Whats in Radar Absorbent Material??

I know that the B-2 has RAM on it and I'm just going to get to the point and ask this question. Does anybody know what type of chemicals are put in the RAM on these aircraft ?

Im not absolutly sure about this, but I believe that the RAP (Radar Absorbing Paint) has tiny geometric ceramic balls in it. The geometric balls reflect the radar in a dispersion pattern and knocks the signal way down to about half of what it was. The ceramic balls look like little soccer balls that have flat surfaces on each face, instead of being round.

So like is that one of the main reasons why at places like airshows, they have the guards and the guard rope around the F-117 ? Im guessing they would be afraid that some "spys" would scrape paint off or something like that. My first guess was people climbing up on the wing to look into the cockpit..but the RAP might be the main cause. Something I am going to find out sooner or later.

I dont think anyone on here will know for sure, because isnt the formula for the paint confidential?

I thought it had a bunch of tiny sponges in it. ( if you think I am serious, you need help... )

Heh, the French tried to steal some of the paint one day, they were on a tour of the stealth factory and came to the paint tins. Then their ties "accidently" fell in. All of them.

So the Yanks said "We have a tradition here, we swap ties!" So the French were forced to give it up

Turns out the ties had sponges sown inside them.

Edit: sheesh.



[edit on 2-2-2005 by intrepid]

Originally posted by _BLiND_
I dont think anyone on here will know for sure, because isnt the formula for the paint confidential?

I thought it had a bunch of tiny sponges in it. ( if you think I am serious, you need help...

)

I have actually seen the RAP. I know there are small geometric balls in it, but I am guessing on the ceramic part. Me and three of my friends joined the Navy at the same time, and one of them was stationed out at Miramare. Something alot of people dont realize is the military uses this paint on nearly every craft of war now. It doenst matter if it is designed for stealth or not, they still slap the paint on it.

I can see why they would slap it on every war bound craft. I mean even if the craft isn't designed to be stealthy, the paint would help at least.

Originally posted by _BLiND_
I can see why they would slap it on every war bound craft. I mean even if the craft isn't designed to be stealthy, the paint would help at least.

And it comes in some very fashionable colors too! Battleship gray, Tank cammo, and stealth black I cant tell you what they put it on, but you can see what the fashions are

The basic ingredent of RAM is very similar to the emulsion that was on cassett tapes..........

Yeah I can agree with RAM being slapped on every aircraft, but what use is it going to have on a craft like a C-5? Plus arent they sent up with escorts sometimes? I really dont know the secrets behind the C-5 but I know there are some. In the cockpit I know there is something secret. How?, I was at an airshow one time and I asked the pilot if he would let me into the cockpit, his reply: "sorry son, there are just some things up there the world isnt ready to see yet". And so I left.

hahaha confuse the enemy, paint a stealth aircraft battle ship grey. and a battle ship tank cammo.

Wouldn't work but its funny to me haha

I think the next generation radar absorbant paint/coverage might come from rotaxanes and catenanes, where an interlocked "chainmail" grid will convert radarenergy into mechanical energyvibration of the individual chains.

www.chem.ed.ac.uk...

Originally posted by creamsoda
In the cockpit I know there is something secret. How?, I was at an airshow one time and I asked the pilot if he would let me into the cockpit, his reply: "sorry son, there are just some things up there the world isnt ready to see yet". And so I left.

We have a huge airshow here in Louisville every year around Derby time. The only aircraft I have not been able to check out cockpits on are the F117 and the B2 bomber. Everything else is wide open. Even the B1b bomber was open to the public. You should come here to check out the airshow of all airshows.

Originally posted by creamsoda
Yeah I can agree with RAM being slapped on every aircraft, but what use is it going to have on a craft like a C-5? Plus arent they sent up with escorts sometimes? I really dont know the secrets behind the C-5 but I know there are some. In the cockpit I know there is something secret. How?, I was at an airshow one time and I asked the pilot if he would let me into the cockpit, his reply: "sorry son, there are just some things up there the world isnt ready to see yet". And so I left.

The C-5 Galaxy? Like seriously? Back in 2002 at the RIAT at Fairford, UK they had a C-5 on static display, and if you asked the crew they would take you in and show you around. All of it. Including the flight deck (I had the fortune of being on the flight deck when they dropped the nose down, boy was that cool).

Dont see whats so secretive about it....

I dont really see whats secret about it either, it was at a static show, but he still wouldnt let me in. Now I think it was last year that I did fortunatly get to go in the cockpit and gosh what a bunch of simple flight controls for such a big aircraft. But maybe they did have something secret up there. It still puzzles me to find out what it was.

Originally posted by creamsoda
So like is that one of the main reasons why at places like airshows, they have the guards and the guard rope around the F-117 ? Im guessing they would be afraid that some "spys" would scrape paint off or something like that. My first guess was people climbing up on the wing to look into the cockpit..but the RAP might be the main cause. Something I am going to find out sooner or later.

That and the fact that the RAM and aircraft shape are EXTREMELY sensitive. When constructing B-2s, they stick on special mats to walk on so the stealth is preserved.

Originally posted by creamsoda
I dont really see whats secret about it either, it was at a static show, but he still wouldnt let me in. Now I think it was last year that I did fortunatly get to go in the cockpit and gosh what a bunch of simple flight controls for such a big aircraft. But maybe they did have something secret up there. It still puzzles me to find out what it was.

Most likely the secret bits are related to sattelite communications equipment. From them you can determine fequencies, etc.. Most of the time at airshows they are powered off, and any thing that is still classified have small inconspicuous covers over them.

There is a bunch of classified stuff in the B-2 and F117 cockpit (more in the B-2), and the EWO (electronic warfare officer) positions on the B-1 and B-52 are also loaded with claissified stuff. Most of it can be easily concealed when the plane is nto operating though.

During the build up to the first gulf war I did some work on the F3 Tornado's which were to be deployed out to Saudi and they were modified by all the leading edges being painted with what we called iron ball paint.

This stuff came in 5 liter tins and it took two poeple to carry it! Now with this paint and a few other bits of ram situated in certain areas and a lot of rubber tiles stuck down the intakes enabled the frontal RCS of the F3 to be reduced to that of a hawk (which due to its small size and shape has quite a small RCS for a non- stealth A/C)!!!!

The paint by the way was very rough when applied, almost like sandpaper!


SV out!!!

Wow that it awesome, so its really simple then eh ? Do you think you can provide us with more details on that ? If you cant then that is fine, I understand. But thats awesome! Finally something thats really a secret !

Stealth goes deeper then just the paint and there is more facets to stealth besides just radar cross section.

Ill tell you on thing you could easily cut your self on some of the edges of the B-2