Weird California sighting

a reply to: Zaphod58
oh well, i tried haha!

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Soloprotocol

Really stinking fast for cruise, and really really really stinking fast for Get Out of Dodge.

This is what it actually says right above the throttles.

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

Pretty sure the technical term is "Ludicrous speed! Go!"

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Soloprotocol

Care to put money on that one?

eh, na.. i'll leave it... about 5 years ago i saw something...very high...very fast and as silent as the night....bright as a iridium flare only constant until it disappeared over the north sea on a true north heading.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

Probably not...hint.

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Soloprotocol

Probably not...hint.

i always thought we had just saw the brightest Satellite ever. we were in a very low light pollution area on the north west coast of Scotland, standing on a beach, facing south when we first saw it....

After visiting ATS and this thread in particular, i'm now kinda on the fence as to what it was. if it was a Sat it was traveling pole to pole..... i have a compass on my watch.

anyway, i digress...back to the super green machine.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol

i always thought we had just saw the brightest Satellite ever. we were in a very low light pollution area on the north west coast of Scotland, standing on a beach, facing south when we first saw it....

After visiting ATS and this thread in particular, i'm now kinda on the fence as to what it was. if it was a Sat it was traveling pole to pole..... i have a compass on my watch.

Most intelligence satellites are in polar orbits. You probably saw a big satellite which happened to shine at you in the right way. There are signals satellites which have very large expandable/inflatable discs for antennae. If the Sun catches it at just the right angle... And being in a low light pollution area your night eyesight adaptation was deeper.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

More of a yellow color?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Speaking of satellites, there was a member who was also an amateur astronomer who had some very good photos of the ISS form his telescope. I really wished I copied them.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Soloprotocol

More of a yellow color?

No, brilliant white.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

May have just been a satellite then. Too bad, yellow would have been interesting.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Soloprotocol

May have just been a satellite then. Too bad, yellow would have been interesting.

Eh,...um...erm, i'll change it to yellow then...do tell.

a reply to: NavyDoc

Most computerized tracking telescopes can track the ISS and other sat's.

These are some of the best I've seen. If you've got the money for the equipment, you can get shots like these.

a reply to: Soloprotocol

It's around on ATS somewhere.

originally posted by: Soloprotocol

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: Soloprotocol

Probably not...hint.

i always thought we had just saw the brightest Satellite ever. we were in a very low light pollution area on the north west coast of Scotland, standing on a beach, facing south when we first saw it....

After visiting ATS and this thread in particular, i'm now kinda on the fence as to what it was. if it was a Sat it was traveling pole to pole..... i have a compass on my watch.

anyway, i digress...back to the super green machine.

Oh sorry, I should have been more clear. I was talking about booms not speculating the satellite proposal. Probably doesn't break windows is where I was going.

ZAPH, MBKENNEL, BOOMER/S (both of em) Anyone else who feels like they can answer,


Here's a question thats been nagging me to ask for a few weeks.


Regarding Plasma Actuators on Aircraft. Would there be an advantage to perfectly circular plasma actuators or would the actuator plate be better designed to fit the general shape of the aircraft's leading edges or whatever part is to be charged?

Basically is there any reason one could think of to put perfectly round plasma actuators on the extremities of an airframe? Not any shaped plasma actuators but perfectly circular ones.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

The actuator is only going to provide a tiny amount of parasite drag that is easily going to be overcome once the system is powered up. So of they're not shaped to the aircraft, and flush with the skin it's not going to hurt you.

Whoops!! i tried to post this link in the research thread. whoopsies!! its about reading dreams. Which backs up The claims by A certain person about said subject.

dream weaver..err i mean reader

a reply to: Zaphod58

Flush with the skin is fine. I'm wondering why an exactly perfect circle instead of say a rectangle or any other shape. Or is the circle just arbitrary. Does it shape the plasma discharge in some way, confine it? Just curious. Could the circle be like a large concave dimple and the actuator is inside it. The dimple may act like a wave guide or horn to shape the plasma discharge?

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
Regarding Plasma Actuators on Aircraft. Would there be an advantage to perfectly circular plasma actuators or would the actuator plate be better designed to fit the general shape of the aircraft's leading edges or whatever part is to be charged?

Basically is there any reason one could think of to put perfectly round plasma actuators on the extremities of an airframe? Not any shaped plasma actuators but perfectly circular ones.

Well, the electrostatic configuration & geometry might be pretty important for the discharge dynamics so probably they're using something which was well characterized in the lab. If they wanted to make something custom to the airframe shape then they'd have to re-do simulations and experments and maybe change control systems.

www.socialphy.com...

Perhaps sharper corners have problems with improper discharges so circular is the 'roundest' shape, and certainly something symmetrical would greatly aid analytical calculations and numerical solutions (expand fields in bessel functions). The control system is the difficult part, as no doubt you have complex chaotic nonlinear fluid mechanics mixing with nonlinear plasma physics & electrostatics.

I think it's not at all surprising for a novel technology to have a simple geometry. When it matures then it will be more specialized and customized to the application as necessary.

The Chinese are certainly into it:

link.springer.com...-1

Lift to drag ratio increased by 80%.

This technology is going to be globally exploited. Personally I think it should go onto civilian aircraft quickly: fly the Boeing 808 Plasmaliner.

iopscience.iop.org...

The plasma actuators give a direct body force to nearby air---charge air here then attract it with a voltage a little further back.

At low speeds and if you have a large enough surface area and low enough mass, say like a large airfoilish dirigible, you could potentially even use it as primary propulsion. No noise, other than maybe the whining and buzzing of your high-voltage inverters, and a bit of an ozone smell. What's more, your propulsion force would be even across the whole span, reducing structural loading and required mass.

It would NOT be a good idea at all to fly this in the rain or any turbulent weather. Even a modest little storm could wreck it. Good places would be in the desert in Utah or Nevada.