From: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com (skunk-works-digest) To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V8 #13 Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Sender: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Errors-To: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Precedence: bulk skunk-works-digest Saturday, February 27 1999 Volume 08 : Number 013 Index of this digest by subject: *************************************************** Re: Can You Afford Not To? Riddle of the skies Wall street journal Darkstar Article Re: Riddle of the skies Thanks guys :-) remove Re: Riddle of the skies FW: X-34 Arrives at NASA Dryden for Tests FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] RE: Riddle of the skies RE: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] Re: Can You Afford Not To? remove Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] SW Aerocraft Concept Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] RE: Riddle of the skies Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] *************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 03:54:31 -0600 (CST) From: jaz Subject: Re: Can You Afford Not To? > I would recommend that none of the regular readers reply to this spam >directly. I was sent to the skunk-works mail list and it will probably >take a >"remove" message from the skunk-works mail list to stop it. If you send >a remove actually, if the message really originated in California, there is a new law that requires "ADV" be in the message, if it isn't we can sue for damages, in small claims court I think, so we can all sue this person... and the spam plays on... But I really love it when I get x rated emails advertising and they give a url, going to internic gives you the owner and the ISP carrying them and from what I've seen, they don't bug me after I threaten to sue the ISP. jaz ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 10:52:32 +0000 From: Haitham Yousef Subject: Riddle of the skies Hello Skunkers, Channel 4 in the UK showed a program called 'Riddle of the Skies' in which it was about UFOs. The program tried to shed some light on the sightings and tried in a scientific manner to give plausible explanation to the phenomena. For example some of the photos were analysed using high tech techniques and what was though of as a UFO turned out to be a triangular flying object! The second episode of the program mentioned Area 51. A scientist called, I think, Dr Foshe (pronounced Fo-Sh-ee) said that he worked in the base for 10 days. He said that they took him to and from the base in the dark, i.e. before dawn and after sunset. He said that he was forced to wear special goggles that limit his side vision and he cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, so if someone at 50 feet away points a gun at him to kill him he could not see him. I just wonder what is going there such that workers from outside the base are limited in their movements and even their vision. The program was 3 episodes only and it also mentioned that the USSR had a very detailed record of UFO sightings and they made most of it public! Regards, Haitham ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:48:46 -0000 From: Katherine Taylor Subject: Wall street journal Darkstar Article Hi all Does anybody have a copy of this Article about the cancellation of Darkstar (from 28th Jan.99) that they could email me? I am desperate need of it for some private research I'm doing and I can't get hold of a copy of it anywhere in the UK. I looked at the WSJ website but I don't want to send my credit card details unsecurely. Can anybody help? PLEASE? Kate ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 08:23:02 -0800 From: patrick Subject: Re: Riddle of the skies At 10:52 AM 2/26/99 +0000, you wrote: >Hello Skunkers, > >Channel 4 in the UK showed a program called 'Riddle of the Skies' in >which it was about UFOs. The program tried to shed some light on the >sightings and tried in a scientific manner to give plausible explanation >to the phenomena. For example some of the photos were analysed using >high tech techniques and what was though of as a UFO turned out to be a >triangular flying object! Whats the difference between a UFO and a triangular flying object? >The second episode of the program mentioned Area 51. Thats too bad! No good will come from that. >A scientist called, I think, Dr Foshe (pronounced Fo-Sh-ee) >said that he worked in the base for 10 days. He said that they took him >to and from the base in the dark, i.e. before dawn and after sunset. I smell a rat. Everyone else goes in broad daylight. Maybe they don't want anyone at Groom to see this Foshe character. >He said that he was forced to wear special goggles that limit his side >vision and he cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, so if someone at 50 >feet away points a gun at him to kill him he could not see him. I like this. Potentially killing