From: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Subject: Skunk Works Digest V5 #351 Reply-To: skunk-works-digest@mail.orst.edu Errors-To: skunk-works-digest-owner@mail.orst.edu Precedence: bulk Skunk Works Digest Thursday, 13 July 1995 Volume 05 : Number 351 In this issue: re: Re: RF-4C's + RS: '95 Re: JP-7 fuel Skunkstock '95 -- participants list owner Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators re: Speed of Sound Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators AW&ST July 10 Matra hypersonic stealth missile F-117 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: (SSG, ANTHONY, MAA, 565) Date: Wed, 12 Jul 95 6:31:29 PDT Subject: re: Re: RF-4C's + RS: '95 John said >I have a scanned image of one of your F-4's taxiing out for a mission, I wish >I could send it to you. Are you on America Online by chance? Thats the only >way I can transfer files. > >I got pictures of the trailers you were talking about. They were the command >posts for the Optic Cobra system. It used a Predator Unmanned Drone to >provide real time images to the commanders. The whole system was profiled >this week in Aviation Week. Very impressive pictures from the Predators! I don't have a reliable way to recieve images through this system and shouldn't anyway. You could send a hard copy to me snail mail c/o the base and I'd be appreciative. Also sent a copy of the Av Week. We are very interested in the UAV's, etc. Tony ------------------------------ From: Michael P Beede Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 09:56:55 -0500 Subject: Re: JP-7 fuel > The sealant isn't exactly injected into the seams of the tanks. Rather, > it's spread carefully all over the inside of the tank. [....] Does this mean that all the tanks are large enough to actually get inside of or do you have to apply it using some long pole-like tool? If the latter, I can see why few people are good at it (after fixing some wallboard recently). Mike ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 12:01:09 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Skunkstock '95 -- participants Due to some problems with our car, "Ol' Blue", who is still at the doctor, we are leaving later than planned, probably this evening. This gives me the opportunity to make some last minute posts, before my forced abstinence from Internet, during our trip. The following people said they want to attend Skunkstock, if they can: * Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl (we are there for sure!); * Peter W. Merlin (sure); * Paul McGinnis (if possible); * Dean Adams (if possible); * Larry (if possible -- with family ?); * Chuck Smith (if possible); * MegaZone (maybe); * Byron Weber (sure); * Jack-Lee Gibbons (if possible); * Richard Soundy (if possible); * Tim Gerlach (who is not on the Internet, yet -- if possible); * Harold G. & Nora Weber (who was a flight test engineer at ADP, and worked on '121' and '2001', and other Skunk Works designs during his 37 year at Lockheed -- if non-smoking!); * Michael A. Dornheim (the AW&ST reporter, who covers California and writes many of the Skunk Works related articles, whom I quote regulary here on the list -- if possible) And hopefully many more. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: Jamie Aycock Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 12:10:43 -0400 (EDT) Subject: list owner Who owns the skunk-works list? I'm having a SW problem,, Jamie ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 12:20:16 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators Here is a list of variable stability aircraft -- as many as I can think of: * 1 Convair NC-131H-CO, serial '53-7793', c/n 245, originally designated C-131B-CO, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF Flight Dynamics Laboratory (FDL); used as "Total In-Flight Simulator" (TIFS) aircraft, since 1969; now out of service; * 1 NT-33A-1-LO, originally designated T-33A-1-LO, serial '51-4120', c/n 580-5414, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF FDL, in 1958; used in 1977 for the "Display Evaluation Flight Test" (DEFT) program and various others; now out of service and replaced by the NF-16D VISTA/MATV; * 1 Lockheed Martin NF-16D-30-GD, originally designated F-16D-39-GD, serial '86-0048', leased back to Lockheed Fort Worth Company (LFWC) and modified and operated for the