From: owner-skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com (skunk-works-digest) To: skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V6 #66 Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Sender: owner-skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com Errors-To: owner-skunk-works-digest@eagle.netwrx1.com Precedence: bulk skunk-works-digest Sunday, August 3 1997 Volume 06 : Number 066 In this issue: SR-71, B-2, F-117 at EAA An interesting photo (at least to me) Re: Beale Re: Beale Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re: Beale ... and waiting for AURORA Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Re: Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling (Version 2.1) Re: laser triggered spark gaps Mea culpa re: Off-topic mail Re: Mea culpa re: Off-topic mail Darden testing Re: Darden testing Re: Darden testing Darden New SR-71 Book Re: New SR-71 Book A-12 Avenger II Photos 350 User mark Identification Assistance FORWARDED XB-70 FORWARDED Re: XB-70 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, 28 Jul 1997 00:14:57 -0500 From: Sam Wiltzius Subject: SR-71, B-2, F-117 at EAA On a recent digest there was a post from NASA regarding the SR-71 flying at EAA. This is from EAA's web site (http://www.eaa.org/eaanews/pr/afflybys.html) and I hope fills in a details. . . . Press Release B-2, F-117 AND SR-71 TO FLY AT EAA OSHKOSH '97 EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. - (July 18, 1997) - Three of the U.S. Air Force's best-known airplanes will participate in the 45th annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In Convention, which will be held July 30-Aug. 5 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. The three aircraft - the B-2 "Stealth" bomber, the F-117 "Stealth" fighter and the SR-71 "Blackbird" - will participate in fly-bys on Saturday, Aug. 2, as part of EAA OSHKOSH's celebration of the Air Force's 50th anniversary. Those three airplanes join several other military aircraft that will be on display during this year's Convention. Already confirmed to appear at EAA OSHKOSH is the U-2 "spyplane," the Harrier jump jet, the C-17 "Globemaster III" and an EC-130V early warning radar aircraft. "The fly-bys on Aug. 2 add to what is already one of the most impressive groups of aircraft ever brought to the Fly-In," said Convention Chairman Tom Poberezny. "Many people have never seen these unique airplanes in person, so the appearances will be a very special part of this year's salute to the Air Force's 50th anniversary." SR-71 fly-by is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, with the B-2 fly-by 10 minutes later. The F-117 is scheduled to fly over the Convention at 2:30 p.m. that day. All fly-bys are subject to weather and other considerations. The SR-71 is the world's most advanced strategic reconnaissance aircraft, capable of flying more than three times the speed of sound, at heights of more than 80,000 feet. The aircraft are used by both the Air Force and NASA. The B-2 is perhaps the most uniquely shaped bomber in the world. It has no vertical tail surfaces. Instead, it utilizes, a low "flying wedge" profile and sophisticated materials to create a shape that is difficult to detect on radar. The F-117 was also designed to avoid radar detection. Stealth fighters flew more than 1,200 missions during the Persian Gulf War, flying unnoticed and undetected while attacking high-priority targets. The arrowhead-shaped aircraft last appeared at EAA OSHKOSH in 1991. The EAA Fly-In Convention is one of the world's largest aviation events, annually drawing more than 800,000 people and 12,000 airplanes. EAA members receive special discounts on admission rates and parking. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322). Convention information is also available through the World Wide Web at http://www.fly-in.org. Sam Wiltzius Wiltziussa@post.uwstout.edu http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/7151 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 97 07:05:48 EDT From: JOHN SZALAY Subject: An interesting photo (at least to me) While checking out the Whiteman AFB WWW site, stumbled onto an photo that I think is rather nice. http://www.whiteman.af.mil/pics/B22f117.jpg unlikely we would ever see such an arrangement in a mission, however it do make a good PR shot. :) Its of a B-2 in formation with 2 F-117's. John Szalay Louisville Ky jpszalay@tacl.dnet.ge.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 12:16:00 -0400 (EDT) From: Dan Zinngrabe Subject: Re: Beale >Dan > >I would like to know what exactly is the point you are trying to make by >posting these items from the Area 51 mailing list. Are you implying >anything? If so, what? And what evidence are you offering? Please be >specific. > >If you are telling us the Aurora exists then say so. If you are telling us >that it has been heard taking off using different types of engines, then >say so. And if you believe these points to be true then you must have >evidence for your beliefs. Would you please share that evidence with the >group. > > >patrick cullumber >patrick@e-z.net Nope, I'm just presenting the somewhat raw data for those who follow Aurora- which has historically been much of the people on the list. I may have some evidence, I may not. Either way you have to wait for the web page, because taking this data out of context will cause many a feather to ruffle. Dan _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ I drank WHAT?? - -Socrates ---------------------------------http://www.macconnect.com/~quellish -------------http://www.macconnect.com/~quellish/3d/3d.html _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 16:49:11 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: Beale Interesting rumor, but not much meat there. I first heard this about 3 years ago, but it was just about as thin on detail as today. All second or third hand info, as far as I can tell. Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net If my employer had diddley squat to do with aviation, this would be a much more interesting place to work. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 15:59:42 -0700 From: larry@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling >This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. That's a debateable analogy there Jim! Larry Pentium Pro Component Development Team ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 17:30:47 -0700 From: patrick Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling At 03:59 PM 7/28/97 -0700, you wrote: > >>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. > >That's a debateable analogy there Jim! > >Larry > >Pentium Pro Component Development Team > =================================================================== Oh Larry, glad you made us aware of that. Cause I have this problem. Every time I reboot in Windows 95, I seem to get "ini" files that just sprout up everywhere. Is this a sloppy design function attributed to Microsoft or some inherent and unnounced bug known only to those Intel guys? I got ini's coming out everywhere! patrick cullumber patrick@e-z.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 18:01:53 -0700 From: larry@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: Beale ... and waiting for AURORA > Sometimes I can't help but think that the guys who come up with the > 'black' programs read these lists and sit back laughing. I'd love to > hear real proof of the 'Aurora' or whatever... if only our cravings > for the plane could make it real. Some of the guys working on antecedents of the the currrent public hypersonic programs like HYPER-X or SCRAM missile feel the same way. They however got fed up waiting and have rolled their own! The idea's not without precedent. Back in the early 30's, you could build a racer that had higher performance than the then top military aircraft. Eventually, some WWII fighter planes evolved from those racers (P-47 for example evolving from the de Seversky racers). That is true today! There is too much hypersonic technology that the government is ignoring (if you believe what they say about AURORA)! So can't you just see that Mach 10 hypersonic airshow aircraft sponsored by ""? In fact, you could possibly win the X-prize with such a show aircraft, if you design it right! Larry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 18:29:52 -0700 From: larry@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling >>>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >>>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. >>That's a debateable analogy there Jim! >>Larry >> >>Pentium Pro Component Development Team >Oh Larry, glad you made us aware of that. Cause I have this problem. Every >time I reboot in Windows 95, I seem to get "ini" files that just sprout >up everywhere. Is this a sloppy design function attributed to Microsoft >or some inherent and unnounced bug known only to those Intel guys? >I got ini's coming out everywhere! Pat, with friends like you, who needs enemies! :) Stop it! You're just trying to suck up to Jim! :) Larry ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 23:15:08 -0400 From: gregweigold@pmsc.com (Greg Weigold) Subject: Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Ini's out your ears!! Blame Microsnot, I'm sure its an undocumented feature (BUG!). Greg Columbia, SC ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Author: patrick at INTERNET Date: 7/28/97 5:30 PM At 03:59 PM 7/28/97 -0700, you wrote: > >>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. > >That's a debateable analogy there Jim! > >Larry > >Pentium Pro Component Development Team > =================================================================== Oh Larry, glad you made us aware of that. Cause I have this problem. Every time I reboot in Windows 95, I seem to get "ini" files that just sprout up everywhere. Is this a sloppy design function attributed to Microsoft or some inherent and unnounced bug known only to those Intel guys? I got ini's coming out everywhere! patrick cullumber patrick@e-z.net ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 10:19:21 -0500 From: Tom Robison Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling >>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. > >That's a debateable analogy there Jim! > >Larry DOS Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq, Gateway, and millions of others are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use wordwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, but that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 11:50:38 -0400 From: gregweigold@pmsc.com (GREG WEIGOLD) Subject: Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling