From: owner-skunk-works-digest@ (skunk-works-digest) To: skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V6 #49 Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Sender: owner-skunk-works-digest@ Errors-To: owner-skunk-works-digest@ Precedence: bulk skunk-works-digest Tuesday, May 13 1997 Volume 06 : Number 049 In this issue: Re: "A-17" and Cannon and Stuff Nellis Airshow Re: YF-22 Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Puma VTOL UAV Is the list still active? (fwd) Returned mail: Service unavailable (fwd) Returned mail: Service unavailable Bill Sweetman in Long Island Bill Sweetman in Long Island COMMANDO SOLO Discovery channel tonight (5/8) Looking at Keyholes Re: COMMANDO SOLO Re: COMMANDO SOLO And I thought all these things were a coincidence....... Re: Returned mail: User unknown Non-Lockeed but definitely skunky new thread :) Re: Non-Lockeed but definitely skunky new thread :) LeVier "finger" to Kelly then Kelly says "You too"(Buddy)= U-2 True or False? Dark Eagles review 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 10:40:47 -0700 From: larry@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: "A-17" and Cannon and Stuff Brett Davidson writes: >Thanks to everyone for the clarifications on Cannon AFB. Yes, thanks Pat and others for sharing something about the legitimacy of the 'A-17' and the Cannon story. I've also told you guys stuff about where the shape reported to be the A-17's shape came from. Netting it out, I don't believe in the A-17 at all, because there is more against it than for it. >The march issue of Air Forces Monthly has finally arrived here. I managed >to save myself some money by not buying it. You were wise! > Their article on the Boscombe >Down incident is almost amusing. It's pure rubbish! I've never seen a worse example of conclusions supported by NO factual information in my life! I believe even less about the Boscombe Down incident than before I read the story! > It's a classic example of the >one-size-fits-all story: it's a spyplane, it's a bomber, it's an asphalt >spreader, it's a lawnmower! But wait, there's more! How much would you >expect to pay?! Just... etc etc etc. > >... > I think that this is what they were trying to say: > >It's the "A-17" but it's also "Aurora" and the "TR-3" and the "Brilliant >Buzzard" also, or one aircraft is responsible for all of these reports. > >It's a co-op project between McDonnell Douglas, Northrop and Lockheed >(Martin, I presume). Yes, in other words, by chance (smaller than 50/50 in my opinion) if there is such an airplane, we're bound to get at least part of it right! :) >Well, I'm being unkind, but the article is rather extreme. No you're not! :) >... >Sorry, this morning's coffee was too strong. AFM is usually quite good. AFM has gone down a notch in my book! They gave in to the dark side! >It does highlight the basic paradox/extremes of black aircraft research - >either every sighting, because of apparent differences must refer to a >different aircraft, or everything is the same plane seem from a different >angle. Just how many categories/bins does one sort sightings into? In my opinion the problem is that they don't understand the concept of a 'sighting'. Or if they do, they don't do me the service of explaining to me the evidence for why they believe the BD incident is worthy of my belief. Nor do they do me the service of explaining the reasons behind their huge speculations about how this unknown aircraft is everything they say it is. Regards, Larry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 13:58:39 -0400 (EDT) From: MiGEater1@aol.com Subject: Nellis Airshow Greetings all, Because there has been some interest regarding the Nellis show, I thought I'd post this. I have uploaded some images that I captured out at the Nellis Golden Air Tattoo into my web page. There are nine photos so far inlcuding the SR-71 fly-by (in burner!), the Predator, and both B-2's that made an appearence. Follow the link the USAF 50th Anninversary at Nellis AFB from the main page. http://www.ziplink.net/~jclark home of Aviation Photographics. The page will be uploaded at 6:00 pm EST May 5th, 1997. John Clark ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 17:48:10 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: YF-22 Anderson, Richard W wrote: > > > In the pictures I remember seeing, both of the YF-22s carried civil > registration numbers, so has the serial number (84-022 I think) on the > one displayed at Nellis been applied retroactively or did someone just > get carried away when they gave the plane its new paint job? > When owned by Lockheed, the two YF-22a's used to carry the civil identification as follows: SN 3997 - N22YF SN 3998 - N22YX My guess is, that the Air Force now has ownership, and the birds were given the AF numbers. Wayne Wayne Busse wings@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~wings ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 18:07:14 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" ahanley@usace.mil