USAF as "Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft" (VISTA) and "Multi-Axis Thrust-Vectoring" (MATV) testbed with General Electric (GE) "Axisymmetric-Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle" (AVEN); replaced the NT-33A; * 2 Douglas TB-26B-45-DL Invader, one registered 'N9146H', originally designated A-26B-45-DL, serial '44-34165', c/n 27444, and another one, both modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS); both had a Variable Stability System (VSS); used for test pilot training; both now out of service; 'N9146H' is now on display at the Edwards AFB Museum, CA; * 1 Learjet 24F (?), modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF TPS; has VSS; used for test pilot training; replaced TB-26B; * 1 Learjet 25B, registered 'N102VS', c/n 180, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF TPS; has VSS; used for test pilot training; replaced TB-26B; * 1 Bell X-14B, registered 'N704NA', marked 'NASA 704'; originally designated X-14, serial '56-4022', modified to X-14A, registered 'N234NA', marked 'NASA 234', then modified to X-14B, had VSS to simulate the flight characteristics of a variety of VSTOL designs; acquired by NASA ARC on 10/02/1959; out of service after accident with Ron Gerdes, 05/29/1981; * 2 Bell X-22A, BuAerNo '151520' and '151521', the second was modified and operated by Calspan, mainly for the USAF TPS and USN, equipped with VSS to simulate various VSTOL designs; now retired and to be displayed at a NY museum; the first crashed early in the flight test program, and was used for spares and the basis of a ground-based simulator; * 4 Northrop Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream II, used by NASA JSC as "Shuttle Training Aircraft" (STA), simulating Space Shuttle landing flight characteristics: - c/n 144, registered 'N844NA', marked 'NASA 844', (STA 3); acquired on 05/06/1983; - c/n 118, registered 'N845NA', marked 'NASA 845', (STA 4); acquired on 07/05/1989; was previously used as Lockheed PropFan testbed, registered 'N650PF', marked 'NASA 650'; tested in 02/1987; - c/n 146, registered 'N846NA', marked 'NASA 846', (STA 1); acquired on 05/20/1974; - c/n 147, registered 'N847NA', marked 'NASA 847', (STA 2); acquired on 06/13/1974; Other candidates used in the US may be the 2 Grumman X-29A FSW aircraft, the 2 Rockwell/DASA X-31A EFM aircraft, the MDD F/A-18A HARV, the MDD F-15A HIDEC, the modified Sikorsky S-76 ('Shadow' ?) with an RAH-66A cockpit and controls, and several others. Other countries use in-flight variable-stability simulator aircraft too: * in Russia, the Flight Research Institute (FRI) in Schukowski uses: - 1 Tu-154M, registered 'RA-85317'; * in Germany, the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) uses: - 1 VFW 614, called 'ATTAS' [Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft System], registered 'D-ADAM', c/n G-017; - 1 Eurocopter Bo 105, called 'ATTHeS' [Advanced Technologies Testing Helicopter System], registered 'D-HEBV'; - and later its follow-on/replacement, 1 Eurocopter BK 117, called 'ACT-FHS' [Active Control Technology - Flying Helicopter Simulator]; * in the UK, the Defence Research Agency (DRA), which includes for example the old Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Bedford, Farnborough and Boscombe Down: - 1 Harrier T.2/4 (DB), serial 'XW175', called 'VAAC Harrier'; * in France, the Centre d'Essais en Vol (CEV) and maybe other countries, like Japan, Sweden, Canada or China (PRC) also. CCV [Control Configured Vehicle] aircraft, like the HiMAT drones, the Lockheed Martin (then General Dynamics) YF-16A 'CCV', the Boeing NB-52B 'CCV', the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 'CCV', the Mitsubishi F-1 'CCV', etc., could also be considered as belonging to this group. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: Mary Shafer Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 16:22:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators See comments below. I've flown in the two Learjets and the NT-33A; I'm scheduled to fly the VISTA in September. 