Skunkworks reveals secret UAV

GSA

Your link is the a wind tunnel model of the FISH.

Both pictues can be seen in James Goodall/ Jay Millers book LOCKHEDS SR-71 BALCKBIRD FAMILY. Printed in 2002 .

Originally posted by GSA
That so is a different aircraft to the one in the wind tunnel model

They look pretty identical to me!!



It sounds like Nick Cook (at least in this case) doesnt know what hes talking about.

Originally posted by intelgurl
That's just mean...

You're taking the fun out of guessing, wishing or sleuthing to find out more...

You tell him!

Speaking of fun.... I think the poster is this one... for all you Medeival Nuts out there... oh wait thats me

SABER WARRIOR


Taking Video Games to the next level... cool sound effects too.... and goes out with a BANG

DEEP INSIDE ENEMY TERRITORY


Lockheed doesn't ONLY make toy airplanes for the military to play with...


To Intelgurl

Please Identify the craft flying away at the end of the clip... I can't see it very well.. Talk about black ops!!! Oh and maybe you can tell me where I can buy one?


To ajsr71

Yeah go ahead just try and debunk THESE, uh huh thought so. They are listed under "assets". Don't need to be a rocket scientist or intelligence agent to figure that one out

[edit on 25-7-2006 by zorgon]

ZORGON

Why would I want to debunk it. There is a drawing Credited to Lockheed of the Sabre Warrior type aircraft design in a 1998 Air Forces X Planes Special magazine.
attacking an airfield.
There is no name to it , just says two 20 foot long low observable UCAV's strike and ememy airfield. It is an unmanned version but there is nothing to stop a mammed version controling say up to 4 unmanned aircarft.

I know when I was at Creech AFB in 2005 they had just tested 1 pilot controlling 4 Predators. So I woundnt think it would be a big step to move that manned aircraft controlling unmanned aircarft.

There is also on the following page a tri folding winged UCAV which could be lauched from a sub. Think this has been covered under another thread.


As this magazine is 8 years old I would be very surprised if they havent

[edit on 25-7-2006 by ajsr71]

Originally posted by ajsr71

Why would I want to debunk it.

Some people just don't know how to have fun

Would love to see some of these designs get to the hardware stage. And I would be very dissapointed if they havent


It been a long Hot tiring day Zorgon.

Originally posted by zorgon
To Intelgurl

Please Identify the craft flying away at the end of the clip... I can't see it very well..

The aircraft flying away at the end of the Lockheed 3D animation promo clip is the Lockheed morphing or "Z wing" UAV concept.
There is already a technology demonstrator on this concept craft, it has a 14 foot wingspan and has had a first flight - but this is just a tech demo and nothing more.
It is continuing to be developed...



^ photo above shows the same vehicle in different stages of "morphing".



^ photo above is a rare showing of the morphing technology demonstrator that first appeared "in the flesh"
at the 2005 Paris Air Show - photo courtesy of ATS member, Murcielago.


[edit on 7-25-2006 by intelgurl]

img134.imageshack.us...

small double image but wings folded and unfolded, showing the very unstealthy aspect of the single vertical tail!!! (Will they lose it for the final version IntelGurl?)


but as a concept...wowser what an idea! (Love the yellow !)



[edit on 25/7/06 by GSA]

Resembling the Boeing- and Northrop Grumman-built X-45/X-47 unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrators in overall pre-morphed configuration, the Lockheed Martin vehicle is designed to optimise its geometry to suit varying mission profiles. Taking off with wing extended to maximum span, the vehicle is designed to fold its wing inboard for higher speed low-level flight. Unlike swing-wing designs, the morphing concept involves tucking the inboard wing section up and flush with the fuselage. This results in a much larger reduction in wetted area, thereby significantly reducing drag.

"We get a 25% reduction in wetted area when we pull up the wings," says Lockheed Martin morphing aircraft programme manager Derek Bye. "We get an effective sweep change of 30û [measured at the 40% chord] when we fold the wings, even though the edges remain the same. When we unfold we get a 44% increase in maximum lift/drag ratio, and a 177% increase in effective span." In pre-flight test analysis the morphing design shows the potential for a "30-50% mission range increase over a typical hi-lo-lo-hi profile", adds Bye.

Displaying the second of two air vehicles at the Unmanned Systems North America convention in Los Angeles, Bye says the 2.75m (9ft) - span UAV represents a fifth-scale version of the full-scale morphing aircraft envisaged for possible service. Powered by a JetCatt P200 turbojet, the subscale version has a vertical tail that would be removed on the full-scale variant with the addition of a yaw-controlling thrust-vectoring system.

The company is mid-way through Phase II of the DARPA effort, which culminates with windtunnel tests at NASA Langley of a half-span model in June 2005. Phase III, if sanctioned, will cover development of a half-scale version for flight tests in the 2006-7 timeframe. A follow-on full-scale version would have a span of about 12.5m and require a 5,000lb-thrust (22.25kN) powerplant.

GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES


That answerd my tail question i guess1 The full version will lose the tail - very very nice indeedy

img459.imageshack.us...

Here is a big picture (Close up) of the morphing wing prototype with its wings extended.

and heres the wings folded

img146.imageshack.us...


If any mod / old hand could post them direct for people to see that would be ace! (And if any one could tell me how to post direct onto ATS I would appreciate it greatly!)

