Comments on: Air Force’s Secret Drone Program Revealed http://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/ The Future of the Military, Law Enforcement and National Security Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:29:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: david burrowshttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-240538 david burrows Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:14:10 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-240538 who cares lets turn inward and screw everyone we got enough here who cares lets turn inward and screw everyone we got enough here

]]> By: blighthttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-206974 blight Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:35:52 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-206974 Getting back onto topic...is there a possibility of bringing back nuclear reactors on aircraft? I know they had prototypes in the works a long time ago, and the concern was radiation shielding to protect the crew. I imagine it would be easier to shield electronics, but could be wrong. If fossil fuels still have greater energy density, the best way to deploy these things might be to tether multiple UAVs to a "carrier", which could be an aerial tanker with multiple refuelling tethers. Fly out to a safe distance from your target and release all UAVs, with full tanks and ready to go. Tethering might also work if you have a battery powered craft as well, if you fly the UAVs separately to meet up with the carrier. While we're at it, I wonder if aerial recharging from a giant flying battery (modified air tanker) would be safer than aerial refuelling... Getting back onto topic…is there a possibility of bringing back nuclear reactors on aircraft? I know they had prototypes in the works a long time ago, and the concern was radiation shielding to protect the crew. I imagine it would be easier to shield electronics, but could be wrong.

If fossil fuels still have greater energy density, the best way to deploy these things might be to tether multiple UAVs to a “carrier”, which could be an aerial tanker with multiple refuelling tethers. Fly out to a safe distance from your target and release all UAVs, with full tanks and ready to go. Tethering might also work if you have a battery powered craft as well, if you fly the UAVs separately to meet up with the carrier.

While we’re at it, I wonder if aerial recharging from a giant flying battery (modified air tanker) would be safer than aerial refuelling…

]]> By: blighthttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-206973 blight Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:32:50 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-206973 Both Lockheed and Northrop, when competing for the B2 program had similar designs. The Lockheed one was smaller and had a tail, but otherwise was the flying wing. William C got it first regarding who won the B-2 contract in the end. Both Lockheed and Northrop, when competing for the B2 program had similar designs. The Lockheed one was smaller and had a tail, but otherwise was the flying wing. William C got it first regarding who won the B-2 contract in the end.

]]> By: William C.http://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-206972 William C. Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:00:13 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-206972 I believe Kelly Johnson had a UFO sighting once, but to say it inspired the B-2 is rather absurd, especially since Northrop Grumman and not Lockheed was the company that got the B-2 contract. I believe Kelly Johnson had a UFO sighting once, but to say it inspired the B-2 is rather absurd, especially since Northrop Grumman and not Lockheed was the company that got the B-2 contract.

]]> By: robhttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-206965 rob Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:53:08 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-206965 the b2 WAS in fact, "inspired" by a close encounter had by Kelly Johnson, a lead aircraft designer. Documents of said encounter have been uncovered. the b2 WAS in fact, “inspired” by a close encounter had by Kelly Johnson, a lead aircraft designer. Documents of said encounter have been uncovered.

]]> By: DITBOYhttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-128873 DITBOY Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:05:36 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-128873 While it would be nice to have long-range, highly sensative UAVs that were small, the technology isn't there yet. UAVs have to be large enough to carry their sensor payload and an energy supply. Their size, then, is based on being large enough to create enough lift to carry the payload and fuel for a long endourance mission. Radar and electro-optical cameras with sufficient power or clarity aren't small enough for a small UAV yet. Energy sources would either be batteries (heavy) or aviation fuel (also heavy in sufficient quantity for a long mission). Even if solar power was used to power the craft, a sufficient number of "solar panels" would still make for a larger aircraft. So, micro, stealth, long-range UAVs sound perfect, be we ain't there yet. Just two cents.... While it would be nice to have long-range, highly sensative UAVs that were small, the technology isn’t there yet.
UAVs have to be large enough to carry their sensor payload and an energy supply. Their size, then, is based on being large enough to create enough lift to carry the payload and fuel for a long endourance mission.
Radar and electro-optical cameras with sufficient power or clarity aren’t small enough for a small UAV yet.
Energy sources would either be batteries (heavy) or aviation fuel (also heavy in sufficient quantity for a long mission). Even if solar power was used to power the craft, a sufficient number of “solar panels” would still make for a larger aircraft.
So, micro, stealth, long-range UAVs sound perfect, be we ain’t there yet.
Just two cents.…

