Nat Geo - Top Secret

Anyone watch it on TV? Doesn't really tell you anything new for people that follow military aviation, a bunch of boring interviews. A little "tour" outside the base of Plant 42, they also talked to the FAA and other people which to be honest were a little bland and felt like they were just trying to scrape anything together to make a show that is a hour long. I think some members here would have been way better interviews on the show (gariac and boomer). On that note, any investors to fund an ATS TS show anyone?

One thing that looked odd was the picture Bill Sweetman showed, a picture of the "aurora" I think. Never seen it before and can't find it anywhere, not sure if it was a nice CGI or not but I think with his creditably he wouldn't pass of a computer generated concept as real. Unless its clever editing by the show to make it seem like it was real which I suppose it most likely is.

Here are some clips from it.

channel.nationalgeographic.com...

Just saw it too, how about when he asks if the aurora looks like the drone and the old guy says well if the aurora exists. Then the next thing he says is he cant talk about it if it did. Well after that he starts using aurora as an example, basically letting u know its real. Cool show.

Jake Ward and David Mazur, the Vice President and IPT leader of the B-2 program, outside of the B-2 hangar. Even though the plane is over two decades old, many parts of it are still classified. The closest Jake could get was 25 feet away, and no photography is allowed of the back of the aircraft.

This is the same instruction you get if you have media access to the Edwards Open house. Media is located north of south base, just south of the runway. It is close enough that they issue a no photography warning while the plane is on the ground. In the air is no problem.

Of course at Edwards, the static display wasn't all that well hidden, but maybe whatever they don't want shown wasn't attached.

Originally posted by Laxpla
Anyone watch it on TV? Doesn't really tell you anything new for people that follow military aviation, a bunch of boring interviews. A little "tour" outside the base of Plant 42, they also talked to the FAA and other people which to be honest were a little bland and felt like they were just trying to scrape anything together to make a show that is a hour long. I think some members here would have been way better interviews on the show (gariac and boomer). On that note, any investors to fund an ATS TS show anyone?

One thing that looked odd was the picture Bill Sweetman showed, a picture of the "aurora" I think. Never seen it before and can't find it anywhere, not sure if it was a nice CGI or not but I think with his creditably he wouldn't pass of a computer generated concept as real. Unless its clever editing by the show to make it seem like it was real which I suppose it most likely is.

Here are some clips from it.

channel.nationalgeographic.com...

edit on 11-10-2012 by Laxpla because: (no reason given)

You ask about the photo shown of that long narrow triangular craft, correct? Google "FDL-5" - that's an almost 40 year old project. Basically one of the original predecessors to the X-37 orbital unmanned flight vehicle program.

Not the Aurora. Not even close ;-)

Originally posted by weavty1

Originally posted by Laxpla
Anyone watch it on TV? Doesn't really tell you anything new for people that follow military aviation, a bunch of boring interviews. A little "tour" outside the base of Plant 42, they also talked to the FAA and other people which to be honest were a little bland and felt like they were just trying to scrape anything together to make a show that is a hour long. I think some members here would have been way better interviews on the show (gariac and boomer). On that note, any investors to fund an ATS TS show anyone?

One thing that looked odd was the picture Bill Sweetman showed, a picture of the "aurora" I think. Never seen it before and can't find it anywhere, not sure if it was a nice CGI or not but I think with his creditably he wouldn't pass of a computer generated concept as real. Unless its clever editing by the show to make it seem like it was real which I suppose it most likely is.

Here are some clips from it.

channel.nationalgeographic.com...

edit on 11-10-2012 by Laxpla because: (no reason given)

You ask about the photo shown of that long narrow triangular craft, correct? Google "FDL-5" - that's an almost 40 year old project. Basically one of the original predecessors to the X-37 orbital unmanned flight vehicle program.

Not the Aurora. Not even close ;-)

Actual designs we see today really come from the Lockheed L-301 project, from the joint venture between Skunk Works and the DoD/Air Force's 1950s FDL-5 ventures. (Going from memory here, please correct me if I mucked it up).

Actually if you have paid attention to most of Steve's discussions on "AURORA" and read his book on the subject, it has a lot to do with AURORA. However I'm surprised he is still on the subject. I'm still curious, what makes him so adamant tha he has always said she is out there. I'm somewhat talking out my a$$ pertaining to this show, haven't found the full version on the web yet. I'm going off past writings. PM me if you have the full show.

I liked the X-hunter episode and "Nothing to see here." Plant 42 is not that hard to observe. I've never hung around there at night and have read stories about the cops chasing out "loiterers."

The "secret supersonic corridor" is noted in the the not so secret R-2508 operations manual.
www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070103-052.pdf

Palmdale airport (KPMD) at times has had commercial operations. When passenger service is in operation, you can simply park at the airport and watch Plant 42, or at least a small piece of it. Otherwise, you can watch from the Sierra Highway or just park by the sod farm on 40th St. East.
n34.629797 w118.058625
I also drove to
n 34.63520 w118.103483
and parked a while without incident.

Originally posted by gariac
I liked the X-hunter episode and "Nothing to see here." Plant 42 is not that hard to observe. I've never hung around there at night and have read stories about the cops chasing out "loiterers."

