What's flying in Alaska?

Feasting on an eye witness account

a reply to: Zaphod58

Was a lot of cool stuff thought about in the 90s in future design requirements

originally posted by: weavty1
Subscribing.

I think I may have a lead, as last year at work, I was the designer of a door system used on a new alert hangar for a C-17 size aircraft, up at JBER. Will get more details later today.

No dice gentlemen. Not our hangar for said bird.

a reply to: Zaphod58

My precipitous fall back into aviation nerdery began in the spring of 2012, when while going on our usual Sunday afternoon walk in Waltham on a particularly nice looking sunset afternoon, I happened to notice a 4-jet contrail that looked a little different from the usual 747/A340 ones that were pretty common at a certain time in the afternoon/evening in Boston when the heavies were all coming into JFK.

Remembering a bit I had heard about all the cool things wolphram could do, I pulled up the app and asked what aircraft were flying over my location. Turned out I was right, and that it was an A380.

Now, that's all sort of snowballed.

a reply to: Barnalby

From back before I could remember, my grandmother used to point planes out and I could tell her what they were. I got a really early start. Heh.

Only just found this website and the aviation forum. But I had a weird sighting of a plane in the North West of England either late 2015 or early 2016. I was outside on a really cloudy day having a quick cigarette when I heard the noise of two planes. During a break in the clouds I saw a flying wing design plane following a 4 engined plane which had 4 bright white lights in a diamond shape at the rear of the fuselage which I'm guessing is a tanker maybe? The flying wing on the other hand didn't look like a B2 at all the rear was totally wrong and didn't look big enough.

a reply to: Woody510

That was probably one of the B-21 proof of concept aircraft.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I could be totally wrong like I said it was really cloudy and only just caught them both in a break in the clouds but it just didn't look right compared to the B2 the back end was wrong! Would it be flying around England though? I know RAF pilots do fly the B2 and I'm used to seeing a lot of military aircraft over my area as they use the lake district to train a lot!

a reply to: Woody510

They took them to Scotland a few years ago to do some things with them. Almost turned out to be a disaster, but they were there for awhile.

The back of the B-21 only has a single edge, not the sawtooth that the B-2 has.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Definitely no sawtooth at the back of it that's what made me think it was something different! Scotland makes sense as I'm only an hour or so from Scotland depending on the motorway. I've also heard something flying with a really really low grumble like a train even thought it was a train as the main line isn't far from me but there was no train and it got stranger. As there was a real difference in pressure I felt my ears pop and the lights in the house and street flickered really quickly.

What happened to the Bae TARANIS prototype?

originally posted by: Blackfinger
What happened to the Bae TARANIS prototype?

I think it was just a technology demonstrator and was never going into full production. Did the project not get merged with a French one called Neuron?

a reply to: Blackfinger

Taranis is back in the UK after flight trials in South Australia's Woomera test range concluded. Whilst it is true it was a technology demonstrator and that now knowledge gained from it will be combined with that from the Neuron for a new aircraft that is known as Anglo-French Future Combat Air System (AFFCAS), Taranis may still have a life of its own. Australia was very interested in what it saw and BAE is rumoured to also think Taranis can be developed in a different way to AFFCAS, making it a compelling solution for a number of militaries. The issue is - of course - money. BAE simple does not have the capital to risk continued development on its own for this aircraft: it would need another company or more to partner and share the risks, or a friendly government to pick up the tab.

originally posted by: Borys
a reply to: Blackfinger

Taranis is back in the UK after flight trials in South Australia's Woomera test range concluded. Whilst it is true it was a technology demonstrator and that now knowledge gained from it will be combined with that from the Neuron for a new aircraft that is known as Anglo-French Future Combat Air System (AFFCAS), Taranis may still have a life of its own. Australia was very interested in what it saw and BAE is rumoured to also think Taranis can be developed in a different way to AFFCAS, making it a compelling solution for a number of militaries. The issue is - of course - money. BAE simple does not have the capital to risk continued development on its own for this aircraft: it would need another company or more to partner and share the risks, or a friendly government to pick up the tab.

That's interesting to know. I can't see the UK government picking up the tab for it to be developed further as they're cutting more of the forces again. Am I right in thinking that Taranis also went supersonic?

a reply to: Woody510

I think the Taranis could hit speeds of about 700MPH which is just a bit short of supersonic.
Where about in the North West did you have your poss B-21 sighting ?

originally posted by: nelloh62
a reply to: Woody510

I think the Taranis could hit speeds of about 700MPH which is just a bit short of supersonic.
Where about in the North West did you have your poss B-21 sighting ?

Morecambe Bay I live the opposite side of the bay where the Astutes are built.

a reply to: Woody510

Occurred : 8/27/2013 17:30 (Entered as : 08/27/2013 17:30)

Flying Black wing aircraft that was not the B2 Bomber over Pasadena, California.

Flying black wing aircraft spotted of Pasadena, California, flying low. Similar to the B2 bomber but seemed to be smaller and had a different rear profile. Only say the aircraft for less than 15 seconds directly overhead before the buildings obstructed its view.

www.nuforc.org...

Should we move this to the B-21 thread?

a reply to: Woody510

Cool sighting if it was a B-21, I never knew they tested them that far south. BTW, I have also heard that weird very low aircraft grumble, many a time at 2 or 3 in the morning

originally posted by: nelloh62
a reply to: Woody510

Cool sighting if it was a B-21, I never knew they tested them that far south. BTW, I have also heard that weird very low aircraft grumble, many a time at 2 or 3 in the morning

ok that is odd as that's about the same time I heard it I'm a bit of an insomniac and tend to stay up late. I'm not that far from Scotland and I'm guessing it was following a tanker. Do they refuel over land in the UK or out at sea. I remember seeing a video of the. B2 refuelling just off the English coast. So it could've been turning around to return to a base?. Also would you best describe the low grumble as the diesel engine of a freight train? Seemed to be travelling South to North as well?

a reply to: Woody510

I'm guessing the majority of refuelling would be done over the water. I can't put my finger on the engine noise. I have heard it several times, some in the distance and some real close. Once I swear I could even feel the vibrations off it . I have never heard a jet engine like it. I tried tracking it when I heard it and nothing showed up on the accessible radars