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Originally posted by longbow
But blimps as spy platforms suck, sorry guys. You need a HUGE blimp to go higher than 10 000 meters. Such beast is very visible, it's no problem to shoot it down. And you cannot make it optically invisible because such stalth skin weights too much. Of course over friendly (or conquered) territory blimps rock. They're cheap and can stay in air for a lot of time. They would be great to guard US-Mexico border for example. Just add high resolution cameras and powerfull IR detectors amd NO ONE will cross the border illegally.
Dr. Rashid Zeineh (a.k.a. Dr. Z) how much weight STS would add to an iRobot PackBot UGV (Unmmaned Ground Vehicle)/Robot or Foster-Miller Weaponized Talon Robot/SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System) UGV, he replied " Less than 2 lbs. That's as specific as I want to be."
Originally posted by Darkpr0
I have to admit that just reading the title of this thread makes me chuckle. "Stealth Blimp" seems like such an oxymoron. It's huge, slow, and painfully easy to smite with a SAM. The exact opposite of modern-day fighter planes to which we are accustomed.
Nothing like a blast from the past, eh?
Originally posted by el cid
i was always of the opinion that the source of the phoenix lights could have been a variation of this type of craft...if it was of terrestrial origin at all....
Originally posted by ShadowXIX
There isn't that much information on the stuff but we do have evidence it is shockingly lightweight.
Originally posted by Darkpr0
Originally posted by ShadowXIX
There isn't that much information on the stuff but we do have evidence it is shockingly lightweight.
Also once OLED screens become widely available not only can the blimp skins be clear but they can give images too. Come to think of this that would be absolutely fabulous to try out on a B-2 Spirit if they could make a big enough OLED screen....INVISIBLE BOMBER O' DEATH!
Sorry, I'm rambling.
Originally posted by sardion2000
Does it both transmit and recieve? That would be the most useful for an application like this.
Originally posted by Xenophobe
Voila! A simple optical camoflage system, using 10+ year old technology, that would render the aircraft nearly invisble from below.
Originally posted by ShadowXIX
If I remember correctly it was a massive V shaped craft that was completely silent and could hover. I dont remember any reports of it moving at insane speeds. The biggest shocker to most people was its massive size I think.
Originally posted by gfad
If its so simple and can be done with 10+ year old tech then why hasn't it been done? Why isn't it a feature on the bird of prey or any tech demonstrator or active aircraft? It sure would be alot easier to hide a plane this way than a blimp, surely! I spose it could have gone black but i'm not convinced this is as easy as everyone makes out.
Modern advances in active camouflage began with the US Air Force who placed blue lights on aircraft in preparation for night missions. A typical plane looks like a black shape against the sky, which is not perfectly black but a shade of blue: dim blue lights attempt to blend the shape of aircraft against the background of the sky. The Boeing Bird of Prey, developed as an internal project by Boeing from 1992, is rumoured to have taken active camouflage a step further in addition to its low RCS although no further details on the specific technology used are known.
Originally posted by Xenophobe
The above quote comes from this source: photonswarm.com...
Originally posted by gfad
I've never heard of fitting the AF plane with blue LEDs before though. I'd like to see a source beore I believeit completely but depending on when this was it could give na insight into AF active stealth research, it could also just be a rumour too though.
Originally posted by el cid
although why they would test it over a heavily-populated city is beyond me.