And then there's UNIX machines...... sort of like the Klingons, uglier than humans but much more powerful ! Greg Columbia,SC ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling Author: Tom Robison at INTERNET Date: 7/29/97 10:19 AM >>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because >>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. > >That's a debateable analogy there Jim! > >Larry DOS Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq, Gateway, and millions of others are by far the most popular, with about 70 million machines in use wordwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand, may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, but that numbers alone do not denote a higher life form. Tom Robison tcrobi@most.fw.hac.com Hughes Defense Communications, Fort Wayne, IN ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 12:02:58 -0700 (PDT) From: "M. Studer" Subject: Re: Re[2]: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling (Version 2.1) Hey All, But is it an ini or an outie? ___________________________________________________________________. On Mon, 28 Jul 1997, Greg Weigold wrote: > Ini's out your ears!! Blame Microsnot, I'm sure its an undocumented > feature (BUG!). > > Greg > Columbia, SC > > > ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ > Subject: Re: Boom vs. Probe & Drogue Refueling > Author: patrick at INTERNET > Date: 7/28/97 5:30 PM > > > At 03:59 PM 7/28/97 -0700, you wrote: > > > >>This is kind of like the cockraoch-human, pc-Mac questions. Just because > >>one kind is more numerous than the other doesn't mean its better. > > > >That's a debateable analogy there Jim! > > > >Larry > > > >Pentium Pro Component Development Team > > > =================================================================== > > Oh Larry, glad you made us aware of that. Cause I have this problem. Every > time I reboot in > Windows 95, I seem to get "ini" files that just sprout up everywhere. Is > this a sloppy design function attributed to Microsoft or some inherent and > unnounced bug known only to those Intel guys? I got ini's coming out > everywhere! > > patrick cullumber > patrick@e-z.net > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 16:55:52 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Re: laser triggered spark gaps What, are you building your own bomb? Try this address: EG&G Electro-Optics 35 Congress St. Salem, Ma. 01970 (800) 950-3441 They might even throw in a couple of free Krytrons on a large order. FBI please note;(Just kidding) ;-) Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net Patrick Muggli wrote: > I am interested in buying laser triggered spark gaps. I could not find > out which number to call to obtain informations about them. Could you > please help me about that? Thank you. > > --Patrick Muggli > -- > > *********************************************** > *Dr. Patrick > Muggli * > *56-125-B, Eng. > IV * > *UCLA-Elec. Eng. > Dept. * > *Los Angeles, CA > 90024 * > * > * > *Phone: (310) 825 > 2068 * > *Fax: (310) 206 > 8220 * > * > * > *http://www.ee.ucla.edu/people/muggli/patrick.html * > *********************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 17:19:17 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Mea culpa re: Off-topic mail re: Laser triggered spark gaps. Wrong list. Been quite a bit of off-topic mail lately, sorry I contributed to it. Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net wbusse@johnco.cc.ks.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 09:28:09 -0400 From: gregweigold@pmsc.com (GREG WEIGOLD) Subject: Re: Mea culpa re: Off-topic mail Actually, I thought that this was interesting info! I wanted to build a stealth FORD and this is just what I needed to get the JP4 burning in the new 'engine'. Have already modified the exhaust with thrust-vectoring panels; and painted it with RAM, its the same color as the asphalt roads; but couldn't get that new 'engine' burning right; got the laser/radar 'blanking devices' that are sold in PM/PS...... I'm thinking about some kind of system of lights that will render the truck almost invisible to the naked eye, but can't find the optical sensors that will 'read' the background light correctly and control the brightness of my lights. Any idea what the Brits used when they were experimenting with this? Or our people (USAF or USN) for that matter? Later! Greg (but use my code name Andreas) Weigold Columbia, SC (not really, but no one knows where that is anyhow) ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Mea culpa re: Off-topic mail Author: Wayne Busse at INTERNET Date: 7/29/97 5:19 PM re: Laser triggered spark gaps. Wrong list. Been quite a bit of off-topic mail lately, sorry I contributed to it. Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net wbusse@johnco.cc.ks.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 15:48:14 -0500 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Darden testing Haven't heard from Mary at Darden for a while, maybe she could update us on LASRE testing re: live firing on Blackbird. Also, anything interesting with the sonic boom testing lately? Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net wbusse@johnco.cc.ks.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 14:48:22 -0700 From: larry@ichips.intel.com Subject: Re: Darden testing >Haven't heard from Mary at Darden for a while, Oh no! I've folded spontaneously into another universe again! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 17:21:49 -0400 From: gregweigold@pmsc.com (GREG WEIGOLD) Subject: Re: Darden testing Anybody on here have info on how/when/if sonic booms are permitted over populated areas? Last Sunday night (7/27) I heard what sounded like 2 separate booms at about 1930hrs. I could hear what sounded like a jet somewhere up high, if you know what I mean, but couldn't see anything because of 75% cloud cover. Then I heard what sounded like a sonic boom off to the southeast. A minute later I heard what sounded like a second one, followed by louder jet noises. I live in Chapin SC, about 20 miles northwest of Columbia SC. The closest AFB is Shaw, in Sumter SC. That's about 50-60 miles east of me. I used to hear sonic booms alot when I was younger and lived in NJ, in Toms River, we used to hear stuff from Lakehurst NAS alot. On average, several times per month during the summer. When they were testing the different arresting gear and stuff, the pilots (officially or not) would often push 'em past M1 in an effort to impress the public. Back in the '60's we used to think that was neat... well I stillthink so, but my neighbors aren't so impressed. Greg Columbia SC ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Darden testing Author: Wayne Busse at INTERNET Date: 7/30/97 3:48 PM Haven't heard from Mary at Darden for a while, maybe she could update us on LASRE testing re: live firing on Blackbird. Also, anything interesting with the sonic boom testing lately? Wayne - -- Wayne Busse wings@sky.net wbusse@johnco.cc.ks.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 21:42:01 -0600 From: Wayne Busse Subject: Darden Larry I'm sure it was Darden. I went there once when I was at Elwood AFB near Plumdale. They were testing the SR71 Blackwood at the time. Wayne ;-) Wayne Busse wings@sky.net http://www.sky.net/~wings ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jul 97 10:24:18 PDT From: gregd@cambertx.com (Greg Fieser) Subject: New SR-71 Book Just received a Zenith Books catalog in the mail yesterday, and saw the following book advertised: "Lockheed SR-71: The Mach 3 Blackbird (by) Crickmore. Full details on the design and development features of this unique aircraft. Color photographs capture the Blackbird in action, its giant engines, airframe components and more. All the information you've been looking for since it streaked across Soviet skies. Softbound., 8 1/4" x 9", 128 pages., 120 color ill. #125209AE $10.95 Available 9/15/97" Across Soviet skies? Let's hope the book is more accurate than the advertisement... Any guesses as to whether this will have any new (i.e. unpublished) information, or just a reformatting of info from Mr. Crickmore's other (well done) books? Greg %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Greg Fieser 7/31/97 gregd@cambertx.com 10:24:18 AM (aka habu@why.net) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 12:36:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Wei-Jen Su Subject: Re: New SR-71 Book On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, Greg Fieser wrote: > All the information you've been looking for since it streaked > across Soviet skies. Softbound., 8 1/4" x 9", 128 pages., > 120 color ill. #125209AE $10.95 Available 9/15/97" > > Across Soviet skies? Let's hope the book is more accurate than the > advertisement... Any guesses as to whether this will have any new > (i.e. unpublished) information, or just a reformatting of info from > Mr. Crickmore's other (well done) books? Well... I know someone whom is pilot back in Ukrania. I asked him if the SR-71 ever flew over USSR. He said: "of course... all the times". May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@utopia.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net Nicklas' Law of Aircraft Identification: "If it's ugly, it's British; if it's weird, it's French; and if it's ugly and weird, it's Russian." Brian Nicklas ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 09:55:40 -0700 From: habu@why.net Subject: A-12 Avenger II Photos Well, it only took a year, a month and a day, but I've finally gotten the A-12 Avenger II full scale mockup photos up on the old web page. Take a look and let me know what you think. I'll be adding some more text as time permits, but for now a picture is worth a thousand words... http://www.why.net/home/habu/avenger2.htm Thanks to "Alter Images" for scanning the images for me. All html errors are mine, however... Greg Fieser habu@why.net ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 20:54:10 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: 350 User mark Hello: Just a quick adminnote....here are the number of users on the 2 "types" of skunk-works lists: Total Subscribers on Lists: 149 skunk-works 201 skunk-works-digest 350 total Thanks to all, ===[George R. Kasica]=== +1 414 541 8579 President/Consultant +1 414 541 8579 FAX Netwrx Consulting, Inc. West Allis, WI USA georgek@netwrx1.com www.netwrx1.