SnowBird: Experimental Stealth Aircraft

SNOWBIRD IS THIS AN EXPERIMENTAL STEALTH AIRCRAFT? Credit To BlackVault.com and Tom McClure A military officer approached a man at a UFO convention who was holding some photographs and said, "How did you get a picture of the Snowbird Aircraft?" They did not know each other, nor did the man with the pictures speak about the pictures and what they were. This man who approached the other worked on the Snowbird aircraft. I have no other information of this aircraft or even if it truely exists, but nonetheless, it is quite interesting. Theory Of The Snowbird by Tom McClure Here are some facts about the picture(s) which allegedly are from Project Snowbird. After examining the photos and using a basic photogrammetry formula, I have determined the following dimensions, approximate to within +/- 1 foot. The pole or stand in the center of the diamond shaped platform is 18 feet tall, and slants towards the main body of the runway at an angle of roughly 18 degrees. The object being lifted on or off the tower by the crane is 15.5 feet long, 12 feet across, and 5 feet tall/deep. If it has any means of thrust common to our technology, it is obviously hidden by the upper portion of the rear fuselage. If it is indeed designed to carry a passenger then it represents technology that is perhaps two-three decades beyond our current levels (the thrust equipment or engines would require greater miniaturization than is presently known and available). The body is highly reminiscent of the Stealth design, which may indicate that it is a prototype or "shell" model of a remotely piloted spy-drone. There are certainly tests being done in this area...it's not improbable that this is an advanced example. For those who wish to critique the dimensions I have given, I submit to you the formula used: ro/s = x/ms Solve for x. ro=reference object (I used the humans in the picture, assumed to be approx. 6 feet tall.) s = shadow of reference object x = the dimensions being measured of the object in question ms = measured shadow of the object in question (reprinted with permission)

This isnt actually an aircraft at all, but a Radar Cross Section target testing drone. Never intended to fly, several dozen of these were built in the 60s/70s for testing various stealthy designs.

They mount them on that pillar and then sweep radar across them, its supposed to give a similiar reading back as if the plane were flying low. There are several pictures going round of the drones constructed for the f-117 design if you want to google.

Before the realm of computer design took over, this was how engineers did their testing

if it was only a testing drone how come it was so secret?

For the same reason the F-117 demonstrators were kept under wraps for 20+ years. For the same reasons the full technology behind the B-2 is still kept under wraps. Not everything is obsolete yet, thats why they were (and are) kept secret.

but its a testing drone not a frontline fighting aircraft.

Lol..

Snowbirds are also international airshow planes.

They fly in formation, with different coloured contrails and they look neat. I saw a 10-snowbird show last fall. It was nice.

Looks like they were testing out the aero-diamond shape. You see the wing type being used in both the YF-23 and F-22. Just going on the picture you can't really infer much about it being an exotic antigravity vehicle. Most likely just an RCS test model, as was suggested.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
but its a testing drone not a frontline fighting aircraft.

That is the Main reason it's so secret. If it works the technology it incorporates may become the fondation for a whole new generation of aircraft.

Tim
ATS Director of Counter-Ignorance

so why cant the military say we have a testing drone its nickname is snowbird wow that gives away top secret info see wht i mean.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
so why cant the military say we have a testing drone its nickname is snowbird wow that gives away top secret info see wht i mean.

[sarcasm]So why cant the USAF say we have a hypersonic recon aircraft and its name is Aurora. Wow that gives away so much info, see what I mean![/sarcasm]

I think we should all know by now that the military does not release things until they are way out of date and have been surpassed in the militaries or research establishments of other 1st world countries.

The f-117 wasnt made public knowledge until it became apparent that the Soviet Union had the ability to make stealth aircraft out of the same style. The b-2 was a public black project from the start, designed to keep our eyes away from the real stuff.

[edit on 23-6-2004 by RichP]

but its a testing drone no an active aircraft.

also what top secret electronic tech could a testing drone have?

To set all of you straight on the "experitmental" stealth plane snowbird... Well if it is top secret it isn't very top secret at my university. I went to a lecture put on by the designers and creaters of the "snowbird" and saw videos of its operations too.

Hell i could've seen the damn thing too but I missed my bus and was 45 mins late so i missed the public viewing.

It is an UAV (unmanned arial vehicle) right now in the testing phase for a high payload to drop phamphlets over enemy territory. Like the ones dropped in Iraq to tell them how to surrender. It uses a parachute and then a fan for propulsion has an incredible range and is going to be completely autonomous. Thus nobody gets endangered on a mission that doesn't involve dropping any bombs. I believe there are only 2 or 3 in existance. The first one was destoryed by accident in its first deployment out of a herc. Dropped to the ground like a brick because the parachute couldn't deploy because some chump forgot to remove a peice that was marked "Remove before launch". The reason its not easy to find is because its being built by a small engineering firm based out of Ottawa, Ontario. The lecture was put on at Carleton University. For the Aerospace Engineers. Thus its not a crazy flat plane built in the 60s with stealth technologies.

Its designed to be launched from either a humvee or a herc transport plane...


Not a top secret "stealth plane."

And the "snowbirds" are the acrobatic team for the canadian military that do air shows.

ericb007 - any links or pics or anything to back that up?

Also...that seems a little far stretched, even for the Air Force. To specialty design a entirely new UAV for 1 role: pamphlet dropping.

[edit on 12-3-2005 by Murcielago]

Why wouldn't the USAF build UAV's dedicated to Cargo Drops? That is what Pamplets are just cargo. I think it would be a good idea to make such a dedicated craft IMHO.

Of course its a good idea to have a dedicate UAV for those pamphlet drop missions it saves lifes and the pamphlets actaully get where they are intended to go.

Right now they drop them off a high altitude plane like a herc and usaully end up a country or 2 away. Thats how the government knows that the pamphlets actually show up on the ground and not end up in an ocean.

This UAV would allow them the opportunity to have mass surrenders a little easier if the people know whats coming.


And no links or images. I couldn't find the guy's website. Like I said it was small project I think it is aprox. buget was $50,000 per UAV thats tiny in terms of devolping a new aircraft.

[edit on 5-2-2006 by ericb007]

Those drawings look 100% like the concept drawing that the USAF has for a "Persistent ISR" UAV.

The 3-view drawing is Beoing's patent for the Sensorcraft (see my joined wing thread). The model being put on the pedestal is not directly related. It's a solid diamond for starters.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
but its a testing drone no an active aircraft.

Test Planes are the starting point for all new technology. They often guide the development of many aircraft that fallow.Case in Point: Tacit Blue!

The Tacit Blue was purely a testbed for stealth technology. It tested curved stealth and stealthy avionics. the Lessons learn from Tacit Blue have in one way or another played a key role in the development of the fallowing aircraft:

B-2 Spirit
F-22 Raptor
F-35 JSF

Every Stealth Aircraft, known or unknown that has Radar in it will always owe part of it sucess to the Research that the Tacit Blue conducted out at Groom Lake all those years ago. Who knows what they tested with Snow Bird. That break through might save American lives in combat for the next 1/2 century. Surly you see the logic in keeping these secrets away from enemy nations.

Tim

Yeah, Planeman hit it right on the dot, it's only the Sensorcraft that Boeing patented a decade ago to test diamond shaped joined-winged designs.

Nothing secret about it at all, it's just testing the possibility of an unorthodox wing structure on an unmanned platform. The data recieved may be secret, but the craft itself isn't.

Shattered OUT...