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Originally posted by gariac
Back to this new Lockheed facility, I'm stumped as to the design. So we have small hangars that lead to a large hangar with a curved door. What does a curved door buy you? Why are the buildings interconnected?
Originally posted by FosterVS
I wonder what UAV it is they are testing there. Looks like the two barns have about a 57 ft. width, the curved door on the main hangar about 71 ft.
This, maybe?
www.lockheedmartin.com...
Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by DesertWatchdog
I have a few threads on this facility. I don't believe I mentioned that document, but that is my source. You can use the search function on NVH1 and/or Yucca. This is the one I like because I suspect a county supervisor got the facility named after her.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
This facility just popped up on Google Earth. No environmental reports until way after it was built. Clearly a few civilians knew it was being built. Except for Groom Lake, all construction needs some environmental review.
This airport is mighty tough to observe from the "free world." It shows you how a real spook planner can site a project versus some clown like Lazar. However, it might also be that the other side of Yucca dry lake is used for the chemical spill facility, and perhaps they wanted some distance from it.
When you tour the NTS, you cannot bring binocs. This facility can be seen, but just barely. You can't bring a camera either, though some moron took a shot of Gate 700, probably from a cell phone camera. Crap like that can cause the tours to be eliminated.
Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by DesertWatchdog
Those documents have left the DOE website. I thought I archived the AOF documents, but mine shows 0 bytes. Maybe someone else saved them.
Under normal circumstances, you could get the prints for the structure. I pull such stuff off the fbo,gov website all the time. That is, the construction goes out to bid, and you can't bid without plans. In the case of the AOF, the government didn't build the facility, so getting the documents isn't quite as easy. [That is, Lockheed did the bid requests.]
In theory, there are plans on file with the county. However, given the shady nature of how this facility was built, I wouldn't bet on getting them without doing some arm twisting. If this were in Lincoln county, I wouldn't even bother trying to get the plans. Nye county is far less corrupt than Lincoln. They probably exist in electronic form. You would have to do a public records request.
www.nyecounty.net...
Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by DesertWatchdog
www.lazygranch.com...
I found one document. But I think there was one more specific to the hangars. Have you looked for your files?
3. Lost Link Performance - In the event of loss of data link, the aircraft must execute a preplanned, user-programmable mission profile to facilitate restoration of the data link and minimize collateral damage if the link cannot be reestablished. Describe the lost link profile capability of the VTOL UA for (1.) automatic landing, (2.) zeroization of cryptographic variables, (3.) cooperative traffic avoidance, (4.) uncooperative traffic avoidance, (5.) obstacle avoidance, (6.) reporting on traffic and obstacles if link is reestablished
Originally posted by gariac
reply to post by DesertWatchdog
I'm not sure either way. "Lost Link" probably refers to the problem of what to do with a UAV when you lose communications. [Buzz phrase is lost link mission planning.] There is a hand off between ground control and satellite control. Ground control is line of sight. Satellite is everywhere, but lock is an issue. I suppose they could set up a runway in some spot where if the hand-off didn't work, they could recover the UAV with another ground station down stream. But that Lost Link site wouldn't necessarily have to be at Yucca Dry Lake.
From a current FBO request:
www.fbo.gov...
3. Lost Link Performance - In the event of loss of data link, the aircraft must execute a preplanned, user-programmable mission profile to facilitate restoration of the data link and minimize collateral damage if the link cannot be reestablished. Describe the lost link profile capability of the VTOL UA for (1.) automatic landing, (2.) zeroization of cryptographic variables, (3.) cooperative traffic avoidance, (4.) uncooperative traffic avoidance, (5.) obstacle avoidance, (6.) reporting on traffic and obstacles if link is reestablished
There is a Predator crash near Creech where control was lost so the UAV went into orbit mode. It orbited into a mountain. ;-) I have the FOIA someplace. The press report was written so poorly that it sounded like the UAV crashed in free territory, but when I got the crash report, it was clear that it crashed on the range.
I've never seen this first hand, but they fly Predators from Creech to Ft. Irwin. It must be tough on air traffic control since radar coverage is not so great over route 95. But it wouldn't surprise me if there are way to recover the UAVs en route.