wrote: > > I was at the El Toro MCAS air show on the 26th, and the B-2 made two passes > there before proceeding on to Nellis. A couple of things: One thing that I > note very time I see the B-2 at anairshow is the enormous amount of airspace it > takes to make a turn. I don't know if that is a function of the way it's > designed, or if they fly it Extremely conservatively because they don't want > anything to happen to a plane that expensive at a display. Hope it's the > latter. > I've seen the B-2 a number of times, and the maneuvers all appeared leisurly. The clamshell control surfaces toward the wingtips, probably don't allow for as abrupt direction changes less stealthy aircraft are able to perform. The Spirit shouldn't need to jink around a lot anyway, if the stealth works. > B-2 was quieter than many of the fighters, but not outstandingly so. Probably depends on the level of power cranked in. Saw B-2's in the Mohave with a chase plane, that were relatively quiet. Then again, when they're coming over my house climbing to altitude, they are LOUD. Distinctive sound, somewhat like a non noise-suppressed DC-9, only throatier. Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net wbusse@johnco.cc.ks.us ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 May 97 18:14:27 nA From: ahanley@usace.mil Subject: Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" My only reservation would be (and maybe this is only true when the B-2 is low and slow) thhat if they ever had to use it in the daylight it would really, really be vulnerable. Then again, so is a nuke SSN if it's caught on the surface! Art Hanley Not even an electron of this message is associated with even a proton of my employer's views, even on the quantum level ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 19:44:33 -0600 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Art Hanley wrote: >My only reservation would be (and maybe this is only true when the B-2 is low >and slow) thhat if they ever had to use it in the daylight it would really, >really be vulnerable. Sure, daylight would be more of a problem, but a missile would still have to see it. Many modern gun systems are radar or infra-red guided too, so good old cross-hairs and "Kentucky windage" would have to do. Gunfire would be a risk, but when you've seen a B-2 bank and dissapear before your eyes, the advantages of a thin cross-section become evident. They're just darn hard to see. Wayne Wayne Busse wings@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~wings ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 May 97 19:03:09 nA From: ahanley@usace.mil Subject: Re: "Golden Air Tattoo" Well, Accordin to RADM (Ret) Gilchrist {I think I spelled it right], less capable versions of the optical detection and tracking system on the F-14D have demonstrated a capability to find and track the B-2 (on clear days) in excess of 40 miles! Art "Boy! Am I gonna get in trouble!" Hanley If these were my employer's positions I'd have said so. They weren't, so I didn't. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 21:43:56 -0600 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Puma VTOL UAV Just an interesting note: Puma VTOL UAV to undergo flight testing this year with $15 million appropriation. Photo> http://www.acq.osd.mil/daro/homepage/uav96/vtol.jpg Wayne Wayne Busse wings@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~wings ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 06 May 1997 04:14:22 GMT From: blackbird@telis.org (Jon Price (PJ)) Subject: Is the list still active? Or did I just get dropped again? Been gone for a week and a half and no postings in that time? Have not reliever any replies to majordomo queries either. Jon Price (PJ) ********************************************************* You run and run to catch up with the sun but its sinking, Racing around to come up behind you again. Sun is the same in a relative way but you're older. Shorter of breath and one day closer to Death. Pink Floyd **************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 01:16:48 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: (fwd) Returned mail: Service unavailable On Tue, 6 May 1997 21:14:11 -0400, Mail Delivery Subsystem wrote: Hello: Sorry to send this to the list, but I'm stumped and need to reach this person. All mail I try to send out to blackbird@telis.org is bouncing as shown below. Can some one get ahold of PJ and let him know this?? Thanks, George On Tue, 06 May 1997 19:14:21 GMT, you wrote: >Hi George, >Just got back from a week and a half trip and had no mail from either >list. Sent several inquiries to majordomo@netwrx1.com as well as a >post to the list. No reply from the inquiries nor did the post to the >list ever show up. What's up? > Jon Price (PJ) > *From the Eastern Slopes of* > *The Beautiful High Sierra* > *Bishop, California, USA* > blackbird@telis.org > Jon: All mail the list tries to send your way bounces...what address should be there since blackbird@telis.org