West Texas Spanloader

originally posted by: EBJet
Bing imagery shows the X-47B iron bird out behind a hangar at NG's Palmdale facility. More interesting is the iron bird in the North dirt lot behind LM's Palmdale facility. It's been there for quite a while, I'm surprised that no one has brought it up..Kinda dovetails nicely with the direction this thread has taken

Interesting shape! Is that some kind of support for construction?
Its pretty huge! About 100x60ft I would guess...

a reply to: Jukiodone

Shratt thinks Wichita is a stealthy troop transport for SF troops? I hope that's not what Wichita is about.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

I think Foxtrot Alpha had it as a possibility along with people on other forums suggesting it was something to do with Senior Citizen and stealthy transportation.

I hope Witchita is a transformer, a SSTO , a stealth blimp anything interesting but my bet is something conventional, slow and stealthy as anything super fast would be more pointy based on the trends.

There doesnt seem to be as many people leaking info at the moment even though 2014 was a monumental year for well documented, unidentified aircraft sightings.
I'd love to hear what someone like intelgurl had to say about Witchita for e.g...


Foxtrot Alpha didnt even do part 2 of his Doritos article as far as I can tell.

a reply to: Jukiodone

The answer to Wichita was given at least once on this forum.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Along with 25 wrong answers.

a reply to: mbkennel

Yep, but the correct answer was pointed out at least once.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I vote stealth AWACS.

The E-3s are 30 years old, with no replacement in sight following the E-10 cancellation. Especially with the rest of the world getting state of the art AESA AWACs (Israel, China, Russia, India, etc). Are we really supposed to think the USAF hasn't had something in the bag?

a reply to: Northernhollow

I think you may be on to something.

originally posted by: mbkennel
a reply to: Zaphod58

Along with 25 wrong answers.

TAGBOARD probably had Wichita correct with Boeing 988-122/123 IMHO.

It was like a third or half way into the thread.

a reply to: Northernhollow

What about the E-8?

a reply to: spaceman42

Here's something to try for fun, overlay the dimensions of that LM iron bird to those of the X-44 which was supposedly "cancelled" in 2000.

Striking, huh?

a reply to: MystikMushroom

The E-8 isn't an AWACS. It's also going to be replaced soon.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Apparently. I guess the E-8 is JSTARS?

Found this adorable little guy in relation to a JSTARS upgrade:



An airframe only a mother could love. Nice pod though.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Proteus is fugly as can be. There is considerable commitment to the DDR pod but I bet we see an airframe that it attaches to that doesn't look like some flying exoskeleton.

a reply to: howmuch4another

Haha, form over function man...The thing can supposedly go up to 65k feet...

a reply to: MystikMushroom


Oh of course...like something a la Burt Rutan and his gang of genius crazies.

a reply to: howmuch4another

Burt Rutan could come up with the next Oh my god airframe, build it cheap as hell, and no one would look twice at him, because he's pretty much universally loathed.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I want to see a flying USS Defiant. I wonder if he could get that shape to fly.

a reply to: Zaphod58

you know anyone still sporting mutton chops that isn't loathed?

a reply to: howmuch4another

Good point.