]]> By: spincyclehttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-128871 spincycle Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:33:35 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-128871 Hexjumper: Mirrors reflect specific wavelentgths of EMR (i.e., visual light). They don't help at all in the radar spectrum. boeing777: Yes, it does. It looks like it was designed using sound scietific principles, measured on Earth, by humans, using theories developed by humans after the traditional evidence-hypothesis-test-revise-repeat technique that is at the core of the scientific process. Hexjumper:
Mirrors reflect specific wavelentgths of EMR (i.e., visual light). They don’t help at all in the radar spectrum.
boeing777:
Yes, it does. It looks like it was designed using sound scietific principles, measured on Earth, by humans, using theories developed by humans after the traditional evidence-hypothesis-test-revise-repeat technique that is at the core of the scientific process.

]]> By: boeing777-200LRhttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-128870 boeing777-200LR Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:32:17 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-128870 its a little off topic, but i have a few questions-- 1. does the B2 bomber look at all, made by humans? because i have scoured the internet and have found some dickhead conspiracists saying that aliens helped develope the B2. im not saying it is but if you look at it, it does look a little science fiction(the B2) 2. why the hell havent the US started creating a full on UCAV fighter (like the one off the movie STEALTH) that can do anything the F35 can do. 3. following up HEXJUMPER, i cant see why they create the UAVs, and the UCAVs as big as a damn 737! wouldnt it be stealth-ier to make them small and sleek, not big and bulgy! its a little off topic, but i have a few questions–
1. does the B2 bomber look at all, made by humans? because i have scoured the internet and have found some dickhead conspiracists saying that aliens helped develope the B2. im not saying it is but if you look at it, it does look a little science fiction(the B2)
2. why the hell havent the US started creating a full on UCAV fighter (like the one off the movie STEALTH) that can do anything the F35 can do.
3. following up HEXJUMPER, i cant see why they create the UAVs, and the UCAVs as big as a damn 737! wouldnt it be stealth-ier to make them small and sleek, not big and bulgy!

]]> By: HEXJUMPERhttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-128869 HEXJUMPER Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:06:05 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-128869 how to go stealthy misleading the observers ? just make your top-secret a/c looking like an ordinary / known aircraft !! -giant B-2 Vs normal B-2 -giant F-117 Vs normal F-117 also... why should U.A.V.'s always be big craft ? the smaller the U.A.V.'s the more difficult it is to detect. and... what about an aircraft with the entire skin of MIRRORtiles ! it would be practicaly invisible since only the reflections of passing scenery in all directions would show on the aircraft. (clouds,ground...) for sur... whe have seen nothing yet :)) how to go stealthy misleading the observers ?
just make your top-secret a/c looking like an
ordinary / known aircraft !!
–giant B-2 Vs normal B-2
–giant F-117 Vs normal F-117
also…
why should U.A.V.‘s always be big craft ?
the smaller the U.A.V.‘s the more difficult it is to detect.
and…
what about an aircraft with the entire skin of
MIRRORtiles !
it would be practicaly invisible since only the reflections of passing scenery in all directions
would show on the aircraft. (clouds,ground…)
for sur…
whe have seen nothing yet :))

]]> By: Darrenhttp://defensetech.org/2006/04/23/air-forces-secret-drone-program-revealed/#comment-128868 Darren Mon, 24 Apr 2006 23:36:54 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=3166#comment-128868 Sounds interesting, and a UAV of this nature would certainly be exceedingly useful. South Africa's Denel has been working on something similar, called Seraph, for a number of years, but a lack of funding appears to have stalled development of late. Sounds interesting, and a UAV of this nature would certainly be exceedingly useful. South Africa’s Denel has been working on something similar, called Seraph, for a number of years, but a lack of funding appears to have stalled development of late.

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