doesn't work? George ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 07 May 1997 01:34:45 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: (fwd) Returned mail: Service unavailable On Wed, 07 May 1997 01:16:48 GMT, georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) wrote: On Tue, 6 May 1997 21:14:11 -0400, Mail Delivery Subsystem wrote: Hello: Sorry to send this to the list, but I'm stumped and need to reach this person. All mail I try to send out to blackbird@telis.org is bouncing as shown below. Can some one get a hold of PJ and let him know this?? Thanks, George On Tue, 06 May 1997 19:14:21 GMT, you wrote: >Hi George, >Just got back from a week and a half trip and had no mail from either >list. Sent several inquiries to majordomo@netwrx1.com as well as a >post to the list. No reply from the inquiries nor did the post to the >list ever show up. What's up? > Jon Price (PJ) > *From the Eastern Slopes of* > *The Beautiful High Sierra* > *Bishop, California, USA* > blackbird@telis.org > Jon: All mail the list tries to send your way bounces...what address should be there since blackbird@telis.org doesn't work? George ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 02:22:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Wei-Jen Su Subject: Bill Sweetman in Long Island Good news for peoples living near Long Island (NY) and NYC. AIAA Long Island Section have a dinner meeting in Thursday, May 22, 1997. The speaker is Bill Sweetman and he is going to talk about: "TALES FROM THE CRYPT: Everything You Wanted To Know But Wheren't Cleared To Asl". For more information you can contact to Tony Castrogiovanni (Tel: 516-737-6100, ext. 128) Hopefully he will talk the latest news from "the black world". I will post in the list if he talk about something new. Also, Popular Mechanics of June 1997 has a article about "The New Area 51" by Jim Wilson. Haven't read it yet, but looks interesting. May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@utopia.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 08 May 1997 10:20:04 -0700 From: "A.J. Craddock" Subject: Bill Sweetman in Long Island If you really want to know what is going on in "the black world" suggest you listen to Dr. Steven Greer's report tonight on the Art Bell Show (11pm PDT, 2 am EDT), about CSETI's Closed Briefing to Members of Congress in DC on April 9th re the blackest projects of all. Further details are at http://www.cseti.org or http://www.artbell.com/stations.html Tony Craddock Su Wei-Jen writes: Good news for peoples living near Long Island (NY) and NYC. AIAA Long Island Section have a dinner meeting in Thursday, May 22, 1997. The speaker is Bill Sweetman and he is going to talk about: "TALES FROM THE CRYPT: Everything You Wanted To Know But Wheren't Cleared To Asl". For more information you can contact to Tony Castrogiovanni (Tel: 516-737-6100, ext. 128) Hopefully he will talk the latest news from "the black world". I will post in the list if he talk about something new. Also, Popular Mechanics of June 1997 has a article about "The New Area 51" by Jim Wilson. Haven't read it yet, but looks interesting. May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@utopia.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 11:25:35 -0700 From: "Gentile, Larry" Subject: COMMANDO SOLO Hi all, I thought I'd pass along this tidbit of info and I'd like the lists comments and/or corrections. Watching The Learning Channel last night, they had a show all about the future of warfare (Third Wave warfare, PsyOps, etc.). They showed a recently declassified program. The name of the program was COMMANDO SOLO. It is a modified C-130 Hercules outfitted with the capability to infiltrate any FM/AM/Military/Television/Short Wave signal. It was used in Desert Storm to broadcast propaganda over Iraqi radio and television. Saying things like "Retreat North, that is where the bombing and starvation stops, etc." Truly amazing technology. Of course they went on to talk about the next step which is direct mind control, ie. beaming signals directly into the mind of the enemy, creating emotions of fear, panic, etc. Please add your comments if you know any more about this program. Larry Gentile FileNet Corporation lgentile@filenet.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 16:12:41 -0400 From: gregweigold@pmsc.com (GREG WEIGOLD) Subject: Discovery channel tonight (5/8) WINGS - The F-15 Eagle bombs SCUD sites and downs Iraqi planes; the Nighthawk flies undetected into Baghdad. (10p ET) Thought this might interest some on the list. I'd love to see it, but we don't have cable in our area, or running water, or electricity..... ********************************************************************** * Greg Weigold, Prog/Analyst Supr. Columbia, SC * * Supr. Tech Support Life Services * * CyberLife Development (Columbia) * * 803-333-6952 803-333-5788(fax) gregweigold@pmsc.com * ********************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 08:09:33 +1200 From: Brett Davidson