visitors to Groom helps tremendously in adding to the mystique. If his view was limited to 50 feet then people beyond that range could also brush their teeth or comb their hair in front of Dr. Foshe, could they not? >I just wonder what is going there such that workers from outside the base are >limited in their movements and even their vision. So do we, so do we! >The program was 3 episodes only and it also mentioned that the USSR had a very detailed >record of UFO sightings and they made most of it public! There are too many detailed records of UFO sightings, not just in Russia. Unfortunately this proves nothing. Well I have to admit that UFO posts are at least more interesting than SPAM postings!! patrick ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 16:24:01 -0000 From: Katherine Taylor Subject: Thanks guys :-) I'd just like to say a big thankyou to everybody who sent me the WSJ article. You are all stars :-) Cheers Kate ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 09:38:18 -0700 From: Patrick Wiggins Subject: remove hawiian99@mailcity.com wrote: > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > This message is sent in compliance of the new e-mail bill: SECTION 301. > Sender: Claire Flory, 220 E. Ave P-4, Ca. 93550 ph: 805-273-3120 E-Mail > Address: hawiian99@mailcity.com Per Section 301, Paragraph > (a)(2)(C) of S.1618, further transmissions > to you by the sender of this email may be stopped at no cost to you by > sending a reply to this email address with the word "remove" in the > subject line. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! > > I need to share this with you IMMEDIATELY! This means your retirement > from your JOB! I don't mean that lightly either... > > Only 20 minutes of your time and you be the judge! > NO MLM and NO Get Rich Quick Deals! 5 digit income in less > than 90 days! Interested? > > For more info on how you can attend a business briefing call > that explains exactly how our program works, how we make > it work for you, and how to be in profit in 14 days or less > reply to: > mailto:minnie20_00@yahoo.com?subject=tell_me_how! - -- Carpe Noctem! Patrick :-) - -- Patrick Wiggins Hansen Planetarium Education Department email: p.wiggins@m.cc.utah.edu voice: 801.531-4952, fax: 801.531-4948 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 17:45:21 From: win@writer.win-uk.net (David) Subject: Re: Riddle of the skies Patrick writes: you wrote: >>Hello Skunkers, >> >>Channel 4 in the UK showed a program called 'Riddle of the Skies' in >>which it was about UFOs. The program tried to shed some light on the >>sightings and tried in a scientific manner to give plausible explanation >>to the phenomena. For example some of the photos were analysed using >>high tech techniques and what was though of as a UFO turned out to be a >>triangular flying object! > >Whats the difference between a UFO and a triangular flying object? I should mention that UFO posts aren't considered appropriate on the SW list, so perhaps you'd bear that in mind in future. Having said that here, FWIW are a few comments: Much as it breaks my heart to agree with Patrick :) he's absolutely correct. Many aircraft look like a triangle of lights. I can see triangular flying objects most nights when I look out of my study window. They're simply 737s or whatever, on finals with their lights on. If they're moving towards you, they can look stationary. Something overflew Belgium in '89 & '90, but you can bet it wasn't from another planet. A problem with digital image enhancement is that algorithms look for patterns and will, if you're not careful create order out of random events. Three points of light in the sky don't mean a they're attached to a mysterious flying delta. >>The second episode of the program mentioned Area 51. > >Thats too bad! No good will come from that. > > >>A scientist called, I think, Dr Foshe (pronounced Fo-Sh-ee) >>said that he worked in the base for 10 days. He said that they took him >>to and from the base in the dark, i.e. before dawn and after sunset. > >I smell a rat. Everyone else goes in broad daylight. Maybe they don't >want anyone at Groom to see this Foshe character. IIRC, Edgar Fouche (didn't know he was a PhD) has written a book in which he claims these large triangular craft are built with alien-based technology. Hmmm...I can't buy that and it's WAY off charter here anyway. Treat such claims with great scepticism. >>He said that he was forced to wear special goggles that limit his side >>vision and he cannot see anything beyond 30 feet, so if someone at 50 >>feet away points a gun at him to kill him he could not see him. > >I like this. Potentially killing visitors to Groom helps tremendously in >adding to the mystique. If his view was limited to 50 feet then people >beyond that range could also brush their teeth or comb their hair in front >of Dr. Foshe, could they not? In talking to people who have worked on classified projects, this is the