Originally Posted by dead_pan (Post 10298650)

Edited to add: I'm sure some people hereabouts will be familiar with the story about some unknown & allegedly secret US mil aircraft having a mishap at Boscombe in the nineties or early noughties, resulting in much activity on the site with screens erected etc etc.

Originally Posted by TonyGosling (Post 10298356)

Aurora Project Behind UFO Sightings In Scotland?

Source: The Press and Journal, Aberdeen, Sunday April 14 2002, via IndyMedia, UK,

LATEST U.S. STEALTH TECHNOLOGY MOVES TO WESTERN SCOTLAND
by The Press and Journal, Aberdeen 9:45pm Sun Apr 14 '02

Soaring at 5,000 miles per hour through the night sky these unidentified flying objects could be a 21st century addition to NATO's airforce. Radar stations at Prestwick, West Freugh and RAF Buchan may have tracked their movements as they fly between secret airbases and the Norwegian Fjords, but the Ministry of Defence and the US Air Force deny they even exist.

Nic Outterside investigates

ALMOST invisible to radar, the F-117 Stealth fighter is one of the most sophisticated warplanes ever built.

But for seven years the US Government denied that the top- secret aircraft - nicknamed Nighthawk - existed.

Then, in 1991, 40 Stealth fighters were suddenly deployed for action in the Gulf War.

Ranging the night skies over Baghdad on 1,270 missions the Nighthawks struck the most heavily defended Iraqi targets to stunning effect.

Now from the cloak of X-Files denial comes a Stealth successor: more powerful, blacker, faster and even more secret.

Under the codename Project Aurora - which may be a wrap for several secret aircraft - the planes are classified within the US defence department's black programme - one whose existence is not admitted by the authorities.

Experts claim experimental and prototype Aurora aircraft are using Scotland, the skies above the North Sea and the wilderness areas of far-Northern Europe as their testing ground.

Bill Sweetman, former technical editor for Jane's Information Group and an author of three books on Stealth technology claims the areas are ideal proving ranges.

"It certainly keeps them out of the eyes and ears of the US observers," he said.

He claims that after 17 years the US defence department is reaching the latter stages of trialing space-age military aircraft capable of astonishing speeds.

"There continues to be a huge black hole in what we know the Pentagon has spent money on," he told the Press and Journal.

"In 1999 black projects accounted for =A312.1billion of USAF research expenditure - that is almost 40% of the =A332billion research and development budget."...................

Originally Posted by Jackonicko (Post 10298368)

While there may be manned 'black' aircraft flying from Groom Lake and such places, and while there have been a succession of prototypes and technology demonstrators that we've learned about only after they were grounded, I remain unconvinced that any of the recent black aircraft programmes have actually entered full service.

For a while, it seemed most likely that there could have been a tactical reconnaissance/targeting platform (perhaps along the lines of the supposed TR-3A) whose existence might have explained some of the inconsistencies in F-117A operations, but as time has passed, and as we learned more about the -117A I personally started to think that this was probably fanciful.

I'm even less convinced by Aurora reports and rumours. None of the countries that might have been its targets have reported or complained about overflights, and there doesn't seem to have been any replacement for the int gathered by the Blackbird, that hasn't come from known sources (space-based, U-2, Global Hawk, etc.).

Every other secret programme has been spotted before it came out of the Black World - people had fleeting glimpses of the F-117A even before its existence was revealed, and there were plenty of compelling rumours that something was flying night sorties from Tonopah. The same happened with the MiGs and Sukhois flown by the USAF and indeed the F-117As that were kept active after the type was retired.

There's hardly anything with the same degree of 'believability' on the Aurora. There may have been a technology demonstrator or prototype, but reluctantly (because I'd love to believe that there was a secret hypersonic recce aircraft doing its stuff out there), I don't personally believe it.

Originally Posted by chopper2004 (Post 10298709)

Think up to a point when L-M said 72 not in development lest exist, everyone thought it did exist via press releases plus reported sightings of scaled unmanned demonstrator landing at Plant 42 in the dark with a pair of T-38 Talons.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mil...t-skunk-works/

cheers

Originally Posted by Davef68 (Post 10298641)

I could tell you but then I'd need to wipe your memory with my pen/light.
Although if you want a new recce asset look at X-37

In August 1989, Chris Gibson, a Scottish oil-exploration engineer and, at the time, a member of the British Royal Observer Corps (ROC), was working on the oil rig Galveston Key in the North Sea when he noticed an aircraft in the shape of a pure isoceles triangle refuelling from a KC-135 Stratotanker alongside two F-111s. The unknown aircraft, cruising in a formation northward through Air-to-Air Refuelling Area (AARA) 6A, is what people have come to believe, is the mysterious Aurora hypersonic spyplane. Another possible aircraft, which could have been seen over the North Sea however, is Northrop's A-17 stealth attack plane. Chris Gibson's observation of the mysterious flying triangle is often cited by UFO researchers when the subject of Aurora rises. Below, Chris Gibson explains precisely what happened, as well as giving an insight into himself.