Subject: Looking at Keyholes I noticed at the Federation of American Scientists site they are advertising Charles Vick's artworks. For those who don't know, he has for a few decades now been producing very precisely drafted reconstructions of secret or hypothetical spacecraft. This series covers mainly Keyhole, Lacrosse etc etc - which were featured in a recent Pop Sci. Excellent drawings, well thought out, beautiful to look at. You try doing ellipses like that by hand and not computer! Federation of American Scientists Space Policy Project: http://www.fas.org/spp/ Also, the Mystery Aircraft page has been updated to include entries on Hyper-X and the Military Spaceplane project that was announced last year: http://www.fas.org/irp/mystery - --Brett ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 09:29:16 +1200 From: Brett Davidson Subject: Re: COMMANDO SOLO >SOLO. It is a modified C-130 Hercules outfitted with the capability to >infiltrate any FM/AM/Military/Television/Short Wave signal. It was used >in Desert Storm to broadcast propaganda over Iraqi radio and television. > Saying things like "Retreat North, that is where the bombing and >starvation stops, etc." > >Truly amazing technology. Of course they went on to talk about the next >step which is direct mind control, ie. beaming signals directly into the >mind of the enemy, creating emotions of fear, panic, etc. Sounds like conspiracy theory. There is a physical basis, however: infrasound can cause basic physiological reactions with behavioral consequences. Car designers and engineers have been working on eradicating resonances from structures. For example, a ten hertz infrasonic signal will cause drowsiness, thirteen hertz is likely to increase tension, unease, even fear, seven hertz may affect the heart, another frequency can cause nausea (hence one of the causes of carsickness?). Also, bright strobe lights at the right frequency will provoke epiliptic fits in some people. These are physical, reflexive phenomena. As "nonlethal" weapons are all the rage right now, I would suppose that there has been a lot of applied research in the area. There is a difference between making someone ill with light and sound and electromagnetic "mind control" however: I think that the reporter was getting a little excited. Also, these techniques are non-specific. An infrasound transmitter or strobe light may make me... er...embarass myself... but it won't make me do anything specific like surrender or buy Coke. "Subliminal messages" are also something of an urban myth - studies (sorry, no specific citations) have shown little real effect. These techniques could, I think, only be used as a supplement to conventional tactics - if you want to frighten someone (or make them sick), you also need to show them something plausible to be frightened of ie: no soldiers in pink bunny suits carrying infrasound transmitters. It'll still be tanks and helicopters. - --Brett ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 May 1997 17:24:35 -0600 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: COMMANDO SOLO Larry Gentile wrote: >Watching The Learning Channel last night, they had a show all about the >future of warfare (Third Wave warfare, PsyOps, etc.). They showed a >recently declassified program. The name of the program was COMMANDO >SOLO. It is a modified C-130 Hercules outfitted with the capability to >infiltrate any FM/AM/Military/Television/Short Wave signal. _Snip_ The program using the EC-130E, known as "Rivet Rider is part of the Air Force Special Operations Command has been used in Haiti and Bosnia. The EC-!30E is operated by the 193 SOG, an ANG unit in Pennsylvania. Try these URL's: http://www.hqafsoc.hurlburt.af.mil/193rd.html There's a really nice photo at the above location. More info on the program: http://users.deltanet.com/%7Eecpsyops/ Wayne Wayne Busse wings@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~wings ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 15:40:52 -0700 From: patrick@e-z.net Subject: And I thought all these things were a coincidence....... > 970562. Dyess B-1 hits 4,000 hours first > by Sheila Thompson > 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs > > DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A B-1 from the 28th Bomb Squadron > here became the first to reach the 4,000 flying area mark April 24. > > It reached the milestone shortly after takeoff from Dyess en route to > Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for the Air Force 50th Anniversary Golden > Air Tattoo. > > "We orchestrated this," said Lt. Col. Mark Roland, squadron maintenance > officer. "When we received the request for the Nellis air show, we set > ourselves a goal to fly the aircraft so we would hit its 4,000 hours on > its way to the air show. It was a way to add our own little importance > to the air show." > > Upon takeoff from Dyess, tail number 860132, or "Oh Hard Luck," had > 3999.5 hours. As it reached 4,000 hours it flew over the runway. > > "It felt good to