Message posted by quellish (Member since 06/26/2008) on August 24, 2024 at 18:24:42 PST:
> The Fanatical Futurist news report specifically gives hints about how the sighting unfolded" A source who was there at the correct time and place (Jul 2017, early morning, palmdale, etc.) who MAY have been the same source cited by Futurist, actually described it on the ground *"landed"). And only saw a portion of it as it was obscured by other objects. It's now obvious based on the reporting from this source that what they saw was actually a movie prop, and the source has since confirmed that. > When Lockheed Martin leaked to the press the existence of the "SR-72" design in 2013, it almost certainly wasn't holding its breath waiting for the US Air Force to fund the concept. The FRV demonstrator seems to have been a way for Lockheed Martin to test the design attributes of the "SR-72" in hopes of winning USAF funding for the full-scale aircraft. The "SR-72" concept was merely an extension of earlier work done under contract as part of the Blackswift and Falcon HTV programs. The Blackswitf requirements actually describe the "SR-72" "flight research vehicle" fairly well: "The Government seeks development of a reusable hypersonic testbed that utilizes an integrated air-breathing propulsion system. This reusable testbed will be used to conduct a vigorous flight test campaign in which key enabling technologies are demonstrated and the operational envelope is incrementally expanded in successive flights. The testbed shall take-off and land under its own power using a conventional runway. The ultimate flight demonstration shall consist of a powered take-off, climb and acceleration to a Mach 6+ cruise speed, sustain this Mach 6+ cruise speed in level flight for at least 60 seconds, demonstrate maneuverability by executing an aileron roll and land under power." In other Blackswift documents DARPA uses the precise term "flight research vehicle", as well as using the earlier "HCV" terminolgy from he Falcon program. The Falcon HTV/Blackswift vehicle was used by NASA in a series of engine studies and as the studies progressed the name of the notional vehicle eventually transitioned to "SR-72". NASA eventually abandoned this concept and moved on to a more advanced conceptual vehicle "aether".
"According to the source one such technology demonstrator, believed to be an unmanned subscale aircraft, was observed flying into the US Air Force’s Plant 42 at Palmdale, where Skunk Works is headquartered. The vehicle, which was noted landing in the early hours at an unspecified date in late July, was seen with two T-38 escorts. Lockheed Martin declined to comment directly on the sighting."
In Reply to: Re: Sandboxx: Evidence is mounting that Lockheed Martin’s SR-72 could be in production posted by Vahe Demirjian on August 24, 2024 at 14:22:22 PST:
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