From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #80 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Friday, 6 May 1994 Volume 05 : Number 080 In this issue: hidden in plain (plane?) sight? Aerial cameras RE: hidden in plain (plane?) sight? Desert Rat words, words... Design drawings wanted Re: Design drawings wanted Stealthy references See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the skunk-works or skunk-works-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: TRADER@cup.portal.com Date: Thu, 5 May 94 00:02:27 PDT Subject: hidden in plain (plane?) sight? While people have been scrutinizing the Air Force and the CIA looking for evidence of aerial reconnaissance missions, I stumbled across information on aerial reconnaissance from an unexpected place in the Pentagon. In budget documents, the Defense Support Program spent 203 million dollars in fiscal year 1993 on the "Airborne Reconnaissance Support Program" (Program Element 0305154I) and 179 million dollars on this program in fiscal year 1994. (They had asked for 356 million dollars for fiscal year 1994, but the Congress balked at that amount). So, why is this unusual? The Defense Support Program is in the satellite field. DSP is responsible for satellites that detect ballistic missile launches, such as the new "Improved TW/AA" spacecraft. I don't understand what DSP is doing flying planes -- their satellites are very advanced and have much greater usefulness than trying to detect missile launches from an airplane. So, the question becomes: is the DSP aerial reconnaissance program a cover for another military agency? Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com ------------------------------ From: seb@tadpole.co.uk (steve) Date: Thu, 5 May 94 10:16:35 BST Subject: Aerial cameras Quite by chance, I was talking over the weekend with someone who worked for a company that manufactures cameras & optics for the RAF's reconaissance aircraft. When I told him a little about the belief that the SR-71 had been replaced (by another aircraft), rather than just retired, he grinned & said, "Well, I can't really say much but I can say it was definitely replaced." When I told him about the article published in the Skunk Works Digest about the budget for upgrading the Blackbird cameras *after* the retirement date, his grin broadened and he was nodding before I finished the story. Just another indication that there *is* something out there. Steve Barber ------------------------------ From: George Allegrezza 05-May-1994 0730 Date: Thu, 5 May 94 07:36:47 EDT Subject: RE: hidden in plain (plane?) sight? The airborne reconnaissance portion of the Defense Support Program budget is part of the general movement to use more of the nation's strategic intelligence assets to assist in tactical warfighting. The impetus for this was the Gulf War experience, where the strategic side of the house often had relevant and critical data that could not be promptly shared with the tactical troops in SW Asia without a lot of bureaucratic combat. One of the objectives is to use the DSP sats to spot Scud-like ballistic missiles in time for the defenses (Patriot/ERINT) to be alerted, as well as to mark the launch site for destruction. The secrecy probably stems from a desire to keep the capabilities of the DSP satellites under wraps. The general objectives of the program are not secret, and in fact have been supported by Congress. This has been discussed in Aviation Week a number of times since the war. George George Allegrezza | Digital Equipment Corporation | "Schmelding." Littleton MA USA | -- Jerry Lewis allegrezza@tnpubs.enet.dec.com | ------------------------------ From: dougt@u011.oh.vp.com (Doug Tiffany) Date: Thu, 5 May 94 7:50:27 EDT Subject: Desert Rat Our outside mail server has been down for awhile. The last Groom Lake Desert Rat I received was on 4-11-94. Can any one tell me if there has been one since? Could I also persuade you to send it to me?? Thanks in advance. - -- Douglas J. Tiffany (dougt@u011.oh.vp.com) Varco-Pruden Buildings Northern Division Van Wert OH. (419) 238-9533 ------------------------------ From: I am the NRA Date: Thu, 5 May 94 05:23:22 PDT Subject: words, words... >In budget documents, the Defense Support Program spent >203 million dollars in fiscal year 1993 on the "Airborne Reconnaissance >Support Program" (Program Element 0305154I) >and 179 million dollars on this program in fiscal year 1994. >So, why is this unusual? The Defense Support Program is in the satellite field. >I don't understand what DSP is doing flying planes Are they? "Support Program" could mean anything. It could mean funding of mobile terminals for high accuracy sat-nav for the fly-guys. It could mean provision of mapping support for same. It could mean a few a/c to run calibration checks, comparisons photos of known targets. It could mean flying personnel to remote sites. It could mean the item name is misleading, accidentally or otherwise. It could mean that, reports to the contrary, someone is still flying film satellites, neading recovery. >-- their satellites are very advanced and have much greater usefulness than >trying to detect missile launches from an airplane. So, the question becomes: >is the DSP aerial reconnaissance program a cover for another military agency? Could be. grins dwp ------------------------------ From: paul@poboy.b17c.ingr.com (Paul Robichaux) Date: Thu, 5 May 94 8:03:58 CDT Subject: Design drawings wanted I work for Intergraph, the world leader in CAD/CAM/CAE software. (The marketing guys made me put that in.) Specifically, I work on a set of software used to design vehicles: ships, subs, tanks, and so on. We don't have any aircraft models, and we'd like to build some. Our modeling workflow looks something like this: point data -> B-spline curves -> hull surfaces -> compartmentation -> equipment/electrical/hydraulic/etc placement and routing We're looking for design drawings and dimension data for any kind of interesting aircraft. If we have to, we can fall back on a Cessna or something, but we'd much rather model a TR-1 or something a little snazzier. Any pointers or sources would be very much appreciated. I'll also be happy to send more information on our vehicle design s/w to anyone who's interested. Regards, - -Paul Robichaux - -- Paul Robichaux, KD4JZG | Out the 10Base-T port, through the router, perobich@ingr.com | over the leased line, off the bridge, past Intergraph Federal Systems | the firewall... nothing but net. Of course I