us to see it happen because we put it in the air and we > got to hit the milestone here," said Tech. Sgt. Lorenzo Garcia, 28th BS > crew chief. > > "We feel it's important because of unit pride, to be the first ones to > fly an aircraft to that particular point," said Roland. "Also, it shows > the maturity of the weapons system, that we've flown that many hours on > an airframe." > > "We're entering a new phase of the B-1," said Maj. Thomas Arko, pilot. > "The future is bright for this weapons system. It'll be in the > inventory for a long time." > > "The B-1 continues to impress us with its capability," said Maj. Randy > Coggins, aircraft commander and instructor pilot. "It has always been > an impressive weapons system." > > Making it to the 4,000 hour point is cause for bragging rights, said > Roland. > > "The 9th Bomb Squadron (at Dyess) barely made it to 3,000 hours first," > he said. "After that we knew we had to reach 4,000 first. It's a > friendly competition and it's a matter of unit pride." The 9th BS has a > B-1 with 3,900 flying hours. > > "The aircrew planned to brag about it to the other bomber crews at the > air chow," said Garcia. "The other crews just wanted to see it done." > > "I told Colonel Roland, after we were second to 3,000 that this aircraft > would be the first to 4,000," said Tech. Sgt. Timothy Perkins, crew > chief. "It's just a reliable aircraft and I knew it could do it." > > Because of its reliability, "Oh Hard Luck" has been designated the > squadron's lead aircraft, according to Roland. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 01:53:12 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: Re: Returned mail: User unknown On Fri, 09 May 1997 23:27:27 GMT, you wrote: >hOn Fri, 9 May 1997 02:13:11 -0500 (CDT), you wrote: >Hi George, >I am sending this to you in the blind. I am still not receiving >anything from the list, the digest, or directly from you. I am sorry >for any problems that this has caused. I have no idea what is going >on. The rest of my e-mail seems to be coming thru OK, but anything >from the list is not making it. I have not changed addresses in over >a year and blackbird@telis.org is the only address that I have. I am >going to talk to Telis and see what they say. Also, in the blind, I >am going to unsubscribe to the list and digest, and then resubscribe. >Again, sorry for any problems. >>>Maybe this will get through this time, maybe you've heard from others? It >>>sure doesn't seem to work from my end. Jon: IT made it here. Did you get this?? George ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 12:17:49 -0700 From: fsalles@trip.com.br (Felipe Salles) Subject: Non-Lockeed but definitely skunky new thread :) Traffic's been light on the list and I take a chance to start an interesting new subject: On Bill Gunston's very well written 1986 "Mikoyan MiG-21" from Osprey in page 114/115 there's a pretty nice color picture of a MiG-21F-13 flown in US livery "operating from the Nellis complex (probably Indian Sprigs AFB)" No credit is given to the origin of the picture. This is the only such picture for a Soviet fighter in US soil that I ever ran into. Although Col. Bond's MiG-23 accident in the mid-80's got people talking about a whole squadron of Soviet fighters being available for dissimilar aircraft training, no details or photografic evidence ever seeped out. Can anyone comment or add new input to this story ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 12:29:51 +1200 (NZST) From: Kerry Ferrand Subject: Re: Non-Lockeed but definitely skunky new thread :) I can't remember the book (may be Peeble's "Dark Eagles" but I think its older.), but I recall seeing a multiple shots of the MiG-21 in USAF markings and later the same aircraft in Israeli markings..even some air-to-air shots of it with 'stars and bars' proudly displayed. Most of the pictures were B&W but there were a couple in a colour plate insert. I think there are also afew MiG-17 & 19s that appeared at USAF museums without any good explanation of what they were doing in the US. More recently, Popular Science or Mechanics published a shot of a camouflaged Su-17/22 type aircraft doing as low pass over some Area-51 'researchers'. A couple of years ago a unmarked (except a serial number) MiG-23 variant was photographed on the tarmac during one of the Fighter contest meetings..I don't recall what base. Oh well, sorry about the bad memory:) Kerry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 May 1997 21:54:55 -0700 From: santiagoj@delphi.com Subject: LeVier "finger" to Kelly then Kelly says "You too"(Buddy)= U-2 True or False? Since someone has mentioned the Curtis Peebles book Dark Eagles(Great read BTW- especially about the under reported American MiGs) I am wondering about his anecdote concerning the "naming" of the U-2 on p.29 in the next to the last paragraph. Basically the story was after one of the early U-2 flights.The flight was particulary rough, so test pilot Tony LeVier gave his boss a one finger salute in recognition of his boss nearly "killing" him. Kelly Johnson returned the same finger and replied "You too." This was heard by the ground crew and the rest they say is history. Unless this is another myth. This was the first time I ever read that origin of the name, so I find it hard to believe. Since I finnishing my U-2 term paper for the Poli Sci class I have read so much about the U-2 I can probably channel Frank Powers, Chris Pocock, and Jay Miller. Right now my brain is tapioca from finals, but I still don't recall reading it anywhere else. And it wasn't on the PBS documentary about the U-2 and Overflight last week. Is this story truth, myth, or bad research? Thanks, J.E. