Message posted by Vahe Demirjian (Member since 04/28/2022) on August 09, 2023 at 9:33:13 PST:
I'm aware of Lockheed's L-301 hypersonic technology demonstrator derived from the Martin Marietta X-24C, but I should emphasize that the artist's rendering of the Lockheed Mach 5 Penetrator appears on pages 51 of the book "An Illustrated Guide to Future Fighters and Combat Aircraft" (published in 1984) but also a June 1983 issue of Popular Mechanics as well as a July 1983 Popular Science Magazine. There's an unclassified image of the engine nacelle for the Mach 5 Penetrator design which dates from 1982 that I found at this link at the Secret Projects Forum: Since the artist's rendering of the Mach 5 Penetrator predates 1985, when were the oldest project documents for the Lockheed Mach 5 Penetrator issued (assuming that those existing have been declassified)? I would imagine hat the reason for reports from early 1988 and a November 1988 Popular Science issue claiming that Lockheed was developing a Mach 6 spyplane was because someone was aware of the Mach 5 Penetrator design and assumed that it waiting in the wings to one day replace the SR-71.
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/lockheed-adp-nasa-langley-1990-mach-4-mach-5-methane-fueled-aircraft-studies.1967/#post-105861
In Reply to: Re: Lockheed Mach 5 Penetrator posted by quellish on August 08, 2023 at 17:51:59 PST:
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