From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #259 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Thursday, 4 May 1995 Volume 05 : Number 259 In this issue: Secrecy web site Further information on 5.1.60 U-2 downing Re: X-33 Re: X-33 John Andrews Update 5/4 (last one needed) Here's a story of a different color. 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: Tue, 2 May 95 23:58:22 PDT Subject: Secrecy web site After much prodding, I've decided to upgrade my FTP site to be a Web site. It's still under construction, but you can reach it through URL http://www.portal.com/~trader/home.html Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com / PaulMcG@aol.com ------------------------------ From: David Lednicer Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 09:33:48 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Further information on 5.1.60 U-2 downing Recently, further information has come to light regarding the shooting down of Francis Gary Powers' U-2 over the USSR on May 1, 1960. In his book, Powers reports seeing a second parachute descending. Penkovsky in his reports claimed that a MiG-19 was shot down by the SAM barage that claimed Powers. The following appeared in the July 1990 issue of World Press Review: U-2 SECRET REVEALED When Gary Powers' U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviets in 1960, medals were awarded to the troops who helped bring it down. In a recent article marking the anniversary of the incident, the Communist Party organ Pravda revealed a 30-year cover-up. "The Anti-Aircraft Defense Command officially announced that only one missile was fired at Powers," says Pravda. "That was untrue. There was at least two or three, since as a result of a mistake by radar operators and uncoordinated actions by unit commanders, one of them shot down our fighter. Sr. Lt. Sergei Safronov was killed... Out of consideration of prestige, orders were given (obviously at the highest level) to keep quiet about the tragedy." A follow-up item in Pravda quotes a government employee who was six years old in 1960 as saying that he saw Safronov heroically steer his plunging plane to avoid May Day paraders before crashing. An official ceremony shortly after the event honored the anti-aircraft gunners who shot down Powers, but no mention was made of Safronov. "One can only guess what those who knew the truth were feeling in their souls," Pravda says. Additionally, The Los Angeles Times recently had an interesting article by David Wise, co-author of the 1962 book "the U-2 Affair". In the article, titled "The Russian Behind the Downing of Powers' U-2," Wise relates a conversation with Col. Gen. Georgi Aleksandrovich Mikhailov. Apparently, Mikhailov was deputy chief of operations for the Soviet air-defense command in 1960 and was involved in (or at least aware of) the effort to shoot down Powers' U-2. During the interview (which ocurred last year in Moscow), Mikhailov related some details of the attack against the U-2: "We hit him at nearly 22,000 meters (about 72,200 feet) with a C-75 rocket," Mikhailov said, giving the Soviet name for the SA-2. "Our maximum range was 25,000 meters (82,000 feet) for that rocket in that configuration. His altitude at any given point depended on fuel. As the U-2 burned fuel, it rose to higher altitudes." At the start of the flight from Peshawar, Pakistan, the general added, "Powers was at 19,000 meters (62,335 feet). By the time he reached Sverdlovsk, he was almost 22,000 meters. Had he reached Norway, he would have been at 24 or 25,000 meters (about 78,700 to 82,000 feet), at the edge of our range." (The second set of information is courtesy of Eric Chevalier) - ------------------------------------------------------------------- David Lednicer | "Applied Computational Fluid Dynamics" Analytical Methods, Inc. | email: dave@amiwest.com 2133 152nd Ave NE | tel: (206) 643-9090 Redmond, WA 98052 USA | fax: (206) 746-1299 ------------------------------ From: David Windle Date: Wed, 03 May 1995 17:59:47 Subject: Re: X-33 > Subject: Time:8:43 AM > OFFICE MEMO RE>>X-33 Date:3/3/95 > >I hope I am not the only one here.... > >I have no idea what an aerospike or a linear rocket engine is. Does someone >want to post a description to bring everyone up to the same level of >understanding? > >I (and I am sure some other lurkers) would appreciate it, >- Christian ____________________________________________________________________________ Christian I just found your query on Linear Aerospike Engines that was prompted by my original request for info..it's amazing what's kicking around inside a computer ! I don't know whether you got your reply, but I received some information from LADC on their X-33 