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 May 1997 10:03:25 -0500 From: Tom Robison Subject: Dark Eagles review Someone mentioned Curtis Peeble's *Dark Eagles*, so I thought I would re-post this review that went around a several months ago... >Here's the review of Dark Eagles by Bill Sweetman: >----------------- >Posted by John Pike on the following Newsgroups: >alt.conspiracy.area51, sci.space.policy, rec.aviation.military, under the >Subject: Re: New book on black aircraft, on 11 Nov 1995, 13:06:57 GMT: > >Bill Sweetman has written the following and faxed it out to a bunch of >folks, and I thought that folks on these newsgroups might want to get a >look at it. I have not yet read the Peebles book, so I don't know what I >think. > >From: Bill Sweetman >To: Fellow Seekers of the Truth >November 2 1995 > >"This review is released for general posting and copying. It should be >posted in full, however. Length as written is 1324 words. > >Dark Eagles, a book purportedly written by "historian" Curtis Peebles, is >billed as "a history of top-secret US aircraft programs". In fact, it >deals with a few such programs: the first US jet, the Bell XP-59; the >Lockheed U-2; the A-12/SR-71/D-21 family; the Teledyne Ryan reconnaissance >drones; the Have Blue/F-117; and, to some extent, the testing of MiG-21s >and MiG-23s. Those familiar with the literature will find very little here >that is new. Miller, Wagner and Sloan, Crickmore, Giangreco, Goodall and >myself have covered these areas and are heavily cited in Peebles' >references - in fact, the Wagner/ Sloan books on the Teledyne Ryan drones >are almost the only references in those chapters. It is a wonder that >Peebles does not list his scanner as a co-author. > >Peebles oversteps the limits of his talents, however, when he can no >longer crib from a single authoritative source. This happens when he turns >his attention to black projects which have not yet been acknowledged. > >Peebles states, as fact, that all reports of high-speed classified >aircraft are myths, springing from the same sources as UFO stories. >"Aurora Does Not Exist, Elvis is Dead Accept It" is a sample sub-heading. > >The trouble is, Peebles commits practically every logical error in the >book in his floundering attempts to support such a conclusion. > >To begin with, the "Aurora myth" is Peebles' own invention. By re-telling >every high speed aircraft report published between the mid-1970s and the >present day, he tries to give the impression that these stories are all in >some way, linked to a common source. Peebles also invents a corps of >"believers" in Aurora, a term which he uses repeatedly. But there are no >believers, no faith, no doctrine and no One True Church, just a bunch of >individuals who keep investigating and asking questions. As in any open >investigation, the answers which crop up are sometimes conflicting. But >Peebles assumes that any difference between any two reports invalidates >them all. According to this logic: "Mr. Smith says sheep are white; Mr. >Jones says sheep are green; therefore sheep do not exist." > >"Argumentum ad hominem" was a known fallacy long before it was translated >from Greek into Latin, but that idea never found its way into Peebles' >education. UFO sources Bob Lazar and John Lear have both talked about >Aurora, says Peebles. He does not even quote what Lear says about Aurora: >in fact, Lear was one of the first outsiders to find his way to the gates >of Groom Lake, and took a photograph of the base. But since they are UFO >believers, he says, the Aurora story must be false. "Mr. Jones says sheep >are white. Mr. Jones cheats on his wife. Therefore, there are no sheep." > >What Peebles is trying to do is to build a case that Aurora and UFO >reports are essentially the same. In the process, he topples into >absurdity. Quote: "On October 16, 1992, the Fox program Sightings had a >segment on Aurora - it had been preceded by a report on UFO abductions." >What does that prove, except that Sightings has a wide ranging taste for >mysteries? Nothing at all, is the answer. > >Of course, Peebles' own sources are pure gold, as typified by the "private >source" cited in the footnotes, who told Peebles that "the whole Aurora >story has been pushed by a tight circle of Black airplane buffs, aerospace >writers, and believers