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Originally Posted by SASless
(Post 10346033)
Considering the secrecy and security levels for Groom Lake/Area 51...and knowing its background....one must wonder why it continues yet today.
There must be some very sensitive programs going on there for sure. |
Originally Posted by Misformonkey
(Post 10348021)
I don’t see the link between the x-37 and x-47? I meant X-37c. Apologies. |
X37b
One of the possibilities is that the X37b is the ‘mother ship’ and carries a LO vehicle which can manouver independently to overhead areas of interest. This gets round the ‘you can see it coming’ problem and would explain the long mission times. |
Perhaps this story has passed its 'sell by' date. The claims have been around for the past 30 years and nothing has shown up.
In contrast, the SR 71 broke cover within much less than a decade, during the height of the cold war, when security mattered. Even the core design aspects of the H bomb were leaked within a 30 year time frame, despite diligent security efforts. It may be that the intelligence bang for the buck is so much greater in digital snooping than in overflight that the resources were shifted, but the USAF still benefits from the mystery. |
Originally Posted by chopper2004
(Post 10371116)
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That was doing the rounds back in 2003-2004 time frame (the patent rather than the watercolors). I remember because I was annoyed that the flight sim X-Plane couldn't handle that configuration.
As I recall, only the fruitloop sites thought it was anything other than IP protection. |
Originally Posted by The AvgasDinosaur
(Post 10304192)
Perhaps, the Mach 5 wondership gets you to the point of interest quickly, then slows down to do its 'observations' then gets its take home quick Serious question how long would the heat soak take to cool down sufficiently to avoid IR detection? thanks for your time and trouble. Be lucky David Thanks for your time and trouble David |
Originally Posted by SpeedFanatic
(Post 10345027)
Hello,
First time poster/long time lurker here. This thread has lot of beautiful ideas and tidbits, some of them I can confirm with the things I know. Gulf War I - F-117s flew along with another, yet undisclosed, bird. The unknown aircraft played as an "door-opener" for Nighthawks during their bombing runs. The situation happened again in the early 2000's during the first few nights of OIF. The unknown bird was supposed to be around a few years back, way after they retired F-117. So it is more like just "Nighthawk's helper". It is EW jet with little strike potential, too. It was built in smaller numbers than F-117. A question to Ewan Whosearmy: Could you provide name of the pilot's autobiography? Would love to read it! I too would like details of that autobiography. Please. Be lucky David |
Could the other aircraft be the oft rumoured TR-3 ? |
I'd love to know what the bright light was that I saw in formation with the ISS a few years ago as it passed over the northern hemisphere. There was nothing published about a re-supply mission yet there it was, in trail.
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Originally Posted by ShyTorque
(Post 10567830)
I'd love to know what the bright light was that I saw in formation with the ISS a few years ago as it passed over the northern hemisphere. There was nothing published about a re-supply mission yet there it was, in trail.
An experiment maybe? Also they do fly microsatellites from ISS on occasion. |
Originally Posted by treadigraph
(Post 10298677)
According to Ben Rich "Aurora" was a Pentagon name allocated for funding the B-2 programme... Or something like that.
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Of course it exists, only a fool...... or the British Government..... would withdraw a strategic asset without having a replacement ready to enter service. :E
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"a fool...... or the British Government..... would withdraw a strategic asset without having a replacement ready to enter service. "
Nut - I think you need to add "if it is still needed" remember how the RAF built up a very useful front-line capability of in the '30's of fast, two seat army co-operation aircraft? When they needed replacement it was done without thinking it through and they bought the Fairey Battle - but times had changed................ You could argue the same about buying the B-58 - the mission was still there but the means of achieving it changed |
Originally Posted by dead_pan
(Post 10568016)
Somehow I doubt it was anything that secret seeing as the Russians would have had a front row seat from their section of ISS...
An experiment maybe? Also they do fly microsatellites from ISS on occasion. |
Asturias56.......... One was thinking Nimrod. :)
Of course it exists, only a fool...... or the British Government..... would withdraw a strategic asset, if it is still needed, without having a replacement ready to enter service. |
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
(Post 10568135)
I have no idea but whatever it was, there seemed nothing “micro” about its size - it was almost as bright as the ISS itself and I saw it without a telescope. |
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