proposal including a good description of the LAE. Their X-33 is an intersting combination of new and not so new technologies which is so typical of them-very clever. If you still need an explanation or if anyone else is still perplexed, I'll pass on what I've got either here or privately. Sorry for the delay! But better late than..... BTW When does the SR-71 aerospike test begin Mary-and what exactly will you be doing ? Best regards David ------------------------------ From: Mary Shafer Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 19:28:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: X-33 I'll be doing the stability and control and handling qualities. We're just waiting on some paperwork to send theplane down to start the mods--I think we'll fly some time around the New Year. Regards, mary Mary Shafer DoD #0362 KotFR shafer@ursa-major.spdcc.com URL http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/People/Shafer/mary.html Some days it don't come easy/And some days it don't come hard Some days it don't come at all/And these are the days that never end.... On Wed, 3 May 1995, David Windle wrote: > > > Subject: Time:8:43 AM > > OFFICE MEMO RE>>X-33 Date:3/3/95 > > > >I hope I am not the only one here.... > > > >I have no idea what an aerospike or a linear rocket engine is. Does someone > >want to post a description to bring everyone up to the same level of > >understanding? > > > >I (and I am sure some other lurkers) would appreciate it, > >- Christian > ____________________________________________________________________________ > > Christian > > I just found your query on Linear Aerospike Engines that was prompted by my > original request for info..it's amazing what's kicking around inside a > computer ! > > I don't know whether you got your reply, but I received some information > from LADC on their X-33 proposal including a good description of the LAE. > Their X-33 is an intersting combination of new and not so new > technologies which is so typical of them-very clever. > > If you still need an explanation or if anyone else is still perplexed, > I'll pass on what I've got either here or privately. > > Sorry for the delay! But better late than..... > > BTW When does the SR-71 aerospike test begin Mary-and what exactly will > you be doing ? > > Best regards > > David > > ------------------------------ From: kuryakin@halcyon.com (Illya Kuryakin) Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 01:23:17 -0500 Subject: John Andrews Update 5/4 (last one needed) John is recovering rapidly. His cancer has been determined to be the type that is non-aggressive with the possibility of no treatment being required. He still can't talk yet but otherwise he is doing very well. He has been moved to the Sharps Rehabilitation Hospital. If anyone would still like to send cards... at the request of the family please send them to: John Andrews 8180 Santa Arminta San Diego, CA 92126-1243 Rick Pavek kuryakin@arn.net Illya Kuryakin "HA!!" U.N.C.L.E. Network Services Ruby kuryakin@halcyon.com Galactic Gumshoe They told me to put a disclaimer here. And _I_ run the place. :} ------------------------------ From: kuryakin@halcyon.com (Illya Kuryakin) Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 01:26:58 -0500 Subject: Here's a story of a different color. Two months ago, five H-60 helicopters stopped briefly in Amarillo, TX for lunch. What was odd about these was not merely the type... but that they were all painted a uniform flat black. No markings of any kind, national or servicing. The crews were in the FBO's restaurant in standard gray flight coveralls... with no markings of any kind. The crews spoke only in fluent Russian. They also looked Russian. Comments anyone? Why would Russian crews be flying unmarked US Helicopters? Illya kuryakin@halcyon.com Illya Kuryakin "HA!!" U.N.C.L.E. Network Services Ruby kuryakin@halcyon.com Galactic Gumshoe They told me to put a disclaimer here. And _I_ run the place. :} ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #259 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@mail.orst.edu". If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-skunk-works": subscribe skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe skunk-works-digest in the body. Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent to either "skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu" or, if you don't like to type a lot, "prm@mail.orst.edu A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "skunk-works-digest" in the commands above with "skunk-works". Back issues are available for anonymous FTP from mail.orst.edu, in /pub/skunk-works/digest/vNN.nMMM (where "NN" is the volume number, and "MMM" is the issue number).