first mention I've ever heard of Blur-o-Vision (TM) goggles. When the same source cites alien technology as the basis for the alleged TR-3B, I have an unbelievably hard time taking it even vaguely seriously. >>I just wonder what is going there such that workers from outside the base are >>limited in their movements and even their vision. > >So do we, so do we! There are several points here: the first and most obvious being that personnel who work at classified bases and labs, (don't forget Groom Lake is only one such place) don't have loose tongues. If they see something they shouldn't have they keep quiet about it or perhaps they're made to sign an inadvertent disclosure form - which is a serious piece of paper. As a well known musical combo said: Don't Believe The Hype. Hope this helps a little D ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 20:13:02 -0500 From: Martin Hurst Subject: FW: X-34 Arrives at NASA Dryden for Tests I thought Lockheed was part of this some how, I quess the X-33 ? Anybody have more info on the engine, ... The X-34 will be powered by the Fastrac engine, which is currently in design and development at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. Fastrac is a single-stage main engine, which burns a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1). ... Flying speed and altitude are impressive too, ... Capable of flying eight times the speed of sound and reaching an altitude of 250,000 feet, the X-34 ... What does the FAA have to do with certifiying a military research space transport project? I thought they only concerned themselves with commercial and private planes? - ----------------------------------- RELEASE: 99-28 X-34 ARRIVES AT NASA DRYDEN FOR TESTS The X-34 technology-testbed demonstrator, structural test article arrived Wednesday at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, for ground testing and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of its L-1011 mothership. The structural test article consists of the X-34's airframe. Certification flights will take place in Edwards Air Force Base, CA, airspace with Dryden providing hangar space, fuel and control room facilities. Once certified, a separate X-34 flight vehicle will be transported to the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range, NM, where the first portion of the planned 27 flight tests will be conducted. Once the X-34 has demonstrated safe and reliable performance at White Sands, the project plans to move to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, FL, for the remainder of the test flights. The X-34 is a single-engine rocket with short wings and a small tail surface. The vehicle is 58.3 feet long, 27.7 feet wide at wing tip and 11.5 feet tall from the bottom of the fuselage to the top of the tail. Plans call for the reusable X-34 to fly at a rate of 25 times per year. The autonomously operated, suborbital aerospace vehicle will be air-launched from an L-1011. Capable of flying eight times the speed of sound and reaching an altitude of 250,000 feet, the X-34 will demonstrate low-cost reusability, autonomous landing, subsonic flights through inclement weather, safe abort conditions and landing in 20-knot cross winds. The X-34 is designed to bridge the gap between the earlier Clipper Graham, or DC-XA subsonic demonstrator vehicle, and the larger, more advanced X-33 vehicle. The X-34 project is part of NASA's Office of Aero-Space Technology, which oversees NASA's efforts to develop the technology to dramatically reduce the cost of access to space. Key technologies being demonstrated by the X-34 include composite primary and secondary airframe structures; composite reusable propellant tanks, cryo insulation and propulsion system elements; advanced Thermal Protection Systems and materials; low-cost avionics, including differential Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System; integrated vehicle health monitoring system; flush air data system; and automated vehicle checkout. The X-34 also will have the potential to serve as a platform for demonstration of additional technologies and experiments. The X-34 will be powered by the Fastrac engine, which is currently in design and development at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL. Fastrac is a single-stage main engine, which burns a mixture of liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene (RP-1). Six NASA centers, two Department of Defense installations and an industry team led by prime contractor Orbital Sciences Corp. are supporting the development and eventual flight testing of the X-34. The program is managed for NASA by Marshall. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 23:19:41 -0700 From: "Terry W. Colvin" Subject: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] From: Sandy Hornfeck CIA's latest hypersonic spy plane, Aurora, is capable of flying at altitudes of at least 200,000 feet (40 miles) and at speeds of Mach 6 (4000 miles per hour) or greater. While it represents a spectacular leap forward in aircraft technology, it is improbable that it was developed from information obtained from captured alien spacecraft. That it is a remarkable aircraft is beyond dispute, however, it is still an aircraft designed on earth by human beings for operation in Earth's exoatmosphere. It is unusual in that it can fly faster than any other known aircraft, can fly higher than any other known aircraft, and uses unconventional engines and fuel (liquid methane or liquid hydrogen) for propulsion . Because of the stresses placed upon the aircraft while flying within Earth's dense atmosphere, it is most certainly constructed of rather exotic materials. It may use one type of engine (turbo-jet) to take off and land and another type (scram-jets or pulse wave detonation engines) while flying at the edge of space. Advanced computer systems and ECM (electronic counter measures) devices are almost certainly aboard the aircraft. But it is still just an airplane capable of straight and level flight at top speeds and cannot perform any of the maneuvers executed by craft known as Flying Saucers. It operates within a known envelope and within some very limited parameters. It cannot accelerate from a dead stop to hyper speed in the twinkling of an eye nor can it stop suddenly from hypersonic flight. It cannot jump sideways into another dimension and appear on another planet in a distant galaxy. For all its advanced technology, the Aurora is still a three-dimensional man-made object designed to operate in a three-dimensional world. - -- Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean@primenet.com > Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/8832 > Sites: Fortean Times * Northwest Mysteries * Mystic's Cyberpage * U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program - ------------ Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List TLCB Web Site: < http://www.seacoast.com/~jsweet/brotherh/index.html > Southeast Asia (SEA) service: Vietnam - Theater Telecommunications Center/HHC, 1st Aviation Brigade Long Binh, Can Tho, Danang (Jan 71 - Aug 72) Thailand/Laos - Telecommunications Center/U.S. Army Support Thailand (USARSUPTHAI), Camp Samae San (Jan 73 - Aug 73) - Special Security/Strategic Communications - Thailand (STRATCOM - Thailand), Phu Mu (Pig Mountain) Signal Site (Aug 73 - Jan 74) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 01:48:17 -0500 From: "Frank Markus" Subject: RE: Riddle of the skies - -----Original Message----- From: owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com [mailto:owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com] On Behalf Of patrick Sent: Friday, February 26, 1999 11:23 AM To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Subject: Re: Riddle of the skies At 10:52 AM 2/26/99 +0000, you wrote: [Much skipped] Well I have to admit that UFO posts are at least more interesting than SPAM postings!! Would you like to go for two out of three? With spam, you know it for what it is and kill it immediately; with UFO stuff, you have to wade through it. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 02:45:59 -0500 From: "Frank Markus" Subject: RE: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] I think that "it all depends what 'is' is." - -----Original Message----- From: owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com [mailto:owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com] On Behalf Of Terry W. Colvin Sent: Saturday, February 27, 1999 1:20 AM To: Skunk Works Subject: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] From: Sandy Hornfeck CIA's latest hypersonic spy plane, Aurora, is capable of flying at altitudes of at least 200,000 feet (40 miles) and at speeds of Mach 6 (4000 miles per hour) or greater. While it represents a spectacular leap forward in aircraft technology, it is improbable that it was developed from information obtained from captured alien spacecraft. That it is a remarkable aircraft is beyond dispute, however, it is still an aircraft designed on earth by human beings for operation in Earth's exoatmosphere. It is unusual in that it can fly faster than any other known aircraft, can fly higher than any other known aircraft, and uses unconventional engines and fuel (liquid methane or liquid hydrogen) for propulsion . Because of the stresses placed upon the aircraft while flying within Earth's dense atmosphere, it is most certainly constructed of rather exotic materials. It may use one type of engine (turbo-jet) to take off and land and another type (scram-jets or pulse wave detonation engines) while flying at the edge of space. Advanced computer systems and ECM (electronic counter measures) devices are almost certainly aboard the aircraft. But it is still just an airplane capable of straight and level flight at top speeds and cannot perform any of the maneuvers executed by craft known as Flying Saucers. It operates within a