Looks like our boys saw something cool out there

a reply to: anzha

upon further consideration, the size of the aircraft is smaller then i had first gathered. but i still think it is a manned aircraft the mission of the B21 in nuclear and second conventional.

during conventional strikes sure it might have the capability to fly without a min at the stick but if the day came when a nuclear strike was ordered it would more than likely mean that the end of the world as we know it was around the bend and the comm systems would be the first to be taken out or disrupted.

if i were a commander and i had ordered a nuclear strike i would not allow ANY nuke on a drone that could hypothetically be taken over like the 170 and then be used against me. and in reality i would just want a man in the aircraft, call me old fashioned

a reply to: anzha

Correct you wouldn't be able to see the windscreen in my scenerio.

a reply to: hawkguy


Looks like the same profile as a b-2, that is all I see.

a reply to: norhoc

Look closer

a reply to: penroc3

I don't see anything in the photo to indicate this is a manned aircraft.

a reply to: BASSPLYR



I did, hence my post

a reply to: BASSPLYR





*obviously a joke*

a reply to: norhoc

Fair enough. I see differences

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: BASSPLYR

I don't see a wind screen in the photo. I just see a hump. And I've been zooming in as close as I can.

I just watched a video about the 2021 flight tests of the new quiet SST tech. They were bragging and even showing how the test plane will have a forward facing camera mounted outside, with a wrap around full HD screen in the cockpit to give the pilot a virtual view of the terrain as if the spiked nose wasn't even there. So, my point is, the tech for this is already available.

Something to ponder is that we had four people of various experience looking over the analysis pics as we put them together, and looking at the original pics. All four of them saw what we saw, and two people working independently of each other came up with very similar measurements. So while it might be a B-2, you have to take notice when seven people see similar things.

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

with augmented reality and maybe even VR you wouldn't even need a screen, and i would hazard a guess that most if not all the flying done these days is by instrument(not fighters), and if those go out then you can't fly the thing anyway so might as well punch out like the B2 in guam that pitched up, no amount of windows was going to save it.

The AF has their own VR and AR labs, couple that to the sensors and cameras and you have no need for a window but i feel like we are veering off topic.

a reply to: penroc3

So, to do that, you are going to need uninterrupted communications. That's something I don't even think the US military thinks they will have in a high end fight.

a reply to: anzha

the F35 does it just fine

a reply to: penroc3

Screens break. VR/AR has issues and jhmcs or the equivalent is already really good.

I HIGHLY doubt it wouldn't have a glass windscreen for sheer redundancy purposes. Sure you could fly on purely instruments but they break too. I think it'd take an order of magnitude's worth of advancement in either field in order to offset the benefits of being able to see out of the thing.

a reply to: penroc3

Remotely?

Augmented, sure, but with the advent of even low level lasers, you can burn out the sensors with a sweep that wouldn't even remotely damage the aircraft otherwise.

a reply to: anzha

no with their helmet mounted system, they can 'see' threw the floor and what not.


hawkguy: on an aircraft like this if the systems that control the aircraft go out then the whole thing could be made out of glass, your not flying at that point more like 'falling with style' and are going to crash.

the B2 couldn't even get off the runway without its sensors and that has a windscreen.

a reply to: anzha

eta: not all sensors are visible light. SAR for example.


and seeing as we are playing 'what-if's' maybe it could blow part of the cover off to reveal a window in the event of the SHTF.

a reply to: penroc3

A blown fuse to main display 1 is a whole damn lot more likely than all 4 fly by wire systems failing.

I'm going with a B-2 styled UAV.
Shape is about right, and the size makes me lean toward UAV.

A non traditional windscreen might just not be glass but still be see through. Maybe skin that covers the whole nose cockpit but is semi opaque or translucent over where the windscreen is that sits behind it. RAM in most of the fitting with lesser amounts over where the windscreen is. But overall a solid seamless piece that works better than all the layering of zigzaw shaped RAM they use now.

Anyways were focusing on one detail. What about the odd spacing of the cowlings. The thinner wings. The different landing gear strut than on a B2. The size estimations that make it 70 percent the size of a B2. If its a B2 then what about the much argued over nose and cockpit area differences. The leading edge/nose just under where the windscreen should be is different enough.