The "secret supersonic corridor" is noted in the the not so secret R-2508 operations manual.
www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070103-052.pdf

Palmdale airport (KPMD) at times has had commercial operations. When passenger service is in operation, you can simply park at the airport and watch Plant 42, or at least a small piece of it. Otherwise, you can watch from the Sierra Highway or just park by the sod farm on 40th St. East.
n34.629797 w118.058625
I also drove to
n 34.63520 w118.103483
and parked a while without incident.

The S(Squared)C has been around for a long time, didn't know it was ever considered secret...?

reply to post by gariac


In your picture, I'm thinking what they don't want seen is covered by the flaps being down. Just what I have heard in the past about what is TS on that plane.

Originally posted by boomer135
reply to post by gariac

 

In your picture, I'm thinking what they don't want seen is covered by the flaps being down. Just what I have heard in the past about what is TS on that plane.

Seems like you could be right, but whats so top secret about whats underneath the flaps? What COULD it be?
Pfft.if its just bombs

The "secret supersonic corridor" is noted in the the not so secret R-2508 operations manual.
www.edwards.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070103-052.pdf

The R-2508 ops manual is used in conjunction with the Daily Brief Sheet that is almost always classified at least secret, if not TS.

Originally posted by LightWarrior11

Originally posted by boomer135
reply to post by gariac

 

In your picture, I'm thinking what they don't want seen is covered by the flaps being down. Just what I have heard in the past about what is TS on that plane.

Seems like you could be right, but whats so top secret about whats underneath the flaps? What COULD it be?
Pfft.if its just bombs

no comment

Originally posted by boomer135

Originally posted by LightWarrior11

Originally posted by boomer135
reply to post by gariac

 

In your picture, I'm thinking what they don't want seen is covered by the flaps being down. Just what I have heard in the past about what is TS on that plane.

Seems like you could be right, but whats so top secret about whats underneath the flaps? What COULD it be?
Pfft.if its just bombs

no comment

Sup Boom? NKAWTG

Sup Boom? NKAWTG

edit on 13-10-2012 by Violater1 because: (no reason given)

Teamwork! NKAWTG.....N!!!

Originally posted by gariac

Jake Ward and David Mazur, the Vice President and IPT leader of the B-2 program, outside of the B-2 hangar. Even though the plane is over two decades old, many parts of it are still classified. The closest Jake could get was 25 feet away, and no photography is allowed of the back of the aircraft.

This is the same instruction you get if you have media access to the Edwards Open house. Media is located north of south base, just south of the runway. It is close enough that they issue a no photography warning while the plane is on the ground. In the air is no problem.

Of course at Edwards, the static display wasn't all that well hidden, but maybe whatever they don't want shown wasn't attached.

I believe this bird is from the 393rd

reply to post by LightWarrior11


On stealth aircraft, weapons need to be stored internally, so a flap wouldn't cover one. It is odd that the plane was parked with the flaps down.

I have some B-2 belly and in-the-air rear shots here if that helps.
www.lazygranch.com...

reply to post by gariac


All mine are from the top...












Maybe like exhaust vents??

reply to post by gariac


It's the antennas on top that they're worried about. They retract them before parking where there is a chance they can be seen. When they took me around it, I was told the only things I couldn't see where the cockpit, and the back end from above. It's pretty cool to see from right underneath, but the funny part is that it's covered in tape.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Viewing from underneath to see what is on top? I don't follow this.

Regarding exhaust, the B-2 design is clever in that the heat is run over the body of the plane before the stream is totally out in the open. That shields the exhaust's heat signature as viewed from below. Not 100% shielding of course since the exhaust eventually has to mix with the cold air. I assume any plane is detectable with IR gear to some degree, but it is an acceptable risk.

reply to post by gariac


They let me go under the aircraft and said I could see anything I wanted, but the cockpit and the back. He would even wheel a stand over to let me see parts of the top if I wanted.

When they came to Hickam we always had to park them in front of a jet blast deflector for about twenty minutes to secure the antennas (that is directly from their security guy), them we'd take them to their final parking spot.

I haven't actually seen the NatGeo show yet, but while they were working on it I got the impression that they were trying awfully hard to make things seem more secret that they actually are. They were very excited about unveiling "a top secret facility for black projects" at Plant 42. I told them it wasn't that secret, and pointed out that it was in the middle of a good sized city. I'm not sure how the Supersonic Corridor became "secret" since it is on all the aeronautical charts.

They wanted to visit a crash site of something secret, and preferably unmanned. I told them that most of the secret aircraft crashed in Nevada, including the D-21B drone. They eventually settled on one of the X-10 crash sites. Again, I have not yet seen the show. I hope they didn't present it with too much melodrama.

As to the restrictions on photographing stealth aircraft, the guards around the B-2 and F-117A always told me never to photograph the rear end of the aircraft. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was to prevent imaging of the exhaust deck. Both aircraft are equipped with heat absorbing tiles along the lip of the exhaust. the ones on the B-2 are identical to space shuttle thermal protection tiles, but the "bricks" on the F-117A were more dense and coated with a thin layer of shuttle tile material.