some cool old drawings i found

Just some fantasy artwork of a fierce naval fighter of the future, really dig the organic machine concept...

Google Alex Brady Deviant art for more, he's got some cool stuff.

Coincidentally I was cleaning out some old photo albums of aircraft concepts (literally have 100s) and I stumbled upon these old flying wing pics. I must have found them on the net back in the day (not sure if genuine):

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a reply to: Bluto76

Holy crap that first one looks exactly like what I saw flying over my house.

a reply to: Bluto76

cool 'old' pics.

maybe if they are real it was the first iteration of the B2 before the double W addition or something a little more murky



if they are old they look really good, and i bet you could pass them off as the raider






and a cool idea

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

and a DEW/laser discharged at or from it

originally posted by: penroc3

a reply to: muzj03
I still have that very book. Lots of very spot on predictions by Gunston in it, especially concerning stealth. I must dig it out for a reread, its been many years. And you are right, lots of cool artwork in it. There is a great one of a high speed helicopter hybrid in it from memory.

originally posted by: Bluto76
Coincidentally I was cleaning out some old photo albums of aircraft concepts (literally have 100s) and I stumbled upon these old flying wing pics. I must have found them on the net back in the day (not sure if genuine):

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How old are those pictures ?

Neil took the picture of the Bristol 188 in 2007 although that is 50 years after it was designed it didn't actually fly until 1962.
The Satellite programs stole all the funds for these projects by the 70's.
These planes were kind of stupid fast anyways even with the expensive pilot ejection systems.

a reply to: mightmight

Around 10-15 years. Supposedly they were taken from a boat off of Diego Garcia - but who knows. I think the idea was that it was the QUARTZ/AARS. It looks like a B-2 or B-21 demonstrator to me.

Some other odds and ends in the collection...

Unknown flying wing:
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General Dynamics Sneaky Pete type stuff:
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Doritos
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Diamonds/F-121 type stuff:
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Rascals
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F-19 Type Things
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British Aerospace Manta Ray
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Pointy Thing Hanging on Lockheed's Wall
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Spatula Nosed Wave Riders
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Miscellaneous Northrop Junk:
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originally posted by: Bluto76
a reply to: mightmight

Around 10-15 years. Supposedly they were taken from a boat off of Diego Garcia - but who knows. I think the idea was that it was the QUARTZ/AARS. It looks like a B-2 or B-21 demonstrator to me.

yep
It matches the orginial Northrop ATB config to a T.

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a reply to: Bluto76
Damn...Just damn they look cool.Thank you.

a reply to: Bluto76

it could be the 180, that seems like the only thing that shape that would be active around that time

a reply to: Bluto76

Awesome collection!! Especially the first ones posted! What is the story on the static mock-up f-19 thingy at what looks like a defense industry convention? I guess it could have been a model airplane convention that Testors went all out for haha. Are model airplane conventions a thing?

a reply to: Jacksonsman1

you would be surprised at some of the cool things that are built tested flown(maybe even operationally) then with very little fanfare get chopped up and buried in the sand.


the 'loser' of the recent B-21 fly off was a better/cooler aircraft and actually flew and was seen but the story that i read was that it was to much money and radical. I am a huge fan of the F-35 but that being said i think there are people in the government still had a bad taste in there mouth(or wallet) from that program.

the reason i have that theory the B21 were getting is being advertised as built with existing tech and is modular. and the people incharge of the raider seem to be doing a good job with speed and procurement.


The B2 was originally going to have the shape seen ion the first few photos here but the AF wanted it to be nimble at lower altitudes and the B2 planform changed at the cost of billions.

I PERSONALLY think if the photos are real(i think they are) it is either the 180, a pre double W 'B2' or maybe even a stealthy troop transport(wild theory).

originally posted by: penroc3
a reply to: Bluto76

it could be the 180, that seems like the only thing that shape that would be active around that time

I dont think the UAV the commonly associated with the RQ-180 desgination is that old.
I also think there most definitely was an black ISR UAV in that timeframe, but i bet it has a planform more suited for is operating environment...

originally posted by: Jacksonsman1
a reply to: Bluto76
What is the story on the static mock-up f-19 thingy at what looks like a defense industry convention?

Las Vegas Air Force Convention 1986 Northrop/Loral early ATF proposal
At least thats the official story.

a reply to: mightmight

i have a nagging feeling they're not that old.


if these pics are 10 years old and snapped by some fishermen you know they aren't sporting the best EOS CAnnons with pro level telephotos.

at best they had a flip phone or MAYBE an iphone.


the pics are pretty clear for being ten year old digital photos.



there is a persistent rumor of an operational stealth troop transport.

a reply to: penroc3
well if it was off of DG the aircraft might have been pretty low

Don't think a stealth transport would have this particular planform.

Another possibility could have been the NGB Demonstrator pre LRSB.
And there is also this:

There are some interesting details in the photos of the wing. First, I think it’s a series where the jet is turning to final (so they are kind of in reverse order). Second, the hazy sky and cumulus clouds are pretty consistent with the alleged tropical location and not so common skies in the desert southwest (could be UK, but definitely looks maritime). Finally, the first photo to me makes it look like it has a single exhaust pan (unlike the B-2’s two), leading me to believe it’s either a single-engine or two smaller engines on center line design. The cockpit bulge also looks more prominent, making me think it’s either the intake (unmanned) or maybe even a single seater with a more traditional cockpit and an overall smaller bird. One other tidbit: I have seen another photo of (I assume) this bird from below with a black T-38 in chase. The wingspan is about 3ish times the length of the T-38, so I’m guessing a wingspan around 130 feet (so kind of a 3/4ths scale B-2). I deleted that photo and never shared it because I didn’t trust in the, shall we say morality of its provenance. There are a few members on here who have it. It is very similar (almost identical) to one of Northrop’s early B-2 designs (see below):

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I’d say it’s the same design as the artwork. It’s possible the pics are older or more recent than I think they are. One WAG as to why the alleged B-2 demonstrator might remain undisclosed is that maybe Northrop used it as the basis for a manned or unmanned reconnaissance plane. Or, maybe the B-2 was based upon this earlier effort. At any rate, the pics were supposedly of the QUARTZ. QUARTZ component of the AARS was a very big superstealth autonomous ISR UAV, designed to search large Soviet territory for the mobile ICBMs and direct the B-2 attack force to them. If they are more recent, I’d go with either a B-21 demonstrator or a classified UCAV as the likely culprits. It looks big enough to have a payload.

Another interesting image I have was supposedly taken from a mural of projects at a defense contractor’s office:

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A lot of the fast-mover sightings down low report a sort of blended, grey, mini-space shuttle design. This thing looks just the right combination of cool, clumsy, and cobbled together to be a propulsion demonstrator. Notice the two types of engines for low speed and high speed flight.

Next I’ll have to bust out my stealth, semirigid airship collection.

a reply to: Bluto76

Thank you for sharing your collection with us, Bluto76.

The flying wing pics are really interesting. It doesn't look like anything publicly acknowledged. My bet is that the thing was(is) manned.
Well, below I'll provide something what seems neat as well...


Seems chase plane is just T-38 so it gives a lot of room for speculation about the size of unknown bird. I have that photo for about 5 years now, so it may not be LRS-B demonstrator but some kind of proof-of-concept vehicle.

Steve Douglass published an interesting article titled "A plea from Area 51" on his website some years ago: deepbluehorizon.blogspot.com...

Article says the plane was retired and made last final flight. The words used in aforementioned article suggest it was something subsonic and created to loiter over area. Would stick with the flying wing from the photos you've provided.