Chapter 12, The China Syndrome Summary and Analysis

The most dangerous and secretive project that the Blackbird was involved in started in 1962, when China broke with Moscow. The project was known as Tagboard and was intended to use the Blackbird to launch drones, unmanned spy craft, to spy over China in order to gain intelligence on any potential military plans. Working out the details of how to build the drone was difficult and selling the drone to the CIA was difficult too. The Air Force, however, was interested. Their third test-flight was a disaster. Piloted by Bill Park and Ray Torick, the drone attached to the Blackbird crashed into the Blackbird and sent it crashing down. Park had to be picked up in a life raft 150 miles at sea. Torick was not so lucky. When he crashed in the water, he opened up...