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, 12 Jul 1995, Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl wrote: > Here is a list of variable stability aircraft -- as many as I can think of: > > * 1 Convair NC-131H-CO, serial '53-7793', c/n 245, originally designated > C-131B-CO, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF Flight Dynamics > Laboratory (FDL); used as "Total In-Flight Simulator" (TIFS) aircraft, > since 1969; now out of service; In service and flying routinely--it was out here doing system simulation for the USAF TPS a couple of months ago and I'm proposing a restricted visibility/synthetic vision/remote optics experiment to be flown next year. > * 1 NT-33A-1-LO, originally designated T-33A-1-LO, serial '51-4120', > c/n 580-5414, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF FDL, in 1958; > used in 1977 for the "Display Evaluation Flight Test" (DEFT) program and > various others; now out of service and replaced by the NF-16D VISTA/MATV; Still in service--they were doing an experiment for the Indonesians or Singaporeans about 2 weeks ago. Does not travel to Edwards anymore because it won't run on JP-8. > * 1 Lockheed Martin NF-16D-30-GD, originally designated F-16D-39-GD, serial > '86-0048', leased back to Lockheed Fort Worth Company (LFWC) and modified > and operated for the USAF as "Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test > Aircraft" (VISTA) and "Multi-Axis Thrust-Vectoring" (MATV) testbed with > General Electric (GE) "Axisymmetric-Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle" (AVEN); > replaced the NT-33A; No longer the MATV, only the VISTA. They pulled out all the MATV stuff and turned it back into VISTA. VISTA may get thrust vectoring, but it won't be the MATV thrust vectoring. > * 2 Douglas TB-26B-45-DL Invader, one registered 'N9146H', originally > designated A-26B-45-DL, serial '44-34165', c/n 27444, and another one, > both modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF Test Pilot School > (TPS); both had a Variable Stability System (VSS); used for test pilot > training; both now out of service; 'N9146H' is now on display at the > Edwards AFB Museum, CA; > > * 1 Learjet 24F (?), modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF TPS; has > VSS; used for test pilot training; replaced TB-26B; It's N101VS (VS as in variable stability). Belongs solely to Calspan; the two TPSs paid for part of the modifications but the plane belongs to Calspan. > * 1 Learjet 25B, registered 'N102VS', c/n 180, modified and operated by > Calspan for the USAF TPS; has VSS; used for test pilot training; replaced > TB-26B; Like N101VS, the sole property of Calspan. Used for research. Only used for test pilot training when 101VS is unavailable. > * 1 Bell X-14B, registered 'N704NA', marked 'NASA 704'; originally designated > X-14, serial '56-4022', modified to X-14A, registered 'N234NA', marked > 'NASA 234', then modified to X-14B, had VSS to simulate the flight > characteristics of a variety of VSTOL designs; acquired by NASA ARC on > 10/02/1959; out of service after accident with Ron Gerdes, 05/29/1981; > > * 2 Bell X-22A, BuAerNo '151520' and '151521', the second was modified and > operated by Calspan, mainly for the USAF TPS and USN, equipped with VSS > to simulate various VSTOL designs; now retired and to be displayed at a NY > museum; the first crashed early in the flight test program, and was used > for spares and the basis of a ground-based simulator; > > * 4 Northrop Grumman G-1159 Gulfstream II, used by NASA JSC as "Shuttle > Training Aircraft" (STA), simulating Space Shuttle landing flight > characteristics: > - c/n 144, registered 'N844NA', marked 'NASA 844', (STA 3); acquired on > 05/06/1983; > - c/n 118, registered 'N845NA', marked 'NASA 845', (STA 4); acquired on > 07/05/1989; was previously used as Lockheed PropFan testbed, registered > 'N650PF', marked 'NASA 650'; tested in 02/1987; > - c/n 146, registered 'N846NA', marked 'NASA 846', (STA 1); acquired on > 05/20/1974; > - c/n 147, registered 'N847NA', marked 'NASA 847', (STA 2); acquired on > 06/13/1974; > > Other candidates used in the US may be the 2 Grumman X-29A FSW aircraft, > the 2 Rockwell/DASA X-31A EFM aircraft, the MDD F/A-18A HARV, the MDD F-15A > HIDEC, the modified Sikorsky S-76 ('Shadow' ?) with an RAH-66A cockpit and > controls, and several others. There was a variable stability F-100C. The X-29s and X-31s were never used as variable stability aircraft, an neither was the HiDEC. Dryden had the GPAS, General Purpose Airborne Simulation, a Jetstar. We also used the F-8 DFBW. > Other countries use in-flight