It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
According to Sweetman there were two more planes and, after listening to the radio chatter, they believe the aircraft was not a drone. It seems there was a pilot in there. He also doubts "that you'd dispatch three large, classified unmanned aircraft anywhere in formation."
This is a unique image, he says, because it's the first time that a classified airplane has been captured like this, over the United States. It's only logical, he adds, to "expect that numerous classified aircraft programs exist: it's almost a necessity under the principle of Occam's Razor, because if they don't, you have to contrive some sort of explanation for what Area 51 has been up to all these years."
He speculates that this could be a replacement for the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, a stealth ground-attack aircraft that was retired six years ago.
draknoir2
Could be a stealth drone as well.
The contrail pretty much ID's it as conventional jet propulsion, though.
pianopraze
Someone on Gizmodo suggested the Boeing Phantom Ray but the UFO pic doesn't look like it has that rear traiangle at the back where the exhaust comes out of the Phantom Ray...
draknoir2
pianopraze
Someone on Gizmodo suggested the Boeing Phantom Ray but the UFO pic doesn't look like it has that rear traiangle at the back where the exhaust comes out of the Phantom Ray...
Difficult to tell at that distance. There seems to be at least a flat spot, but it's really too grainy to make it out clearly. No reason why it can't be an entirely new model.
pianopraze
True, could be a drone, can't tell from the photo obviously.
But The shape of the wings looks off beyond just missing the rear triangle of the Phantom Ray. Very interesting lines, not a strait triangle at all. Very interesting shape.
draknoir2
pianopraze
True, could be a drone, can't tell from the photo obviously.
But The shape of the wings looks off beyond just missing the rear triangle of the Phantom Ray. Very interesting lines, not a strait triangle at all. Very interesting shape.
In the blowup of the hi-res image you can see a bump which could be the exhaust nozzle.
mrwiffler
oops...post deleted because of idiocy.
edit on 28-3-2014 by mrwiffler because: (no reason given)
pianopraze
draknoir2
pianopraze
True, could be a drone, can't tell from the photo obviously.
But The shape of the wings looks off beyond just missing the rear triangle of the Phantom Ray. Very interesting lines, not a strait triangle at all. Very interesting shape.
In the blowup of the hi-res image you can see a bump which could be the exhaust nozzle.
I see what your saying, but it's still not the Phantom Rey because this is a twin engine plane... bigger than that drone.
Could be a bigger drone... yes. But still unidentified
I still want to know how they got the radio chatter. That is why they say they think it was manned. Wish they provided the transcripts of the chatter.
draknoir2
Didn't notice the dual contrails at first... look like a single one towards the craft. I did see the other dual contrails. Were those supposedly from a second similar craft or an escort plane?
pianopraze
draknoir2
Didn't notice the dual contrails at first... look like a single one towards the craft. I did see the other dual contrails. Were those supposedly from a second similar craft or an escort plane?
Look at both pictures, you will see how it has two contrails. The color picture shows them flying in formation. The plane photographed is in the rear, so the further spread out contrail is identical to the one the pictured plane is leaving. But if you look at the color photo it is even clearer that the plane has twin contrails... ie twin engine.
Aliensun
reply to post by pianopraze
Everyone should be aware that this object resembles a typical aircraft, with swept-back wings and leaving a typical contrail of a two-engine jet. Yet, it is making some aircraft watchers excited because it is considered a mysterious model they don't recognize simply because the wings appear to be somewhat differently shaped than conventionally. All of this excitement over a grainy picture when the image is far less distinct than many images of UFOs that come to ATS.
This affair is a perfect example of what people will allow themselves to accept when the object/event fits within their current belief structure. But let that object be a odd-shaped but better imaged UFO and the aviation buffs will ignore or deny their existence because they are too removed from what they expect.
One wonders where they draw the line on the appearance of black triangle and the chevron craft that sometimes leave vivid impressions of how they appeared to the witnesses, but these craft never get a mention in the proper circles. That is weird in itself as the driving force among these enthusiasts is the desire to catch the first glimpse of some exotic prototype aircraft that being tested.