Another California sighting

a reply to: Zaphod58

One 8 oh

a reply to: Blackfinger

Not necessarily it wouldn't. Some tests are flown without one, or they may have been on the ground already.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Did you notice any intake RF Covers? Exhaust ? Sound (probably none)

a reply to: penroc3

It was still dark. The sky hadn't even lightened yet. As for noise, I was in my truck, windows up, and an audiobook playing. It would have had to go directly over me at lower altitude than it was at to hear anything.

My money is on that bigger RQ. Would be pretty funny if the LRS-B was already flying.

a reply to: Theprimevoyager

They flew both bombers as proof of concept demonstrators several years ago. They're doing risk reduction work with the Northrop aircraft now.

Risk reduction. I love that.

a reply to: Theprimevoyager

It reduces a hell of a lot of risk of overrun if you integrate as much as you can before your prototype even flies.

Remember the Texas sighting for sure there is some prototype flying out there , bomber or something else Zaph you are very Lucky , what is your feeling about your sighting , an awesome craft or not ?

a reply to: Theprimevoyager

Oh absolutely. They've got two copies if I'm not mistaken. One that flies and one that serves as a cadaver for the engineers. They rebuild it on a weekly basis. A lot of what's going on right now is cost reduction and ensuring efficiency once it hits the line. The final design is basically unchanged but the internals are evolving on a weekly basis and much of that needs to be flown before it's set in stone.

Now would absolute be a good time to camp out in Palmdale and/or Rosamond.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Now you're saying they flew both bombers (or something close to them) instead of dedicated demonstrator aircraft. Interesting.

Does that mean Amarillo was Lockheed's demosntrator? (Since it looks nothing like the Raider rendering)

a reply to: aholic

I'm guessing that they're laser-sintering and 3-D printing new part revisions on the fly then?

Modern rapid prototyping is getting into Star Trek territory, I can only imagine what it is doing for rapid risk reduction-type processes.

a reply to: Barnalby

The demonstrators are EMD versions of the final airframe. They have to be so they can prove the airframe works with all the technology included. It doesn't do you any good to do risk reduction if you're putting the new technology onto say a Bird of Prey or something totally unrelated to the final design of the aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So Amarillo wasn't the Northrop bird, then?

Or was Wichita the Northrop B-21 demonstrator while Amarillo was something else?

Why do I get the feeling we are about to have some cool stuff see the light of day?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
This one was my sighting. We were running CA58 past Edwards early this morning, about an hour or so before sunrise. As we got to Boron, I noticed a landing light approaching Edwards.

As it got close to crossing over 58, it turned Southeast, towards where we were at the time. It was too dark to get a good look at the fuselage, but the lights gave a few things away. From the wingtip lights, it was larger than a fighter, but smaller than a B-2. The top red power light gave evidence to a fairly distinctive curve to the fuselage. There appeared to be a dim white strobe on top of the fuselage, as well as two brighter strobes on the wingtips. Interestingly, the red power light on the bottom was offset well over towards the left wing.

It headed in a fairly straight line and after a minute or so I couldn't turn back to look over my shoulder far enough to see it anymore.

Speed estimate? Wing design?

a reply to: Tempter

Slow. Like I said, he looked like he was coming in to land, so he was flying pattern speed.

Couldn't tell a lot of detail about the wing design. I could tell a little detail about the fuselage but not a lot.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Tempter

Slow. Like I said, he looked like he was coming in to land, so he was flying pattern speed.

Couldn't tell a lot of detail about the wing design. I could tell a little detail about the fuselage but not a lot.

That doesn't help to put a reference in my head at all! Compare it to something.

a reply to: Tempter

There isn't a lot to compare it TO. All aircraft fly about the same speed at landing. It's smaller than a B-2, so there's that. Beyond that there isn't a lot of detail to give. It was 5am when I saw it.

originally posted by: Barnalby
a reply to: Zaphod58

So Amarillo wasn't the Northrop bird, then?

Or was Wichita the Northrop B-21 demonstrator while Amarillo was something else?

Good questions.
Speculations at the time were that one of them was about to go grey.

That was nearly 3 years ago.

originally posted by: nelloh62
a reply to: Zaphod58

Hey, I just thought on. You ATS guys who live around Edwards area get out there with your decent camera.

You think this would be based at Edwards or they are testing it out of Edwards?

I could as a few people I know there, unless it is from North Base...