variable-stability simulator aircraft too: > * in Russia, the Flight Research Institute (FRI) in Schukowski uses: > - 1 Tu-154M, registered 'RA-85317'; > * in Germany, the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) > uses: > - 1 VFW 614, called 'ATTAS' [Advanced Technologies Testing Aircraft > System], registered 'D-ADAM', c/n G-017; > - 1 Eurocopter Bo 105, called 'ATTHeS' [Advanced Technologies Testing > Helicopter System], registered 'D-HEBV'; > - and later its follow-on/replacement, 1 Eurocopter BK 117, called > 'ACT-FHS' [Active Control Technology - Flying Helicopter Simulator]; > * in the UK, the Defence Research Agency (DRA), which includes for example > the old Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Bedford, Farnborough and > Boscombe Down: > - 1 Harrier T.2/4 (DB), serial 'XW175', called 'VAAC Harrier'; > * in France, the Centre d'Essais en Vol (CEV) and maybe other countries, > like Japan, Sweden, Canada or China (PRC) also. The Luftwaffe had a variable-stability F-104 and the British currently have a variable-stability Hawk. > CCV [Control Configured Vehicle] aircraft, like the HiMAT drones, the > Lockheed Martin (then General Dynamics) YF-16A 'CCV', the Boeing NB-52B > 'CCV', the SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 'CCV', the Mitsubishi F-1 'CCV', etc., > could also be considered as belonging to this group. The NB-52B is not only not variable-stablity, it's flying the original flight control system. The HiMAT RPRVs (we don't call them drones, they're remotely piloted research vehicles) and the AFTI/F-16 (also F-16 CCV) were never used as variable stability aircraft. ------------------------------ From: Dave Cox Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 15:56:58 Subject: Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators > On Wed, 12 Jul 1995, Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl wrote: > > * 1 Convair NC-131H-CO, serial '53-7793', c/n 245, originally designated > > C-131B-CO, modified and operated by Calspan for the USAF Flight Dynamics > > Laboratory (FDL); used as "Total In-Flight Simulator" (TIFS) aircraft, > > since 1969; now out of service; Pardon the idiot question, but who/what is Calspan? - --dave ------------------------------ From: chosa@chosa.win.net (Byron Weber) Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 18:36:05 Subject: re: Speed of Sound It occurred to me the explanations and formulas for the speed of sound may not be all together understandable to the uninitiated, as functional as they may be. So, I will add the following description: Sound propagates by molecular disturbance in wave form, ie., sound is a funtion of the minimum and maximaum velocity of molecules. The warmer the molecules the faster they move. Sound propagates in the same order of magnitude as the velocity of molecules. Roughly speaking, averaging the velocity of molecules (some carry the disturbance more quickly than others) sound travels about 1/3 to 1/2 the velocity of molecules. After reading what I just wrote, Im not sure that will help anyone. Hopefully it is easier to visualize. Byron Weber ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 21:52:44 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Variable Stability / In-Flight Simulators Thanks a lot for the corrections and the additional information, Mary! I totally forgot about the F-104G CCV of the Luftwaffe. It had an additional empennage with an elevator from another F-104G on its back, together with weights in 2 streamlined pods behind the cockpit, to make the originally stable Starfighter laterally unstable, by moving the center of gravity further ahead. This particular F-104G was built by Fokker as c/n 8100 and was originally marked as 'KG+200', until it received its permanent German Luftwaffe serial '23+91'. After it was transferred to the Wehrtechnische Dienstelle WTD-61 at Manching and converted to a CCV testbed, it received the test aircraft serial '98+36'. It is now out of service. Of the 915 F-104 Starfighters used by the Luftwaffe in 28 years, 269 were lost in accidents and several hundred were given to other countries where some of them still fly, including Turkey, Greece, Taiwan (via USA), Italy, Norway, and 3 to NASA as research and chase planes. The Calspan Corporation is a company, located in Buffalo, NY, which operates VSS-equipped