Dyson's Dock: Groom Lake classified musuem; also the Groom Lake aircraft burial ground

Is it just a coincidence that the new hangar comes at the same time they take the mine land?

I will say one thing though, the new hangar is *not* for indoor RCS testing. They would not build one that close to a runway. Period.

a reply to: gfad

The image of a Janet 737-200 being towed away from the north side Hangar 18 can be seen in the 6/6/2002 sat image on Google Earth.


As for timeline, the "Big New Hangar" just south of the Bajas was noticed in the 2005-2007 time range if I remember correctly. As far as I can remember, talk by the Air Force for an LRSB type aircraft started seriously in 2009. Then I think request for a proposal for development was put out in 2014. There was a lot of back and forth on if we needed it, and I didn't follow the program that closely, so I'm sure there's more specific timelines to be found. But I think it fits into the timeline with some of the newer structures and hangars at Groom.

Even if the fly off has been done, there's going to be more testing to be done before main production. Which is what I kinda think the "newest new hangar" or "scoot-n-hide" (you choose) may be for.


a reply to: BlackDog10
I think some of the latest photos we have from the ground at Groom are of the YF-117 FSDs in and around the Baja hangars. Mid 80s I think?

I would like to point out that these guesses of mine, all depend on the LRSB being flown out of Groom, and not slipping out of Palmdale, Edwards or some other place. I hadn't heard that the LRSB was being tested at EDW, and I'd like to read that, if you can find where you saw that.


a reply to: gariac
Sorry man, I thought I read you thought it was a scoot as well, I musta got it mixed up with someone's reply or something.

In my opinion, the only qualification a scoot needs to be called a scoot, is quick access. Which the "newest new hangar" has. Plus it has a lack of ramps with a one way in, one way out taxiway.


a reply to: Shadowhawk
I agree here, I've spent most of my life on military bases/civi airports, and I've ~rarely~ seen a hangars' height be specific to a purpose.

Also, Shadowhawk, anything to add/correct on my previous post here in the thread, on the uses of Hangars 18 and 17? (This Post) Much interested.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

www.lazygranch.com...

This page has some documented birds at Groom. (Well excluding Janets, which are easy to photograph.! A few dead links unfortunately, but to avoid that I would have had to take someone else's photos and host them.

The F-117 photo I took at Groom was prior to the so-called retirement.

originally posted by: gariac
a reply to: DesertWatchdog

www.lazygranch.com...

This page has some documented birds at Groom. (Well excluding Janets, which are easy to photograph.! A few dead links unfortunately, but to avoid that I would have had to take someone else's photos and host them.

The F-117 photo I took at Groom was prior to the so-called retirement.

Yeah. Don't you also have images of a 117 taxiing into the 20s?

I actually know your site about as well as the back of my hand.

I just kinda wish you would keep your updates.htm updated. Only time I know you have done something new is when I see it here on ATS.

And instead of going directly to your site and clicking on Updates, I haffta come here or bookmark the page, when it would be nice to just click on Updates and find the newest stuff. Not trying to be an ass, I'm just saying.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Well I started the website prior to Drupal, joomla, etc. So I have to hand code the updates page. Hey, at least I don't feed your a work from home advert, nor any advert for that matter.

The usual wanker stole my photo, feeding it to a Russian website. Hey, let the readers of that other forum get a virus. Then another wanker didn't believe the copyright.

Getting back to the new photos, I noticed the range 61 target has a downed helicopter in the lower right hand corner. Potentially this could be for CSAR training. That is, the chopper could be one of ours.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

www.lazygranch.com...

Violating my own request not to hot link, I assume these are the Baja hangars.

By Baja, I assume you mean Baja Scorpions. Googling for those hangars leads to a thread about the A-12 hangars, er which we call the A-12 hangars!

a reply to: gariac

The Southend hangars were originally built for the operational A-12 OXCART aircraft (test aircraft were housed in hangars at the north ramp. The Southend became the home of the F-117A Joint Test Force ("Baja Scorpions") in the early 1980s.

originally posted by: Shadowhawk
a reply to: gariac

The Southend hangars were originally built for the operational A-12 OXCART aircraft (test aircraft were housed in hangars at the north ramp. The Southend became the home of the F-117A Joint Test Force ("Baja Scorpions") in the early 1980s.

OK, that explains the hangars associated with both aircraft. For completeness, is the photo link of the Baja hangars?

a reply to: gariac

The Southend (Oxcart/"Baja Scorpions") hangars are numbered 9 through 16. The hangars in the picture are 20 through 23, which were built in the mid 1980s to house production F-117A aircraft undergoing acceptance tests by Tactical Air Command (TAC). All F-117A airframes underwent final assembly and acceptance testing at Groom Lake.

a reply to: gariac

(edit: Looks like Shadowhawk beat me to that while I was still editing my post, but yeah, pretty much what he said above.)


That's the photo I was referring to when I was talking about the F-117 and the 20s hangars (Hangars 20-23). If I am remembering correctly from what Pete wrote, those are the hangars that replaced the old TAC F-117 "rubber duck" shelters.

It's my understanding that the Baja hangars are the old A-12 hangars Shadowhawk mentioned above. Called that because the Baja Scorpions occupied the last 3 on the east end of the row of hangars. I'm not sure if the trem "Baja ramp" also includes the 20s, or if it only refers to the taxiway/ramp directly in front of the Baja hangars.

My understanding of the south ramp.


This photo of YF-117 782 FSD-3 "Scorpion 3" in front of a Baja hangar.

You can see them very clear in this photo of an A-12.

Photos 5, 6 and the camo Scorpion on this page www.f-117a.com... are all at the Baja hangars at Groom.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Thanks. That clears things up. I also found the F-117 with A-12 behind it.

originally posted by: DesertWatchdog
You can see them very clear in this photo of an A-12.

Side mention: The link above for the "A-12 parked in front of the Baja Hangars" seems not to be working, but the same photo can be found here: www.dreamlandresort.com... 9th Photo on the page.

~~A-12 infront of the hangars, with hangar numbers on the front. "A-12 #933 on the Area 51 South Ramp, with Hangars 12-14 in the background". ~~

a reply to: gariac

Yeah, that's one of my favorite photos of the 117. Just to look at it, it's just another photo of pilots in front of an F-117, at some air field. (Forget that the photo was taken at Groom...) There's so much more in that photo.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Which photo is that? Either I'm looking at the wrong pic, or I'm missing a hidden A-12!

originally posted by: gfad
a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Which photo is that? Either I'm looking at the wrong pic, or I'm missing a hidden A-12!

Eh? You kinda lost me with this question...

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Actually all I saw was a piece of an airplane in the background of a very small and cropped image. Make that a B-52. ;-) So little of the plane in the background is shown, but you can see the two engines side by side.

a reply to: DesertWatchdog

Sorry I was confused by talk of an F-117 with an A-12 in the background but now I see which picture Gariac was referring to!