D-21B Drone Archive

Within Kelly Johnson’s family of Blackbirds, the smallest and least known wonder was, and continues to be, the D-21. In both forms (the M/D-21 Tagboard program and the Senior Bowl operational USAF program), this unmanned Blackbird has been carefully hidden behind a veil of secrecy for over 40 years. 

The following image archive is a collection of photos derived from Lockheed Skunk Works archives and contributions from those that worked on the "Senior Bowl" Program. Webmaster, SR-71 Blackbirds is grateful for the assistance provided by contributors in bringing this segment of important Blackbird history to the fans and personnel of the Blackbird community.

Images are 640X480/Click to enlarge

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4200th Support Squadron Beale AFB, California 
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Plaque at Beale AFB (Courtesy Habu.org) 
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B-52H with two D-21B Drones 
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B-52H Stratofortress with two D-21B Drones 
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Manufacture of B-52H Pylon 
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B-52H Pylon under construction at the Skunk works 
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Pylon looking aft 
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Pylon with weights prior to mating to B-52H 
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Pylon being mated to the D-21B Drone 
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B-52H prior to pylon mating 
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D-21 Lockheed Rocket Booster final Assembly 
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Booster Engine Final Assembly prior to testing 
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Booster engine ready for testing 
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D-21B Booster engine lowers into position at Test Site 
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Positioning engine for tests 
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Securing D-21B Booster engine to test frame mounts 
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Test Site Overview 
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Close-up of Test Site 
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Testing the D-21B Lockheed Rocket Booster Engine 
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Close-up of Test 
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Manufacture of D-21 Drone 
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D-21 Drone Lineup 
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Marquardt XRJ43-MA20S-4 Ramjet Engine mounted in the D-21 
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Lineup showing Serial Numbers 
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Final Assembly of D-21 Drone 
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Final Assembly 
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D-21 Under Construction 
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Fwd View of the D-21 During Construction 
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D-21 Under Construction 
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D-21 without the engine installed 
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D-21 nearing Final Assembly 
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D-21B mated to the B-52H Pylon Assembly 
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D-21B Assembly mounted to the B-52H Stratofortress 
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B-52 launch camera for the drones 
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B-52H Modifications for Launch Control Officer 
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B-52H Navigators Position 
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Cutaway drawing of the D-21B and D-21 Drones 
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Cutaway of D-21B and Lockheed Rocket Booster 
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D-21B ready for flight 
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Shot of the D-21B from the Tanker 
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Two mounted D-21B Drones 
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B-52H tail number 61-00021 with two D21B Drones 
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D-21B with Rocket Booster fired 
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D-21B Sequence of events in Flight 
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Cutaway of Deployed Hatch 
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D-21 Lineup 
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Tagboard Artwork on the B-52H 
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Ben Rich with D-21B Model 
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GTD-21B Model 

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First Created: April 15, 1996 - Last Revised: March 29, 2004
Copyright © 1996 Leland R. Haynes     Email: sr71webmaster@sr71.us

Credits:

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Glen A. Chapman, Jerry Miller, Tony Landis  collection and David Allison (www.habu.org ) . Additional credit to Paul F. Crickmore for the cutaway drawings of the D-21. HTML formatting and editing by Leland Haynes, Webmaster, SR-71 Blackbirds.

 

Page #63 of the SR-71 Blackbirds