SR-72 Confirmed: Mach 6 Project Blackswift

reply to post by bios

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Right which is why I sorta went on to say. But I don't know where exactly I was going with the original sentence.

Intelgurl back yet?

Just popping in to get this back on my list

Not yet, she was supposed to be back Aug 8th but they kicked her back to sometime in September.

No problem Work before ATS Just checked as she had said the V work for August September is when I get heavy again...

Here is a link about further experiments regarding hypersonic flight which are related to the SR-71's replacement!



Is there already an SR-72 protype operating within our skies though... remains a mystery.

UPDATE!

Could congress be saying no to the hypersonic marvel?

Or was this staged so we'd think the project was dead!

article

This is the way projects go "black"; the program is cancelled after a surreptitious spinoff and that's what happened here.

It's all smoke and mirrors - slight of hand, the decoy gets cancelled, the real one goes deep black.
The real Blackswift went into an Special Access Program (SAP) right before Darpa put the Blackswift up on the bidding block.
That was in March of this year (2008).

The difference between the real one, now a "black" project and the "official" one or "white" project is:

"White" or Official version
Powerplant: pulse/scramjet hybrid (unproven, intentionally a ridiculous endeavor)
Airframe: HTV-3 research platform
Development location: Skunkworks, Langley & WPAFB
1st flight: 2012 or maybe never...
Speed: M8 +

"Black" version, now an SAP
Powerplant: turbo/ramjet hybrid (a la - the SR-71's P&W J-58, been there, done that)
Airframe: HTV-3X Rcce & Strike platform
Development location: Groom Lake, WPAFB
1st flight 2009-10
Speed: M6



You don't have to believe me or my sources, but mark my words and remember them for later, this thing is real and totally funded.




[edit on 9-17-2008 by intelgurl]

That is a kickarse jet. However, IMO, that isn't the Aurora project at all. This thing is engineered for high altitude EXTREME speed flight. A "fighter version" seems ridiculous to me. This is a recon jet. And it really isn't any different than the 71 as far as known altitude is concerned. Not TOO much different on the speed, either.

Eh, this is a teaser. The real stuff is still locked up tight. Badas$ project, though.

On the note of hypersonic flight in general, the FA-22 has that department on lockdown. The top speed is classified but it is the one and only, as of yet, hypersonic CRUISER. This is, like I said, just a teaser. They are just now revamping their line and making it public. This has been in the works for awhile.

[edit on 17-9-2008 by Jay-in-AR]

Ermmm I don't think this thread was ever heading in the direction of being anything to do with the Aurora myth? And please don't drag it that way. As usual Intelgurl is providing us with great info and analytical comments on public domain information cheers Intelgurl, good to have you back by the way!

And I'd hardly say that M6 compared to M3.2 is "not too much different" well it's kinda double the speed! To put it into perspective, imagine a Blackbird flying past at max speed whilst you sit at your desk, imagine what that would look like. Now imagine sitting in the cockpit of a blackbird travelling at M3 and being overtaken by a Blackswift at max speed, effectively the same thing......awesome! Or imagine travelling from London to New York in one hour!!

Cheers

Robbie

Are you sure Blacksift is going to black world?
The shape of the Black world Blackswift is the first we saw last year or the second shape we see last months?

If the SR-72 is a Mach 6 UCVA, then what was picked up by US weather satellites leaving Groom Lake? It traveled across the US, across the Atlantic, across Russia and into China at Mach 10.

I have heard about that incident but was unable to find any links. As I understand it Russia actually filed a complaint through the US Embassy in Moscow regarding the incident.

The US claimed ignorance, sometimes I wonder if the people of ATS are more savvy than global politicians...

[edit on 9-20-2008 by intelgurl]

Intelgurl,

Any information on the LO characteristics of the SR-72? It appears from some of the rough photgraphs and wind tunnel models that this little jewel is highly stealth (which makes sense, of course). My interest is piqued by the type of stealth material that they are covering it with. I read somewhere where the 71 reached temperatures of 1000 F or higher along the leading edges.



I'm not completely sure what the critical failure temp on the radar-absorbant material is.... but I read (again somewhere.. sorry I can't be more helpful nor can I find a link) that that material's critical temp is around 1200 F.

I also wonder about the flex strength of the RAM during high speed ops. We know that the SR-71 flexed a great deal as it heated up (due to its titanium structure). Is there anything you can tell us about this?

Sorry, I know these are somewhat technical questions.. and maybe classified, but a sense of how they overcame these problems might give us an idea of how capable the aircraft actually is.

Here you go. The contrail picture is at 1:15 (in my hypersonic thread I even found the company that has an engine that makes this very specific contrail) and Nick Cook has the satellite image on a screen at 1:40.

YouTube Link

[edit on 21-9-2008 by Dan Tanna]

That's an interesting little picture in that video. Is that Nick Cook himself per chance?

I think for them to keep referring to what would seem to be a conglomerate of projects as "Aurora" is wrong, but I suppose it's the best way to get the message out to the uninformed.

Cool photo though, as I said. If it is actually a contrail it must be wide as hell to show up like that. Seems too long and consistent to be natural but I'm not an expert.

reply to post by intelgurl

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Haha probably true...

I'm no military genius... but I would guess they would develop a successor to the SR-71.

Because... bottom line...

A) The SR-71 performed well while in service.
B) There is still a need for such a machine.

Thanks for the update intelgurl!

Do you think there is a link with x-51A and Blackswift? What is the shape of th Blackswift in black programm?