I welcome any questions on my North Sea sighting, as I am of the opinion that too much is taken at face value in the black aircraft snark hunt. I think that the snark hunt has degenerated into an exercise in regurgitating the same old stories with little or no new research being done. A bit about me. I work as a drilling technologist for a major oil field service company. I hold an Honours degree in geology, with some engineering, geophysics and chemistry thrown in. I also did a post graduate course in systems analysis, I was a member of the Royal Observers Corps for 13 years and was a member of the ROC's aicraft recognition team for 12 of those years. In this field I was considered to be an expert and produced an aircraft recognition manual for the ROC. Some will obviously know the sighting story, but I'll fill you in on what happened from my point of view.

I was working in the indefatigable field on the jack-up rig 'Galvestion Key' in August 1989. My colleague, Graeme Winton, went out on deck but returned immediately. He told me to "have a look at this." We went outside and Graeme pointed skywards. I had been at university with Graeme and he knew of my interest in aircraft. As far as Graeme was concerned it was a formation of aircraft and he reckoned I'd be interested. I looked up, saw the tanker and the F-111s, but was amazed to see the triangle. I am trained in instant recognition, but this triangle had me stopped dead. My first thought was that it was another F-111, but there was no 'gaps', it was too long and it didn't look like one. [bannerad] My next thought was that it was an F-117, as the highly swept planform of the F-117 had just been made public. Again the triangle was too long and had no gaps. After considering and rejecting a Mirage IV, I was totally out of ideas. Here was an aircraft, flying over head, not too high and not particularly fast. A recognition gift and I was clueless. This was a new experience. Graeme asked me what was going on. I watched as the formation flew overhead and told him that the big one was a KC-135 Stratotanker, the two on the left were F-111s and that I didn't know what the fourth aircraft was. Graeme said "I though you were an expert?" I said "I am." To which Graeme replied "Some expert."

It was obvious to me that this aircraft was something 'dodgy'. I watched the formation for a minute or two and went back inside with Graeme. At the time I was writing the aircraft recognition manual and had a Danish Luftmelderkorpset Flykendingsbog in my briefcase. This is probably the best aircraft recognition book ever produced. I looked through it, but nothing matched. I then sketched what I had seen and sent this to Peter Edwards, who was a Group Officer in the ROC and was also on the recognition team.

We discussed what to do about it but decided that if it was reported through official channels, it would be at best rubbished, at worst lead to trouble. Having signed the Official Secrets Act I didn't want to jeopardise my position in the recognition team, so I kept my mouth shut. I told other members of the recognition team in the hope that they could shed some light on the subject. On returning home I had a look through my book collection. The only aircraft which came close to matching what I had seen was a Handley Page HP115. It was not one of them. Whether this aircraft was a Aurora is debatable - my background precludes jumping to conclusions based on a single piece of evidence. I wrote to Bill Sweetman (Stealth expert) after being sent an illustration from Janes Defense Weekly which matched what I had seen. As an aside, I wrote to two other writers who did not reply. Bill reckons it was Aurora; Agenct 'X' reckons it was the FB-119. I don't know what it was. It is the only aircraft I have ever seen that I could not identify. Pete Edwards told Bill Sweetman that if I didn't know what this aircraft was, it isn't in any book. I've been hunting this 'snark' for almost 9 years now and have turned up some interesting stuff, mainly through my own efforts, but also by having looked in the most unusual places. Talking to the people involved is a necessity.

Originally Posted by Blacksheep (Post 10299733)

Come, now. The fact that the Nighthawk has been retired shows plainly that there must be a successor in service.

Originally Posted by Misformonkey (Post 10299964)

Mind the gap......

Originally Posted by Ewan Whosearmy (Post 10299184)

Two things stick in my mind on this topic:

1. When the MoD declassified its 'UFO Guide' some years ago, it included a number of aircraft types that might explain the actual identity of a reported UFO. In the US section, it included obvious candidates such as the F-117 and B-2. But one aircraft type had been redacted in its entirety.

Originally Posted by The AvgasDinosaur (Post 10300442)

Originally Posted by dead_pan (Post 10298650)

.....

Edited to add: I'm sure some people hereabouts will be familiar with the story about some unknown & allegedly secret US mil aircraft having a mishap at Boscombe in the nineties or early noughties, resulting in much activity on the site with screens erected etc etc.

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