known envelope and within some very limited parameters. It cannot accelerate from a dead stop to hyper speed in the twinkling of an eye nor can it stop suddenly from hypersonic flight. It cannot jump sideways into another dimension and appear on another planet in a distant galaxy. For all its advanced technology, the Aurora is still a three-dimensional man-made object designed to operate in a three-dimensional world. - -- Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean@primenet.com > Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/8832 > Sites: Fortean Times * Northwest Mysteries * Mystic's Cyberpage * U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program - ------------ Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List TLCB Web Site: < http://www.seacoast.com/~jsweet/brotherh/index.html > Southeast Asia (SEA) service: Vietnam - Theater Telecommunications Center/HHC, 1st Aviation Brigade Long Binh, Can Tho, Danang (Jan 71 - Aug 72) Thailand/Laos - Telecommunications Center/U.S. Army Support Thailand (USARSUPTHAI), Camp Samae San (Jan 73 - Aug 73) - Special Security/Strategic Communications - Thailand (STRATCOM - Thailand), Phu Mu (Pig Mountain) Signal Site (Aug 73 - Jan 74) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 10:32:24 -0500 (EST) From: Sam Kaltsidis Subject: Re: Can You Afford Not To? > > I would recommend that none of the regular readers reply to this spam > >directly. I was sent to the skunk-works mail list and it will probably > >take a > >"remove" message from the skunk-works mail list to stop it. If you send > >a remove > > actually, if the message really originated in California, there is a new > law that requires "ADV" be in the message, if it isn't we can sue for > damages, in small claims court I think, so we can all sue this person... > > and the spam plays on... > > But I really love it when I get x rated emails advertising and they give a > url, going to internic gives you the owner and the ISP carrying them and > from what I've seen, they don't bug me after I threaten to sue the ISP. > > jaz > I believe it is also against Federal law. I vote we sue 'em. Sam ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 09:46:37 -0700 From: "Michael E. Karpuk" Subject: remove hawiian99@mailcity.com wrote: > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > This message is sent in compliance of the new e-mail bill: SECTION 301. > Sender: Claire Flory, 220 E. Ave P-4, Ca. 93550 ph: 805-273-3120 E-Mail > Address: hawiian99@mailcity.com Per Section 301, Paragraph > (a)(2)(C) of S.1618, further transmissions > to you by the sender of this email may be stopped at no cost to you by > sending a reply to this email address with the word "remove" in the > subject line. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! > > I need to share this with you IMMEDIATELY! This means your retirement > from your JOB! I don't mean that lightly either... > > Only 20 minutes of your time and you be the judge! > NO MLM and NO Get Rich Quick Deals! 5 digit income in less > than 90 days! Interested? > > For more info on how you can attend a business briefing call > that explains exactly how our program works, how we make > it work for you, and how to be in profit in 14 days or less > reply to: > mailto:minnie20_00@yahoo.com?subject=tell_me_how! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 13:14:29 EST From: INFORMATION RESTRICTED Subject: Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] Wasn't it determined in the late 80's through Government documents that "Aurora" was the "code name" for the Stealth Bomber project? Kurt Amateur Radio Stations KC7VDG/KK7RC Monitor Station Registry KCA6ABB Based In Nevada, United States Of America In use: Kenwood: TM-251A/E, TS-570d, Yaesu: FT-8100R, FT-2500M, FT50rd, Realistic: DX-394, Icom: IC-706MKII, Uniden: BC-200xlt, BC-760xlt, Whistler: CO403DC scanning video reciever 55-806 MHz ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 18:30:48 From: win@writer.win-uk.net (David) Subject: SW Aerocraft Concept Are any list members interested in the LTA/HTA hybrid airlifter concept that was described in this week's AW&ST ? It hasn't been mentioned yet and let's face it the SW don't release concepts too often. The idea is to move one million lb of materiel at a time, rapidly (compared to surface vessels) and at lower cost than HTA transport. On the AU 2025 web-site, a rapid response, heavy lift capability is described along with an illustration of a huge Aereon LTA hybrid. Having just read the Deltoid Pumpkin Seed at last, it stikes me that William Miller was thinking along the right lines all those years ago. Any comments ? Dave ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 19:15:16 From: win@writer.win-uk.net (David) Subject: Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] Kurt write: >Wasn't it determined in the late 80's through Government documents that >"Aurora" was the "code name" for the Stealth Bomber