and other aircraft for research and training, on behalf and under contract for the USAF and other government agencies. Calspan has an operating location at Edwards AFB, and maybe also at other sites. It was/is also known as Calspan Advanced Technology Center, and was/is a division of Arvin Industries' Applied Technology Group since 1978. - -- Andreas - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: Kathryn & Andreas Gehrs-Pahl Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 22:24:58 -0400 (EDT) Subject: AW&ST July 10 This issue's cover story is about all the new and wonderful UAVS. :) INDUSTRY OUTLOOK, page 15: - -------------------------- GET'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT "Lockheed Martin Skunk Works is offering a special deal to the U.S. government -- act now and save on reactivating a third SR-71 for reconnaissance. Costs are lower now because the team that is refurbishing the two authorized SR-71s is still intact and has climbed the learning curve (AW&ST May 1, p. 18). After the team disbands, it will be expensive to reassemble the group. The Skunk Works is quoting about $3 million to reactivate tail No. 17968, if a decision is made by mid-August. Previous estimates were about $4 million." NEWS BREAKS, page 19: - --------------------- "Lockheed Martin Corp. dodged possible suspension or debarment from doing business with the Pentagon by acknowledging that its employees conspired to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a sale involving Egyptian C-130s. The charges were settled in January, and on June 30 company officials agreed with the Air Force to submit to three years of special monitoring of Lockheed Martin's ethics compliance program. The settlement means there will be no impediment to the company competing for such future programs such as the Joint Advanced Strike Technology aircraft or F-117X. The Air Force declared that suspension or debarment was not necessary and that the company fully cooperated with the government during the investigation. Lockheed Martin acknowledged improper conduct on the part of its employees and took responibility for the wrongdoing." "A Titan 4 with a classified payload was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral July 10. The U.S. Air Force said the launch would be attempted within the period of 8-11:30 a.m. EDT." [The satellite was launched on July 10, on 08:38 a.m. EDT into a highly elliptical polar orbit, and is believed to be an "Advanced Jumpseat" SIGINT spy satellite, used to eavesdrop on Russian and other Asian communications. -- Andreas] WASHINGTON OUTLOOK, page 21: - ---------------------------- GUESS WHAT? "No one has asked the company publicly, but Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical's new, long-endurance Tier 2+ unmanned aerial vehicle has been designed with hard points for attaching weapons. Two broad types of weapons are being considered: deep strike air-to-ground weapons and kinetic kill vehicles that could destroy enemy ballistic missiles soon after launch. While the Air Force is expected to command the long-range UAV units, the Army is trying to elbow its way into UAVs by supplying the weapons for them. Lt. Gen. Jan Garner, commander of the Army's Space and Strategic Defense Command, is leading the effort to assess such weapons. Defense Dept. officials are leaning toward mounting weapons internally to reduce drag, but designers believe that hard points also could be used to attach extra fuel tanks or additional monitoring sensors for a counter-proliferation role." RALSTON TO THE FORE "Air Combat Command's new chief, Gen. Joseph W. Ralston, is taking the lead for the Air Force to embrace unmanned aerial vehicles. The command is expected to announce soon that it will stand up its first UAV squadron within a few months, probably at Indian Springs Auxiliary Airfield on the restricted ranges north of Nellis AFB, Nev. The base is deserted, except for a guard facility and a nearby bombing range, but Air Force officials intend to set up operations there with a small cadre that would grow as the service defines how to man and organize the unit. Plans call for the command first to operate the Tier 2 Predator medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV. When the stealthy, Tier 3- DarkStar high altitude UAV begins flying, it would be operated