Oh and heres a computer generated short flight video of the tech in question - the morphing wings!

www.athenati.com...





[edit on 25/7/06 by GSA]

Originally posted by GSA
old hand could post them direct for people to see that would be ace! (And if any one could tell me how to post direct onto ATS I would appreciate it greatly!)

Well don't know about that "old hand" bit but here ya go

Posting 101....

Look right above the text box that you type your message in...

You will see a row of white boxes with little pictures in them...

H1 is headline

THIS IS A HEADLINE

EX is to post an external link, which you must use if you are quoting an outside source like you did above..

In a galaxy sar far away... Pegasus was created...

The planet is to add a link click on the icon and follow instruction
first box type in title second paste in url
effect is this Coolest Site on the Planet

Now you don't see the long url in your post

Next one is email and the B I U is text editer lets ignore those for now..

Little computer with artist pallet color. Click on it and paste url of a picture anywhere on the web. Result is like this;



Little computer with artist pallet black and white. Click on it and paste url of a picture anywhere on the web. This is for news pics. Result is like this;



Notice that the source url is on the bottom. If you have a pic uploaded here or to image shack or photo bucket and use that link the source will not appear below the picture.

I know this is all somewhere in the handbook but its not always easy to get it there. Hope this helps.

Oh and when you use any of those buttons the result will be at the bottom of the text box. You either want to add as you go or cut and past them later to look pretty. You can always edit the message if it doesn't look right..

I see in your signature you think photoshop is pricey? Get Paintshop Pro cheaper, easier to use for both amateur and pro, uses all PS filters and plugins and has the coolest clone brush... great for putting UFO's just about anywhere

[edit on 26-7-2006 by zorgon]

thank you very much for the posting tips, oh and your, errr, help about 'cloning' a ufo ??!!? (sorry, WAY over my head there, im still on paint...ROFL!)

But i will look into it because its an area that interests me, and having a nice new powerful pc (all shiny deep blue :cool means I can do more of that type of stuff...

Thanks again, : ) .

Originally posted by GSA
thank you very much for the posting tips, oh and your, errr, help about 'cloning' a ufo ??!!? (sorry, WAY over my head there, im still on paint...ROFL!)

Your welcome and if any one else needs that I can send them that post

Lockheed is doing more than building giant drones. The company is making itty-bitty, teeny-weeny UAVs, too. Darpa just gave Lockheed a $1.7 million, 10-month contract to build a drone "similar in size and shape to a maple tree seed."

how come no one has posted about that little tid bit of information?

www.defensetech.org...

Real, kids could just operate the systems, we could manufacture millions of these vehicles and we could deleope a system like World Of Warcraft to implement it.

well its pretty intelligent. Materials are cheap to produce, the entire craft is made with a PRINTER .... the entire thing is automated and doesnt need human control... its really the perfect weapon, mass produce hundreds of thousands of these...and fly at any country of your choice.

BTW i think i saw one of these things (polecat 1:5 scale in size) chasing me one night.

[edit on 21-1-2007 by hiii_98]

"build a drone "similar in size and shape to a maple tree seed."

do you guys really understand what they are saying here? You seem so much more impressed with the fact that planes can fly mach whatever, i think the statement above is far more impressive regarding future implications of any military force regarding espionage and I cant even think how many other things this might affect.

Originally posted by hiii_98
BTW i think i saw one of these things (polecat 1:5 scale in size) chasing me one night.

Really? Was that out at Area 51? I think its pretty obvious they must be flying UCAVs from there since thats the direction military aviation is heading in. I think the next plane to be revealed to have flown at Groom Lake will be a UCAV.

I agree with your post about small UAVs as well. Miniturisation is a big deal at the moment and once cameras can be developed with high enough resolution at small size and weight, UAVs are going to drop in size dramatically.

The Polecat UAV is a nice design. Good to see Lockheed steaching the edge of technology again. Finally, the legiondary Skunkworks is back!

No offence to Lockheed or it's people, but lately I've felt a bit disappointed in the Skunkworks. Skunkworks was like a dream factory for the aviation hobbiest. Back when Kelly Johnson ran things, they seemed to get bolder and more creative with ever stroke of the pencil, or click of the mouse. With planes like the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird, they redefined the reality of flight. Then suddenly, they lost their cutting edge genious!

I don't mean to put anyone down but the F-22 was a bit disappoingting for me. It seems like a plane anyone could build, not much more then a slightly modernized F-15! My problem with the whole ATF thing is that the USAF's State of the art fighter seems little more then an upgraded F-15, not much to show for all the years of R&D poured into it.

Polecat excites me! This is what I like to see from America's Best in Aerospace!

Now what Lockheed needs is a good over the top project to show off: Another Venturestar or a Blackbird spyplane.

Side Note: For those who think I'm a bit harsh on Lockheed sometimes, I'm sorry to come off that way. It was Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird that first sparked my Love of military aircraft. I can't help feeling a bit disappointed that they seem to have gone from designs like the Blackbird and the Sea Shadow to the F-22, which looks like an F-15 copycat. I really expected more from them for the ATF, it feels like they got the prize for a 1/2 hearted attempt.

Tim

Just to complete the information on Lockheed morphing-wing demonstrator, this is its competitor from NextGen Aeronautics: