Lockheed D-21

Lockheed Corporation · United States · first flew 1964 · reconnaissance aircraft

The Lockheed D-21 was a supersonic reconnaissance drone developed from the SR-71 Blackbird programme, designed to overfly denied territory at Mach 3+ and return film canisters via parachute.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, delta
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Chine-sided fuselage with black radar-absorbent coating
T — Tail	No tailplane

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Spot it by:

Unmanned ramjet-powered reconnaissance drone with pure delta wing
Chine-sided fuselage with black radar-absorbent coating
No tail surfaces; launched from back of M-21 or B-52 mothership

Identified by its sleek black delta-wing body with pronounced chine edges, underslung engine inlet, and complete absence of a conventional tail, resembling a scaled-down SR-71 fuselage.

Specifications

The Lockheed D-21 has a length of 13.061 m (43 ft).
It has a wingspan of 5.814 m (19 ft).
Its maximum speed is 3590 km/h (2231 mph).
Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Originally designed to be launched from the back of the M-21 (a modified A-12), the D-21 was later adapted for B-52 launch after a fatal accident during M-21 trials in 1966. Four operational missions were flown over China between 1969 and 1971, none of which recovered usable intelligence. The programme was cancelled in 1971.

Variants

The D-21 evolved into the D-21B with a solid-fuel rocket booster for B-52 launch; both variants shared the same basic airframe.

Where you'll see it

Operated exclusively by the US Air Force under the highly classified TAGBOARD and SENIOR BOWL programmes; never publicly acknowledged until declassification.

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