Comments by "William Cox" (@WildBillCox13) on "This Plane "doesn't exist" - SR-75 Penetrator" video.

  1. It is my understanding that the MD21 drone was problematic. Though some launches were attempted, a mothership was lost when a drone rebounded from the superheated sheathe of ambient air surrounding both vehicles (at Mach 3+) and crashed back into the mothership, destroying both aircraft in the process. Spending a manned Sr-71 (even once) for sake of a drone test program was ridiculously expensive in trained personnel and materials. Other avenues of research showed more promise at less expense. Your point about vibration at extreme speed is also salient to the discussion. Buffeting is a real hazard and is difficult to compensate for when complex and fragile cameras are the payload. Hypersonic AA missiles are a potential emergent technology arguing against using large, fast, aircraft for strategic reconnaissance.
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