From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #89 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Wednesday, 25 May 1994 Volume 05 : Number 089 In this issue: Air Force 2 question IRCM Pods. Address for Blackbird Aviation Re: Air Force 2 question Re: Air Force 2 question Auroa and mothership 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: Norman_Heyen Date: Tue, 24 May 94 11:47:29 CDT Subject: Air Force 2 question Hi folks- This isn't exactly skunky, but it's not like the traffic has been heavy lately.. A friend was down to graduation at U of I and brough back pictures (from a distance) of Hillary's Air Force 2. Mounted between the wing and the engine is a pod of some sort. The nearest we could guess at was some sort of countermeasure, like flares or chaff. Any one got a real explaination? Thanks! Norman - -- Internet: neheyen@cadnet.micro.honeywell.com | He who dies with the most toys, AOL : Norman1927 | still dies ... ------------------------------ From: tpoole@psi.wilmer.com (Poole, Timothy) Date: Tue, 24 May 94 15:12:23 EST Subject: IRCM Pods. If it's what I think it is, the pod your friend is referrign to is located directly inbetween the wing and the engine, kind of like it's part of the engine mount. If you look at the rear of this pod, you will see what looks like a lens. This device is used for IRCM (InfraRed CounterMeasures) purposes, with it's main intent being to mask the thermal signature of the engines to keep infra-red seeking missles, etc. from being able to lock on. Hope that helps. ------------------------------ From: gt6745b@prism.gatech.edu Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 19:46:12 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Address for Blackbird Aviation Hi there! I was wondering if someone out there could possibly e-mail me the address and/or telephone number for Blackbird Aviation so I could get a catalog sent to me. Also, if you just happen to know it, could someone send my the address and price information for Jane's Defense Weekly and Aviation Week and Space Technology. Thanks, Michael - -- COMBAT AIRCRAFT: A mix Michael David Knight | of sharp teeth, cold Georgia Tech (404)206-1119 /O\ steel, cosmic warlords, Aerospace Engineering \_______[|(.)|]_______/ and evil spirits gt6745b@prism.gatech.edu o ++ O ++ o ------------------------------ From: John Regus Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 20:23:27 -0500 (CST) Subject: Re: Air Force 2 question I am willing to bet it is nothing more than a air to ground comm pod. On Tue, 24 May 1994, Norman_Heyen wrote: > Hi folks- > > This isn't exactly skunky, but it's not like the traffic has been heavy lately.. > > A friend was down to graduation at U of I and brough back pictures (from a distance) > of Hillary's Air Force 2. Mounted between the wing and the engine is a pod > of some sort. The nearest we could guess at was some sort of countermeasure, like > flares or chaff. > > Any one got a real explaination? > > Thanks! > Norman > > -- > Internet: neheyen@cadnet.micro.honeywell.com | He who dies with the most toys, > AOL : Norman1927 | still dies ... ------------------------------ From: tim@umcc.umich.edu (Tim Tyler) Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 22:27:06 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Air Force 2 question > I am willing to bet it is nothing more than a air to ground comm pod. > Hope you weren't going to bet too much $$$. > > A friend was down to graduation at U of I and brough back pictures (from a distance) > > of Hillary's Air Force 2. Mounted between the wing and the engine is a pod > > of some sort. The nearest we could guess at was some sort of countermeasure, like > > flares or chaff. > > > > Any one got a real explaination? As someone pointed out, they're IRCM pods. They were a big secret when first installed on some ofthe 89th AW's aircraft a little over a decade ago, & at the time were referred to as "The System." - -- Tim Tyler Internet: tim@ais.org Packet: KA8VIR @WB8ZPN.#SEMI.MI.USA.NA P.O. Box 443 C$erve:72571,1005 GEnie:Sneaker AOL:Hooligan MCI: 442-5735 Ypsilanti MI "I'm just an innocent little frog, trying to 48197 hop my way across the Information Superhighway" ------------------------------ From: John Regus Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 22:44:49 -0500 (CST) Subject: Auroa and mothership Dear Skunks; I don't know how many of you read the 2/94 copy of "Popular Mechanics" since it really is not part of the National Intelligence Estimate briefings :}, but they did provide the information about the "Aurora" tests being done near England, etc. First, some have believed that "Aurora" has been a SSTO vehicle with scramjet engines. According to PM your right. Second, some believe that "Aurora" has been mothership that launched another aircraft. Almost right. How many of you remember NASP? The National Space Plane project? Well PM sez that project was taken over from NASA by the old Star Wars group to build a mothership and air launched vehicle to intercept incoming ICBMs etc. Also, the guy who is part of Lockheed's skunk department said that scramjet was impossible for the NASP etc. and was contradicted by the head of the European Space Agency who said that all of the crawfishing was a cover for "Aurora" and the technology of a scramjet did exist. If someone knows how to ftp or gopher a library and can download and disseminate that article to all of the skunks, we would have one heck of a lot to talk about (particularly about how the Russians engine technology was part of the design). P.S. I still think the B-2 is a viable new generation AWACS. ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #89 ******************************** 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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