Re: Please build me a damn "Hypersonic Jet" at Area 51

On Jul 13, 9:55�pm, Desert Shadow <rch49...@cox.net> wrote:

One of the things we all like to do is try and figure out what new
craft or technology is being tested at Area 51. It is hard to make an
conclusions from the new images recently posted on DLR. The best part
of the images is that they lead to great discussions and raise more
questions than answers. Nothing better than looking at images and
posts during the company work time! I came across this article from
the Edwards AFB website and thought to myself, "haven't we passed this
point already with this technology." I guess not! Maybe we have? I was
sort of wishing something with this technology would already be living
in the big new hangar at our favorite operating location near Groom
Lake? �I am wishing that not all of the projects at Area 51 are
related to UAV's or radar testing. �It seems like a real gap in our
technology exists. �What happened after the SR 71? �I thought we would
be farther along then we currently are with this Hypersonic Jet
technology.

Scramjet is Edward's latest experimental aircrafthttp://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123157172

I want my taxes paying for the next generation Hypersonic with test
pilots like "The Right Stuff" or the Road Runners! We have the best
pilots in the world without question, and I want to see them (or at
least hear them) flying over Area 51 in the next generation
Hypersonic.

"As the speed topped out at Mach 1.05, Yeager had the sensation of
shooting straight through the top of the sky. The sky turned a deep
purple and all at once the stars and the moon came out - the sun shone
at the same time. ... He was simply looking out into space. ... He was
master of the sky. His was a king's solitude, unique and inviolate,
above the dome of the world."


I think Groom is more targeted more towards development than research.
Think of Edwards as where the lab experiments are performed, but the
products are developed at Groom. The TTR is rumored to do engine
testing. You see a jet that looks ordinary, but is the power plant
stock? The trucks going to the base carry the engines built at who
knows where. I'm sure you've seen shots of N747GE, the commercial
engine test bed that flies around the west. I've photographed it at
Mojave, but I believe they are going to relocate it to Victorville.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ge-747-N747GE-020404-01.jpg

They have already done a few hypersonic tests at Edwards. Somewhere I
have a photo of the previous generation test bed that they had on
display at Edwards. The front is solid tungsten to handle the heat.

I haven't evaluated the math, but there are arguments if hypersonic
transport is the way to go. An alternative is to shoot high into near
space, then fly in near space, then reenter the atmosphere. Doing mach
6 at 50Kft gets mighty toasty. The shuttle does mach 25 in near
space.

The SR71 was replaced with high altitude UAVs and satellites. I don't
think it is much of a mystery. Think of a satellite like a
prepositioned aircraft. You don't have to fly like a bat out of hell
if you are already there or nearby.

The triangular tower is the thing of interest to me. It is unique, but
you have to assume there was a research project that tested whatever
it did at a smaller scale. If you read Ben Rich's autobiography, it
talks about stealth existing as theory from the Soviets no less.
Developing the product, i.e. taking it out of the lab and into
production, was probably out of the capabilities of the Soviets.

In one sentence, there is a difference between scientists and
engineers.