Can anyone compete with The Skunk Works?

Lockheeds Skunk Works is perhaps the most inovative and progresive military aircraft designer in the world. It seems that when the US wants a new latest and greatest toy, the first call they make goes here. I would like to know if they have any rivals, domestic or not. The only one I know of really is Boeing Phantom works, but even they don't have the credentials of Lockheeds skunkworks. The Skunk Works has developed such aircraft as the mach 3+ SR-71 blackbird and the first stealth aircraft, the F-117. Their current most high profile aircraft, the F/A-22 Raptor, is almost universally regarded as the most advanced air dominance aircraft in the world, and combines supercruise, stealth, and advanced avionics.

So can someone out there give me the name of any teams that work on such advanced stuff? Even stuff on the Phantom Works would be apreciated as I can't find too many things they have been involved with.

Lockheed and Skunk Works have not always been together mind you.

Also Lockheed owns Martin too. You know that Lockheed and Martin and Skunk Works do not always come out on top.

I'm sure there are more... and for that matter are some possibly secret manufacturers.

But think about it... we have more than just Lockheed and Skunk Works planes.

Also the SR-71 went more like Mach 5 to be exact. Altitudes were basically doubled and it flew in the 1950's. There are somethings with the Blackbird that still haven't been found.

After looking on google, i found some interesting stuff but nothing that has to do with the "teams" i suggest you purchase this book maybe it will answer your question, ill keep searching and update you if i get something of your intrest.

www.amazon.com...=sib_dp_pt/104-2151387-8568716#reader-link

Boeing’s Phantom Works would probably be the closest competitor to Skunk Works.

Yes, of course I am aware that they are not the only manufacturer and that there is a reason it is called Lockheed-MARTIN.

My point was to illustrate that they seem to get a a high percentage of the cutting edge "black" projects. I was Interested as to why that is, or if it is even the case. But it seems to me that that is where the military turns to to get most of their advanced aircraft.

As for the SR-71 being a Mach 5 aircrat and having double the altitude, I would like to know how you know this, because it seems to me that it would make the idea of the Aurora stupid, as the SR-71 would be hypersonic and fulfill it's requirement.

Ah good question... and it deserves a good answer

So I will give... if you can wait for me to get my other computer back online... I will give you some links... and you are absolutely right... that the Aurora wouldn't make any sense after this, but there is more... I will fill you in when my other computer comes back online.

i build alot of parts for the airospace industy but lookeed
has some of the most technical stuff!!

Skunk works was found by Kelly Johnson of Lockheed when he was head their 'advanced development group' or some similar euphanism the first aircraft (reputably) developed was the U-2 spyplane

Can't remember what the Northrop equvilant is called, can anyone provide the answer?

[Edited on 2-4-2004 by Popeye]

I might say Boeings phantom works.
Its working next to the plant of LockheedMartin.

www.boeing.com...

i think the sweedish company that made the JAS 39 Gripen would have to be a great rival
that thing is greeat aircraft and is really clever with its radar

I believe you are thinking of SAAB, and not all the way but, to a certain extent they are.

THere was such a facility in Germany hidden from all including the USA for almost 10 years. In that time they worked on stealth and developed a supersonic stealth jet fighter that reportedly used alot of the same design techniques the F-117 used. Infact I gather US engineers paniced when they saw it in 1987 cause the design was more advanced than F-117[ which had been operational since the early 80s].

But the German design was at the prototype stage as the cold war ended thus the bottom fell out of the project. I gather the research continues to this day and is being called on the develope a stealth fighter bomber for the UK/Germans in 10 years or so to replace the Tornado strike jet.

Correspondingly the UK is also building such a facility to further develope stealth technolgy.

[Edited on 2-4-2004 by psteel]

Northrop has the "Tejon Ranch" facility near the Tehachapi Mountains north of Lancaster, California.

Boeing also has a secretive research facility often referred to as the Llano Facility located at the closed Gray Butte Airport in Llano, California.

... don't forget Lockheed's Hellendale facility...



www.abovetopsecret.com...

I of all people forgot about all those details.

Time for me to hit the books again.

thanks for the comments people




Was this east or west Germany? Also do you have a link or anything on this aircraft? I'd like to check it out.

This is a highly inaccurate estimation. The airframe of this aircraft would be totally incapable, practically and technically, of withstanding the stresses of hypersonic travel at such an altitude.

While the SR-71 is still in my opinion one of the most amazing aerospace achievements man has created, it is not capable of the performance you have stated... but it no doubt led to the research of such demonstrators.

Anyone with any common knowledge of black world aerospace technology (not the conspiracy mumbo-jumbo but known fact) will be aware that stealth technology has been around since the 70s. Hypersonic manned flight was achieve back in the late 50s... just makes you wonder half a century later what the U.S. black world is flying out there.

Forget aliens, those flying saucers are demonstrating our technological level now!

hmmm... I missed something... thank you for correcting me. I forgot the SR-71 did not use any of the super-heavy elements like 115 ununpentium. I stand corrected.

[Edited on 2-4-2004 by Shugo]

Super heavy elements and theoretical chemistry has nothing to do with the matter, especially after the recent successful "white world" testing of NASA's X-45 testbed we know that the scientific world has demonstrated hypersonic travel is possible without resorting to alien-related chemical elements. Now just imagine what DARPA and Area 51 have been working on for the past 30 years.

Most people still regard the B-2 as the world's most expensive, most advanced aircraft....

hmmm... very much so true.

I appologies I haven't been in the books lately.