initially by the same squadron. Eventually, though, it might shift to a separate unit. Air Force officials say there is some sentiment for the large- payload Tier 2+ to follow a separate path. Because the Tier 2+'s payload and operational profile resemble the U-2, the UAV and the U-2 might be based together at Beale AFB, Calif." SENATE, HOUSE HEAD FOR B-2 BATTLE, page 31: - ------------------------------------------- The Senate Armed Services Committee want the Pentagon to initiate a limited demonstration of a naval version of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works F-117. Lockheed tried several times to sell its F-117X proposal for a near-term Navy stealth attack plane for aircraft carriers. The Senate wants the Navy to procure and field one F-117X prototype for operational evaluations, adding $175 million to the JAST program. This is seen as 'a vote for no confidence in JAST', and comes on top of a call from the House panel to cut JAST funding by $51 million. And finally a whopping 10 articles related to military and research UAVs: INTERNATIONAL MARKET EYES ENDURANCE UAVs, pages 40-43: - ------------------------------------------------------ UAV FORCE CONCEPT, pages 42-43: - ------------------------------- NEW SENSORS SHOW TWO PATHS TO RECONNAISSANCE, pages 42-46: - ---------------------------------------------------------- PREDATOR TO MAKE DEBUT OVER WAR-TORN BOSNIA, pages47-48: - -------------------------------------------------------- TIER 2+ TRICKS ENEMY MISSILES, page 49: - --------------------------------------- ERAST TO PROBE LIMITS OF FLIGHT, pages 50-52: - --------------------------------------------- AURORA FOCUSES UAV EFFORTS ON HIGH-ALTITUDE FLIGHT, pages 52-54: - ---------------------------------------------------------------- IAI REVEALS ENDURANCE UAV, page 54: - ----------------------------------- HUNTER TO PROVIDE DATA FOR TOMAHAWKS IN TEST, pages 55-56: - ---------------------------------------------------------- DECISION TIME APPROACHES FOR DORMANT MANEUVER UAV, pages 56-57: - --------------------------------------------------------------- I don't have enough time to summarize them -- we leave here very soon -- but I will do it when we return from our trip. - -- Andreas [signing off, for a few weeks] - --- --- Andreas & Kathryn Gehrs-Pahl E-Mail: schnars@ais.org 313 West Court St. #305 or: gpahl@raptor.csc.flint.umich.edu Flint, MI 48502-1239 Tel: (810) 238-8469 WWW URL: http://www.umcc.umich.edu/~schnars/ - --- --- ------------------------------ From: Urban_Fredriksson@icl.se (Urban Fredriksson) Date: Thu, 13 Jul 95 7:33:40 MET DST Subject: Matra hypersonic stealth missile Matra has started to develop a stealth ramjet missile with an air to ground range of about 2000 km, and a launch weight of 1400 kg. It's got a pointed nose, a lifting body rear fuselage, two fins on the lower fuselage. Apart from other stealth missiles, it's not got a faceted front, but rather a smooth one. The upper rear fuselage on the other hand seems faceted. Hard to describe with words, but I've made a drawing available on http://www.ki.icl.se/urf/matra.gif at least for a while. [Flight International 12-18 July 1995] - -- Urban Fredriksson urf@icl.se http://www.ki.icl.se/urf/urf.htm ------------------------------ From: Wei-Jen Su Date: Thu, 13 Jul 1995 02:18:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: F-117 Hello all, Anyone know the log or background of the F-117 display at the Air Force Base Museum in Dayton, Ohio? It was really flyable or just a mock-up of that airplane? I don't think that airplane was coated with RAM (Radar Absortion Material) because I remember the story when the F-117 arrived for the first time in the Paris Air Show, the French president in that time, tried to touch the F-117 when suddenly the US soldier in charge of the security of the airplane yell: "Don't touch!!!" :() This is because the president of France might use his ring to scratch the RAM of the F-117 and then later analyse... So, I don't think the F-117 is coated with RAM because anybody can touch the airplane at the museum... Live Long and Prosper Su Wei-Jen wsu02@barney.poly.edu ------------------------------ End of Skunk Works Digest V5 #351 ********************************* 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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