The Lockheed SR-71A is a long-range espionage aircraft operated by the United States Air Force with an enormous maximum speed of over Mach 3. Work on the A-11 (prototype YF-12 / SR-71) began in secret in 1959 according to guidelines given by the CIA, which needed a spy plane even more perfect than the U-2, and it is believed that by 1968, when it was completed production, about 30 machines were assembled, including the training SR-71B. The nickname Blackbird, of course, comes from the black paint that is completely painted on the plane. It has a dual role to play. Firstly, it is a special material that makes it difficult to detect Blackbird by radar, and secondly, the black color is most effective in neutralizing the huge temperatures to which the fuselage is exposed during flights at 3 times the speed of sound. The planes were officially withdrawn from service in the USAF in the late 1980s, and some of them went to NASA. Technical data: length: 32.74m, wingspan: 16.94m, height: 5.64m, maximum speed: 3.56Ma, rate of climb: 60m / s, maximum ceiling: 36500m, maximum range: 5150km, armament: permanent- the plane is unarmed.
The Lockheed GTD-21 (another designation: D-21) was an Unmaned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) from the Cold War period. The prototype flight of this machine took place in 1964, and five years later it entered the line. In total, about 40 aircraft of this type were built along with prototypes. The length of the GTD-21 was 13.1 meters with a wingspan of 5.8 meters. The drive was provided by a single Marquardt RJ43-MA-20S4 engine with a thrust of 6.7 kN. The Lockheed D-21 was developed as a strategic UAV capable of developing speeds of 3.3 Ma and performing reconnaissance flights over the territory of the USSR. From the very beginning, it was also assumed that the D-21 would take off from the mother plane. Originally it was a Lockheed A-12, later the UAV was modernized (D-21B version) and adapted to operate from a B-52H bomber. Interestingly, it was assumed that D-21 would not land, but after completing the espionage mission, it would return to friendly territory where the capsule with the photographic material would be detached and fall to the ground by parachute. After several unsuccessful espionage missions directed primarily at the PRC, the entire program was canceled. Interestingly, however, it remained secret until 1993.