originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Zaphod58
If anyone here is believable it's you. If you say engine advancement has exceeded my perceptions of the technology by vast amounts then I believe
you. I saw something travel very very fast and quiet. Didn't seem to be using jet engines or making contact with the actual air molecules (the whole
dead quiet not even tearing through the air part, moving almost as gracefully as a search light)
You don't know from far off if it's making "contact with actual air molecules".
Zaphod believes (I think he is well informed) about new engine technology. I don't know what that is, but there is other technology that's been
developed for a while which could be relevant as well, in particular plasma discharge devices. The theory and basic experimentation is unclassified
and you can find reports in the literature though of course the application to any particular platform is not disclosed.
These "dielectric barrier discharge" pads are activated by high-voltage asymmetrical AC signals and create faintly glowing plasma on various surfaces
and, with electrostatic forces, help push air next to the skin of the craft.
This can reduce drag forces by effectively making the skin feel very "slippery" to onrushing air, and in some cases, with cleverness also be
effectively "control surfaces", like flaps or ailerons but with no moving parts or mechanical disruption to the flow.
Combine this with Zaphod's improved engine tech, the intrinsically low-drag of a flying triangle and you could get something quite zippy.
Now as far as the sound---just because you don't hear it from the ground doesn't mean that it's not emitting sound. There are other directions the
sound could go, for instance, up.
For instance, if one were in fact making a stealthy reconnaissance or ground attack aircraft, then not being able to hear it also adds to the mission
capabilities, so if such a thing were to be a design goal then perhaps it can be achieved.
For instance, the Predator Avenger had an announcement today. There is a "S-shaped" exhaust duct for the turbofan embedded inside the body,
supposedly to reduce radar signature (as the steel blades of a non-hidden turbojet/fan are quite visible to radar). This may also have a secondary
function of being a muffler for acoustic output. And this is a fairly inexpensive platform.
So all in all, I don't think it's out of what's possible using advanced aeronautics today.
Southern California is a major testing area for aircraft, as there are many manufacturers and military air bases near by, as well as the Navy
installation on San Nicholas Island.
Coming in over Malibu (from e.g. Edwards) to San Nicholas, thereby avoiding heavy traffic into LAX) seems like a pretty typical profile.
en.wikipedia.org...
There are ways I could theoretically think this is possible using known modern technologies. And if those new technologies are responsible for what I
saw then DAMN!!!! Obama wasn't bluffing when he said the US is much more advanced then the rest of the world.
I'd like to think there's warp drive & anti-gravity back in the Top Men's warehouses, but I'm not convinced.
I think there could be a A-10 successor. USAF is pretty adamant about retiring them (I think they should be sold cheap to the eastern business end of
NATO), and claim the role will be taken over by the F-35 which seems laughable.
edit on 7-5-2014 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)
edit on 7-5-2014 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)