Attention Aero and Aviation buffs. Can you identify this?, page 1

Being an Air Force brat, I sorta take pride in keeping up with our different types of aircraft but this one has me stumped.

I'll see this rig 2-3 times a year always heading east, never west, on Hwy 70 between Ruidoso and Roswell New Mexico. Holloman AFB and White Sands Missle Range are just due west of here.

To me it looks like some sort of high altitude release pod. Note the twin jet ports. The other ones I've seen seemed to have a distinct nose on them but maybe not since all I was able to get was a quick glimpse traveling in the opposite direction.

Can one of you all figure this out and let me know?

media.abovetopsecret.com...&action=view&id=31513

media.abovetopsecret.com...&action=view&id=31510

media.abovetopsecret.com...&action=view&id=31507

reply to post by Vendric

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Could be an f-18, hard to tell with the tarps on it what the shape of the underbelly looks like.


Edited to add the pic

[edit on 16/7/09 by elarmstrongo]

Looks like the main fuselage of an F/18-E to me.

Two engines, twin vertical stabilizers and the angles appear to be right.

If you look at the top of the vertical stabilizers you can see the covering sits out a bit farther, which matches up to the extensions at the top of the F/18E stabilizers.




Source:
www.xs4all.nl...

[edit on 16-7-2009 by stealthyone]

That's an interesting one... The tail kind of resembles a Hornet, but that's about where the resemblance ends.

I was sort of thinking Tacit Blue, but the Have Blue mockup looks a bit closer to me...

sitelife.aviationweek.com...

Perhaps a variant on that program? I would say unmanned for sure though.

Also, remember that the tarp could also disguise the actual shape of the item underneath... Think how Detroit always hides their new bodywork under louvres and tarps in road test spy pics...

Good find! I'm sure some DARPA guy out there reading this is kind of peeved...

Update,

Here are two F/18 assembly line photos, looks just about identical to what you have pictured, and the size appears right.







Edited to add second picture..

[edit on 16-7-2009 by stealthyone]

[edit on 16-7-2009 by stealthyone]

reply to post by Skinon

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YEAP! Thats what i thought myself... New version?

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