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| New Secret (not anymore!) Plane Spotted | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 1 2009, 02:21 PM (570 Views) | |
| George K | Dec 1 2009, 02:21 PM Post #1 |
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Finally
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Secret Plane? ![]() A photograph of the Beast of Kandahar, the classified stealth UAV first reported in April, has emerged on a blog linked to left-wing French newspaper Liberation. The photo confirms that the previous artists' impressions were largely accurate. The jet has long, slender outer wings, spanning as much as 80 feet, mated to a stouter, deeper centerbody with a pointed nose. One important detail: the overwing fairings are not B-2-like inlets, but cover some kind of equipment - satcoms on one side, perhaps, and a sensor on the other. The most likely provenance of the airframe is Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, and it is very likely to be associated with the Desert Prowler program - unearthed by historian Peter Merlin and "patchologist" Trevor Paglen. More background here, but it should be noted that Dave Fulghum reported in June 2001 on a plan to acquire 12-24 high altitude, stealthy UAVs. The effort had gathered pace after a US EP-3 SIGINT aircraft was forced to land in China in April, and went further underground after 9/11. It's believed that the first of a small batch of aircraft flew in late 2005 and were operational in Afghanistan in 2007 (where this photo was probably taken.) Despite superficial similarity the Desert Prowler is not an immediate relative of the Polecat technology demonstrator tested in 2006. The latter incorporated advanced aerodynamic and structural features for a future long-range, very high-altitude UAV, while Desert Prowler is more conservative. Perhaps the biggest mystery, though, is what the birds were doing in Kandahar. Why use a stealth aircraft against an adversary that doesn't have radar? And if it was part of some Secret Squirrel operation against the Taliban, what in the blue blazes was it doing outdoors in daylight? |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| John D'Oh | Dec 1 2009, 04:10 PM Post #2 |
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MAMIL
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That thing looks more than a little like the Me 163 Komet
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| What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket? | |
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| George K | Dec 1 2009, 04:15 PM Post #3 |
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Finally
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http://gizmodo.com/5416161/us-secret-plane-uncovered
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| John D'Oh | Dec 1 2009, 04:56 PM Post #4 |
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MAMIL
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With all due modesty, I'm bloody good. |
| What do you mean "we", have you got a mouse in your pocket? | |
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| QuirtEvans | Dec 1 2009, 05:26 PM Post #5 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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At spotting planes, yes. At reading, not so much. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| big al | Dec 1 2009, 06:45 PM Post #6 |
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Bull-Carp
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There's a country with radar just west of Afghanistan. Big Al |
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Location: Western PA "jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen." -bachophile | |
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| George K | Dec 1 2009, 06:46 PM Post #7 |
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Finally
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Stategery. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Mikhailoh | Dec 1 2009, 06:55 PM Post #8 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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I suspect it was shown because we wanted it shown. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| George K | Dec 1 2009, 06:59 PM Post #9 |
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Finally
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Heh. "And if you this motherf*cker is awesome, you have no clue about the things we won't let you see. Because if you did see them, we'd have to kill you." |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Piano*Dad | Dec 1 2009, 07:00 PM Post #10 |
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Bull-Carp
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Ah, I think that's a ..... a...... tail on that Komet. I could be mistaken, however.
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| Mikhailoh | Dec 1 2009, 07:01 PM Post #11 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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FIFY |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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