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 21:13:35 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: Identification Assistance FORWARDED >Date: Fri, 01 Aug 1997 12:16:21 -0700 >To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com >From: "A.J. Craddock" >Subject: Help needed for identification of lighting configuration/craft >Mime-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > >Would appreciate any help/comments from any list member in identifying the >plane/lighting configuration that I recorded on video, URL >http://www.cseti.org/crest97.htm last month in the San Luis Valley in >Colorado. > >The video was shot at night, and the primary plane/craft is traveling >towards the top left hand corner of the frame and was about to fly over the >group. Several seconds after the clip shown on the Website, the craft was >almost overhead and the video terminated as I could not track the camera to >zenith without breaking my neck and the tripod. I have several additional >minutes' video of the craft as it approached. > >Leaving aside the question of the greenish probe which flew by it (not a >meteor, due to velocity and course corrections clearly seen on the >full-size video), there is a huge question about the bizarre lighting >scheme of the primary craft, plus its identity. > >When filmed minutes earlier as it was approaching the group from down the >valley, i.e. when it was in an almost head-on position, only the >nose-light, inboard port running light (red), and strobing wing-tip light >could be seen. The port running light is the middle light almost adjacent >to the nose light in the video, and immediately to its right (for some >reason it is only in black and white on the Web page, I plan to recapture >it in color when I get the time). > >AT NO TIME, EVEN WHEN HEAD-ON, COULD A GREEN STARBOARD RUNNING LIGHT OR A >STARBOARD TIP STROBE BE SEEN. Nor was there any tail lighting. > >In addition, when playing the video back in slo-mo, periodically the nose >light, which has a strange plasma-like quality to it, and is much larger >than the secondary lights, flares up exactly in synch with the strobing >wing-tip light for one frame (1/30th sec.) at time. > >I filmed a similar anomalously lighted craft at about the same time (and >the same place) the previous year, and, again, it possessed a similar >unconventional lighting scheme, in that case after an initial display of a >large central pinkish pulsing plasma light, at closer range to the group >the lighting scheme was changed to three smaller orange-red lights parallel >to the ground, and that's all, as the central plasma light's intensity was >turned down. In that instance, no port, starboard or strobing lights were >displayed. > >As the craft tracked linearly down the Valley (as did the one in 1996), and >jet-noise could be heard after it passed overhead (on both occasions), >there is little question that it was a craft of terrestrial origin. > >Any constructive comments welcomed privately (or on the list). > >Tony Craddock ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Aug 1997 21:16:02 GMT From: georgek@netwrx1.com (George R. Kasica) Subject: XB-70 FORWARDED Date: Fri, 1 Aug 1997 22:44:27 -0400 (EDT) From: Wei-Jen Su To: Skunk Works Subject: XB-70 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Well... Since the list is slow, let me shoot two off-topic questions: 1) What is/are the reason(s) that they stop the XB-70 program? 2) From issue of July 1997 of "Combat Aircraft" pag. 78: It says that China purchased 24 Mig-31 'Foxhound' from Russia. It is that true? May the Force be with you Su Wei-Jen E-mails: wsu02@utopia.poly.edu wjs@webspan.net Nicklas' Law of Aircraft Identification: "If it's ugly, it's British; if it's weird, it's French; and if it's ugly and weird, it's Russian." Brian Nicklas ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 03 Aug 1997 15:09:59 -0700 From: fsalles@trip.com.br (Felipe Salles) Subject: Re: XB-70 George R. Kasica wrote: > > From: Wei-Jen Su > To: Skunk Works > Subject: XB-70 > Well... Since the list is slow, let me shoot two off-topic > questions: > > 1) What is/are the reason(s) that they stop the XB-70 program? There's a lot on this subject on Ben Rich's book. He claims that the apearance of the SA-2 "Guideline" specialy downing of Frank Power's U2 suddenly prooved that Mach 3 sprint wasn't enough to guarantee safe overflight by the B-70 over Russia. Also the emergence IRBM and future ICBM were pointing to a completely different direction for the "expected" nuclear war. The USAF generals were adamantly pro-B70 as they saw it as their last chance to take part in the nuclear combat of the future. Later on plans to convert the A-12 into a nuclear bomber (following the F-12A interceptor...) were blasted to bits by the same generals that didn't have any affection left for Kelly Johnson and his company... > > 2) From issue of July 1997 of "Combat Aircraft" pag. 78: It > says that China purchased 24 Mig-31 'Foxhound' from Russia. It is that > true? I heard it too... Even if they have it can they make any use of them? The latest Air International reports that a typhoon wrecked a considerable number of China's Su-27 interceptors... > > May the Force be with you ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V6 #66 ******************************** 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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You can get a list of all available digests by sending the one line command "index skunk-works-digest". If you have any questions or problems please contact me at: georgek@netwrx1.com Thanks, George R. Kasica