Two of the original 18 A-12 aircraft were designated as M-21s with serial numbers 60-6940 and 60-6941. The M-21 was a two-seat version of the A-12, with a pylon on the fuselage centerline between the vertical stabilizers to carry the drone in a nose-up attitude. [6] A D-21 mounted on an M-21 began captive flight-testing on 22 December 1964.

Built for a CIA program code-named "Tagboard," it carried an unpiloted D-21 drone for intelligence gathering. These drones were intended for launch from the M-21 "mothership" for flights over hostile territories. Design features of the M-21 include the second seat for the Launch Control Officer and the launch pylon on which the drone is mounted.

History and Development of the SR-71 Blackbird and M-21 Blackbird . Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in flight. The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird"was an advanced, long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance airplane that served in the U.S. Air Force from 1964 to 1998. The Lockheed A-12was produced from 1962 to 1964, and was in operation from 1963 until 1968.

6 天之前 · The M-21 is an A-12-like aircraft designed to launch the once ultra-secret D-21 Drone. When the United States signed a treaty to end flights of manned vehicles over the Soviet Union, an unmanned vehicle was needed for reconnaissance. Since the A-12 is an overflight vehicle, it would undermine the treaty if used in the future.

Conceived more than 45 years ago and retired from active service since the late 1990s, Blackbirds remain the fastest piloted jets ever built. The M-21 is a variant of the A-12, the earliest Blackbird type. Built for a CIA program code-named “Tagboard,” the M-21 carried unpiloted drones for intelligence gathering.

2021年9月10日 · Lockheed built the aircraft to play a role in Tagboard, the code-name for a Central Intelligence Agency intelligence-gathering program. The aircraft carried an un-piloted D-21 drone, mounted on its spine.

On December 22, 1964, the first flight of the D-21/M-21 combination (now referred to as the “M/D-21”) was successfully completed from Groom Lake. Per Johnson: "Bill Park flew at the end of the day. It flew well and, in spite of having low-powered engines, went supersonic on the first flight."

Lockheed eventually built two M-21s and 38 drones, and its test pilot Bill Park flew all the M-21 flights. On the fourth TAGBOARD test on 30 July 1966, a launch mishap caused the mother ship to crash, killing LCO Ray Torick and prompting Kelly Johnson to end the program.

In fact, the A-12 OXCART’s unique design and characteristics became the foundation for three other versions of supersonic aircraft that Lockheed built for CIA and the Air Force: the YF-12A, the M-21, and of course, the SR-71.

During a flight test on 30 July 1966 for launching the drone, the drone pitched down and struck the M-21, breaking it in half. Pilot Bill Park and Launch Control Officer (LCO) Ray Torick stayed with the plane a short time before ejecting over the Pacific Ocean.