don't speak for Intergraph. ------------------------------ From: John Regus Date: Thu, 5 May 1994 16:32:57 -0500 (CST) Subject: Re: Design drawings wanted Check a past issue of Popular Science that carried some "speculative" dimensions for the new "Aurora" project aircraft. Let me know about the s/w since I am a sys prog and I am always looking for a way to break my 486DX266 so I can fix it (there's just nothing good on t.v. anymore...except next Wednesday for you cable junkies that get AMC... check out the old Jimmy Stewart film, "No Hiway in the Sky,", he plays an aero/eng looking for a cause for a lot of plane crashes... good film and it has not been shown on t.v. for years... On Thu, 5 May 1994, Paul Robichaux wrote: > I work for Intergraph, the world leader in CAD/CAM/CAE software. (The > marketing guys made me put that in.) Specifically, I work on a set of > software used to design vehicles: ships, subs, tanks, and so on. > > We don't have any aircraft models, and we'd like to build some. Our > modeling workflow looks something like this: > > point data -> B-spline curves -> hull surfaces -> compartmentation -> > equipment/electrical/hydraulic/etc placement and routing > > We're looking for design drawings and dimension data for any kind of > interesting aircraft. If we have to, we can fall back on a Cessna or > something, but we'd much rather model a TR-1 or something a little > snazzier. > > Any pointers or sources would be very much appreciated. I'll also be > happy to send more information on our vehicle design s/w to anyone > who's interested. > > Regards, > -Paul Robichaux > > -- > Paul Robichaux, KD4JZG | Out the 10Base-T port, through the router, > perobich@ingr.com | over the leased line, off the bridge, past > Intergraph Federal Systems | the firewall... nothing but net. > Of course I don't speak for Intergraph. ------------------------------ From: THOMSONAL@CPVA.SAIC.COM Date: Thu, 5 May 1994 17:32:52 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Stealthy references I was cruising through a recent CD ROM of the AIAA bibliographic database and decided to see if it had anything of interest to the skunkish. Somewhat surprisingly, there was a fair number of articles. Some abstracts follow: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A92-47758 The Tonopah years Source: Lockheed Horizons (ISSN 0459-6773), no. 30, May 1992, p. 16-27. Documents available from AIAA Technical Library An overview is presented of the facilities, security arrangements and flight activities at the Tonopah test range in Nevada during the development of the F- 117 stealth fighter. For the first six years, the aircraft operated strictly at night, compressing the intensity of realistic combat scenarios into increasingly demanding training missions. Attention is given to evolution of the training program, introduction of flight simulators and the formation of formal USAF operational squadrons. A92-47757 Dawn of stealth Source: Lockheed Horizons (ISSN 0459-6773), no. 30, May 1992, p. 4-15. Documents available from AIAA Technical Library An overview is presented of the early development of the F-117 fighter and the evolution of studies to develop fighter aircraft with significantly reduced radar detectability. One significant breakthrough was the concept of reducing the complex shape of a traditional aircraft to a finite set of 2D surfaces, thus facetting, or creating a 3D aircraft, not out of smooth, gracefully curved surfaces, but out of a collection of flat panels. A92-55033 Computational methods for stealth design Author: CABLE, VAUGHN P. (Lockheed Advanced Development Co., Sunland, CA) Source: Lockheed Horizons (ISSN 0459-6773), no. 31, Aug. 1992, p. 13-17. Documents available from AIAA Technical Library A review is presented of the utilization of computer models for stealth design toward the ultimate goal of designing and fielding an aircraft that remains undetected at any altitude and any range. Attention is given to the advancements achieved in computational tools and their utilization. Consideration is given to the development of supercomputers for large-scale scientific computing and the development of high-fidelity, 3D, radar-signature- prediction tools for complex shapes with nonmetallic and radar-penetrable materials. A92-55032 Fundamentals of stealth design Author: BROWN, ALAN (Lockheed Corp., Calabasas, CA) Source: Lockheed Horizons (ISSN 0459-6773), no. 31, Aug. 1992, p. 6-12. Documents available from AIAA Technical Library An overview is presented of the various factors involved in the design of aircraft incorporating stealth technology. Attention is given to radar cross section (RCS) fundamentals, the electromagnetic spectrum, RCS square plates, and the SR-71 engine nacelle's basic features. Consideration is given to coatings and absorbers, attenuation by cancellation, component design, the effects of panel edges, and the reduction of IR radiation. N93-18037 Advanced hypersonic aircraft design Author: UTZINGER, ROB; BLANK, HANS-JOACHIM; COX, CRAIG; HARVEY, GREG; MCKEE, MIKE; MOLNAR, DAVE; NAGY, GREG; PETERSEN, STEVE Corporate Source: Ohio State Univ., Cleveland. Dept. of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Publication Date: Jun. 1992 Page: 87P. Publication Note: Sponsored by NASA. Lewis Research Center and GE Report No.: NASA-CR-192046; NAS 1.26:192046 Documents available from AIAA Technical Library The objective of this design project is to develop the hypersonic reconnaissance aircraft to replace the SR-71 and to complement existing intelligence gathering devices. The initial design considerations were to create a manned vehicle which could complete its mission with at least two airborne refuelings. The aircraft must travel between Mach 4 and Mach 7 at an altitude of 80,000 feet for a maximum range of 12,000 nautical miles. The vehicle should have an air breathing propulsion system at cruise. With a crew of two, the aircraft should be able to take off and land on a 10,000 foot runway, and the yearly operational costs were not to exceed $300 million. Finally, the aircraft should exhibit stealth characteristics, including a minimized radar cross-section (RCS) and a reduced sonic boom. The technology used in this vehicle should allow for production between the years 1993 and 1995. ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #80 ******************************** To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@mail.orst.edu". 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