in various far-out UFO conspiracy theories". This >statement is in itself a conspiracy theory, implying that some secret >cabal dictates the content of both Popular Science and Aviation Week. >Logic again: "Bill Clinton belongs to the Trilateral Commission. So does >George Bush. Therefore, the Trilateral Commission controls the USA." > >We should also look at Peebles' source. Some of the comments that Peebles >attributes to this "private source" are almost word-for-word echoes of >from an anonymous letter received by Popular Science after the publication >of my March 1993 Aurora story. I heard almost identical comments from Phil >Klass, AvWeek contributing editor and UFO debunker, in a face-to-face >meeting in October 1993. I don't think Phil Klass is an anonymous letter >writer (heck, he's made so many enemies that one or two more wouldn't >matter) but it seems that he is probably Peebles' "private source". > >Now, let's examine the identity of the gutless weasel who sent that letter >to PopSci. Strangely enough, both the gutless weasel and Peebles explain >away the August 1992 "XB-70" reports in exactly the same way: >mis-identification of an F-14, based on personal experience. > >When you can't attack evidence ad hominem, there are always other creative >ways around it. Peebles' view of the North Sea sighting - in which an >aircraft with a pure isosceles shape was seen apparently refueling from a >KC-135, escorted by two F-111s was that the aircraft was "in all >probability.... simply a third F-111 with its wings swept back". > >It's such a simple explanation that it hardly occurs to you to wonder why >Peebles, who did not see the aircraft and has just admitted that he nearly >mistook an F-14 at close quarters for a B-70-sized aircraft, thinks he >knows better than the trained and experienced witness. > >This points up the difference between a skeptic, who questions everything, >and a debunker, who starts from the *a priori* position that some things >exist and others don't. In the mind of a debunker, any evidence can be >invalidated simply by inventing an alternative hypothesis to explain it, >whether the hypothesis is tested or not. Did Peebles bother to pick up the >phone and talk to the original witness? Of course not. > >Ignoring evidence works, too. Anyone who opens this book hoping to find >any discussion of the expanded black budgets of the 1980s, and what they >might have purchased, will be disappointed. Peebles makes no reference to >the abundant evidence of burgeoning spending, he does not reference Tim >Weiner's Pulitzer-winning investigations in this area, and he buries deep >inside a chapter the simple and very significant fact that Groom Lake was >massively expanded and modernized long after the last major program that >he talks about (the F-117) had moved on. > >As for analyzing evidence, one really wonders whether Peebles should >attempt it. Take this, from his footnotes: "The claim that a sonic boom >cannot be heard at long range is incorrect. On several occasions in 1985 >the author heard the double sonic boom of the space shuttle over Edwards >AFB from Long Beach, California." There are two errors in this short >statement. First, no investigator has said that some booms can't be heard >at long range - just that the notorious California mystery booms weren't >that kind of boom. Second, the shuttle never boomed over Edwards; Peebles >heard it because it was flying over his head, so his evidence says nothing >about boom footprints. > >Peebles is at his most offensive, windy and pompous when he talks about >"historical research" versus the "Aurora myth". "In historical research," >he intones, "the separate bits of information are assembled into a >complete picture. It is much like the pieces of a puzzle." > >Well, pardon the hell outta me, Curtis, but that is exactly what reporters >and investigators were doing with the F-117 and SR-71 long before you >arrived on the scene. And believe me, it was not tidy. There were just as >many shadows and uncertainties to Stealth as there are to the high-speed >reports. But we sorted it out as best we could, and that's why half the >material in your own F-117, A-12 and D-21 chapters has been borrowed from >the people that you dismiss as fantasists. > >I think Johnson said it best: "Your work is both good and original. >Unfortunately, those parts that are original are not good; and those parts >that are good are not original." > >Or to put it another way: If minds, like parachutes, work only when they >are open, Curtis has just made a squishy mess on the airfield." >-------------- His words, folks, not mine... Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne IN Any opinions expressed herein are mine alone, and do not reflect the views or opinions of whoever might own me at the moment. ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V6 #49 ******************************** To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". 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