Tejon Ranch RCS imagery 7/15/2011, page 1

The Tejon Ranch RCS (radar cross section) facility is owned by Northop. The new imagery on Google Earth is so good that I suspect it is from an airplane rather than satellite. (Just a guess). The area was slated for development when the housing boom was cranking, but I suspect now all those plans are shelved. But it is likely the general area was flown in planning the project and google got the imagery.

This will get you in the general area:
34°55'17.15"N 118°31'50.84"W

I've been to the border of the range two or three times. It is very difficult to observe, at least when viewing from the east side. It isn't easy to get much higher than the range itself, so you get significant thermal effects in the imagery.

Here are some google earth captures:





The south range is the only place I have seen activity. By the time they were using it, the thermal distortion was very bad.



Here is the north range:




I photographed it from a location hear the LA Power transmission lines. The spot is not high enough to see the pylon:



The white triangles laying on the ground are probably pole caps (used in calibration I think). I doubt they are test shapes.

reply to post by TheOven

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Radar cross section measurement is at the heart of stealth technology. The idea is to determine how "large" your shape will appear to radar. Engineering comes up with a shape, presumably with a lot of computer simulation these days. Obviously the shape has to fly most of all, else you have a stealthy lawn dart. But right up there with a suitable aerodynamic shape is the ability for the plane to have a small radar return. The usually measure it in decibells.

Once you have the shape, it makes sense to create a mockup to see how it will look on radar. [This is far cheaper than building the real thing, only to find it doesn't work as planned.] The shape is the "pole model". The shape is placed on a pole (pylon), then it is pinged with radar from a dish. Hence the RCS facility has a collection of dishes on one side, a bit of space, and then a pole on the other. This is known as static RCS, since the model isn't moving. [There is also dynamic RCS, which I believe is always tested on the real thing since it has to be flying to be tested.]

Northrop has Tejon Ranch. Lockheed has a similar, though a bit larger facility in Helendale. It was shown in the PBS Nova "Battle of the X-planes". This is the producer's notes as he approached the pylon at Helendale. That pylon has an underground chamber, so the model can be set up in "privacy" and presumably tested at night.

www.pbs.org...

In the distance I can see a huge man-made crater. We soon come to the lip of the "hole." Fifty feet below is what looks like a missile silo—a concrete bunker about half the size of a football field with a pair of massive doors on top. As I set up my camera, my escort radios some orders over his walkie-talkie. The doors suddenly slide open and brilliant red light streams out. I feel like I'm on the set of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

I have a panorama of the Helendale site here.



You can just barely see the "cavern". It is possible to get a better view (higher elevation), but I was pressed for time when I shot it.

Howland has a good write up on RCS measurement.
www.thehowlandcompany.com...

reply to post by gariac

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Interesting post as usual. Thanks also for the link to the PBS program - I have never seen it before. For those interested, it looks like you can watch it online...

www.hulu.com...

reply to post by H1ght3chHippie

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I think these kind of measurements are old hat, so I wouldn't expect the facility to look too shiny. It is hard to get more directional than a dish antenna,

I don't think there is much new under the sun in traditional RCS. If you read the research, the trend in static RCS is for near field testing, in an attempt to do such tests in a smaller enclosed environment. Apparently people go to the border of these outdoor ranges with binoculars and telescopes. ;-) The Tejon Ranch is bordered by a hiking trail on the east side. It is not much of a hike, so the only privacy they get at the Tejon RCS is that it is remote and they own considerable land as a buffer zone.

The blog linked on the Howland website is pretty good regarding these ranges.
geimint.blogspot.com...

If you recall the Stephenville UFO, there is a RCS nearby. Unfortunately the UFO asshats have so many stupid posts about the event that I can't find the location in a quick internet search. It was a RCS that I hadn't heard of until the event.

reply to post by gariac

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The Green tree parts in the first picture are in the shape of the constellation Big Dipper.

I wonder what kind of code that is or what it represents.

reply to post by gariac

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I made the anonymous comment on the webpage you referenced above:

"There is another potential RCS Test range just southwest of Walnut Springs, TX that may be associated with the Stephenville sightings about a month ago. This would be within flight range of the AF Plant #4 and other bases in TX. Check it out at:

32° 1'10.32" N 97°41'19.69" W"

Hope this helps with finding the RCS range near Stephenville.

reply to post by TAGBOARD

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I'll say that helps. Thanks. I wonder if they paint the plane from one angle and then sniff the reflection from another angle. It looks like it is set up that way.

The Google Earth comment is good. [A rarity for Google Earth community posts!]

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