project? Certainly that what Ben Rich said in his book, but of course he'd say that either way. I'd suggest you take a look at the FAS Mystery Aircraft section for some excellent analysis on the pros and cons (and importantly the potential source of funding of such an aircraft) by John Pike. If such an aircraft did exist it would likely be funded like the A-12 & U-2 spy planes by the intel. community, and its funding hidden in any number of vague budget lines. There's nothing intrinsically off-the-wall about a hypersonic spy plane, but I can imagine the intel. it would gather might cause a good deal of inter-agency aggravation: who gets sight of it and who pays for it etc. D ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 11:57:41 -0800 From: patrick Subject: RE: Riddle of the skies At 01:48 AM 2/27/99 -0500, Frank Markus wrote: > >At 10:52 AM 2/26/99 +0000, you wrote: >[Much skipped] > >Well I have to admit that UFO posts are at least more interesting than SPAM >postings!! > >Would you like to go for two out of three? With spam, you know it for what >it is and kill it immediately; with UFO stuff, you have to wade through it. > > Sure I'll go for best 2 of 3...... It's my contention that the worst part of a Spam is not the Spam itself. It only requires a simple deletion. The worst part is the 4 or 5 additional comments they usually generate. They seem to be like the proverbial dragons teeth. Of course intellectual discussions of forementioned Spam should not be confused with the actual Spamming process itself! What's the score now? *G* patrick ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 27 Feb 1999 12:35:12 -0800 From: patrick Subject: Re: FWD: (UASR) Aurora musings [an excerpt] At 11:19 PM 2/26/99 -0700, you wrote: >From: Sandy Hornfeck > >CIA's latest hypersonic spy plane, Aurora, is capable of flying >at altitudes of at least 200,000 feet (40 miles) and at speeds >of Mach 6 (4000 miles per hour) or greater. While it represents >a spectacular leap forward in aircraft technology, it is >improbable that it was developed from information obtained from >captured alien spacecraft. That it is a remarkable aircraft is >beyond dispute, however, it is still an aircraft designed on >earth by human beings for operation in Earth's exoatmosphere. > For you Aurora finatic's.......We had one attend our annual air show here at the local AF base last summer. Since its so rarely seen we were surprised and pleased to see the plane. It was on static display on saturday with the standard five man security guard surrounding it with it being roped off from the public. But we could get within 30 feet of it. It really is a beautiful sleek aircraft. Very futuristic looking if you get a chance to admire it up close. The color was unique. A greenish, purplish, black irridescent color. It kept changing depending on the incident angle of sunlight hitting it. The pilot was there signing autographs for the kids. Yes, I got one too, being a kid at heart. I did ask why he wasn't wearing any identifying unit patches on his jump suit. His reply was "no comment". He did say that he wore a special suit while flying. On sunday the plane took off and did a flyby. The take off was not that spectacular considering but remember this is a fast flyer and not designed for quick performance from takeoff. The sound was like a blow torch in a pipe. Quite eerie. The flyby was incredible. The announcer said it was at least a Mach 3 pass at maybe 1000 feet. Total silence till after it passed and then a sharp loud cracking sound, not unlike a bolt of lightning striking nearby. Many car alarms were set off and we found out later a window in the control tower was shattered. The plane did a wide turn (remeber the speed!) and landed. I noticed an extremely large drogue chute was used and later was told they had to borrow them from the Army where they are used for air dropping M-1 Abrahms tanks. A bit of trivia for you Aurora history buffs. After the show that day I observed them evidently refueling the plane. A large white unmarked compressed liquid gas truck arrived from the far side of the base. I thought it was odd not having any markings or even a license plate. We were quickly ushered off the base at that point. This is such a phenomenal aircraft design which you have to see to believe!! patrick ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V8 #13 ******************************** To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". 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 local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe in the body. Administrative requests, problems, and other non-list mail can be sent to georgek@netwrx1.com. 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 viewing by a www interface located at: http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works If you have any questions or problems please contact me at: georgek@netwrx1.com Thanks, George R. Kasica Listowner