in Turkey. Unload camera footage. Either return home or head east over central China and Vietnam landing in Okinawa. Unload camera again and return home. Similar flights were originally flown by U2 aircraft and those are still flown today.
RevFastEddy 2 years ago
@RevFastEddy MD-21 aircraft only flew out of the ranch, not Edwards
brokenspar 1 year ago
What was the D21 Drone thought to be used for?
guspech 2 years ago
To take pictures. Mostly over China.
jeselmira2 2 years ago
russia man russia
mochiam 1 year ago
@guspech the drone was used for reconnosance. inside the drone was a "high res" camera, for the time period, and it was suppost to take pictures of enemy terretory.
86Timewarp 2 years ago
Nice to see some clip from Groom Lake Test site, aka Area 51 0:19 - 1:30
MrGazzazz 2 years ago
OMG KELLY JOHNSONS REAL VOICE
skunk works ftw
Lexolo999 2 years ago
Wow that was pretty intense, I wonder how it feels to eject at over mach 3 :S
briant2828 2 years ago
kelly is the man to think up to.
fuge000 2 years ago 3
Whats possible is that you see the forward part of the fusilage breaking away after being subjected to forces that it wasnt designed to. They did not have an ejection pod as Kelly Johnson saw how complicated it was in the B-58 and decided not to use it plus it was very heavy. The SR-71 did use ejection seats and the crew had pressure suits to deal with the temperature and speed.
Lindstrim 2 years ago
The Blackbirds NEVER had "ejection pods." The XB70 did. The Blackbirds had ejection seats similar to other jets. Ejection was possible at Blackbird cruise speed and altitude because of the pressure difference at altitude. Cruise speed, while over mach 3, was about 450-500 knots equivalent airspeed at sea level due to lower air pressure. So you see, ejection was not only possible, it happened several times with success.
kirkmach32 2 years ago
How is it possible to survive an ejection from Mach 3?
djlooch 2 years ago
Some models of the SR-71 had ejection pods which would separate from the aircraft via explosive bolts and a small rocket. A drogue shute would deploy from the pod to slow it, then when the had slowed to a "safe" speed and altitude the drogue would separate and the crew would be ejected for a standard ejection decent and and landing. I don't know if this was one of the Blackbirds so equipped, but I would suspect so.
QuiglysMom 2 years ago
It was not a guarantee that you would, that
is the case with almost any ejection. An
ejection is not surefire survival procedure,
it is only helps the odds of getting out alive.
777west 2 years ago
on all sr71s and m21s the crew wore full pressure suits like on the shuttle. when they ejected in these they still had oxygen and the suit to protect them for a mach 3+ cool breeze.
100Yottabytes 2 years ago
R.I.P. to veterans of cold war...many have given lives from both parties. My uncle was ready to shut down SR-71
kea172 2 years ago 21
*****
RIP Ray Torrick All memories cherished.
~Semper Paratus
9th SRW, SAC, OMS, BAFB, Det 1 (HABU)
h8liver 2 years ago
i guess i am not allow to mention the other uses on this drone during the nuclear cold war era and the real purpose of the blackbird program.
malcabro 3 years ago
I bet that drone could have been optimize to carry a nuclear warhead and easily deliver a very fast and decisive attack during the cold war ERA to the adversaries. and it probably was given to the president (LBJ) in secret as a worst and last preventive scenario to protect america in case of a REAL launched nuclear attack.
UMMmm....!!! ? NAAAH ! ! !
malcabro 3 years ago
You would have to slow down for that first.
dannukesem 3 years ago
I did'nt even know it was possible to do it ...
Of course it can't be the same way of ejection than actual figther, those need a relativly low speed for ejection. (to the point where they can now eject on the ground)
Tribersman 3 years ago
one small correction, the SR-71 didnt carry the drone, it was the YF-12 version A. damn near the same bird though.
stinkweed007 4 years ago 6
When Lockheed converted the YF-12 to carry the Drone, the plane was then called the MD21.
MD standing for Mother/Daughter.
Blackbird101 4 years ago 7
The M-21 was actually a modified A-12, not a YF-12.
raynus1 2 years ago
Two A-12's were converted to M-21's: aircraft numbers 60-6940 and 60-6941.
raynus1 2 years ago
@Blackbird101 so it was unmanned?
lighterinthestorm 1 year ago
@Blackbird101 actually it was based on the a-12 not yf-12, the yf-12 is the prototype fighter version of which only 2 were built. no blackbird was ever converted to carry the d-21 drone, the 2 m-21s built were built seperatly on the line and built from scratch. but it took the design of the a-12. the plane was called an m-21 and the drone is called a d-21 but when together the combination is the m/d-21 not the plane.
mantishrimpruler2 1 year ago
@mantishrimpruler2 FASCINATING. Thanks for that info...just fascinating.
JetMechMA 1 year ago
@stinkweed007 Actually it was a converted A-12 Blackbird...they removed the A/C unit from the Q-bay and made the second cockpit from that space.
brokenspar 1 year ago
Wow! I knew of this many years ago, but seeing it something else. This was an incredibly ambitious project for the early 60's. It's a shame that a brilliant company such as Lockheed would later bribe countless politicians (and royalty) in Europe & Japan with millions of $ to get them to buy the F-104, a plane totally unsuitable for the NATO role. Unforgivable.
Gruntol5 4 years ago 2