From: owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com (skunk-works-digest) To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V10 #20 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 Wednesday, April 18 2001 Volume 10 : Number 020 Index of this digest by subject: *************************************************** More etiquette Arrrrgh! Pictures Re: skunk-works-digest V10 #19 Apologies: Attachments/ SW Digest V10 #19 Re: skunk-works-digest V10 #19 US & China Re: SR-71 962 at IWM Duxford (fwd) US flights what with? Re: US flights what with? Re: US flights what with? Popular Press Articles on "A-11" SR71/A-12 Re: SR71/A-12 Fw: MEDIA BRIEFING SET AS HYPER-X / X-43A FIRST FLIGHT NEARS Fw: NASA PREPARES FOR FIRST SCRAMJET-POWERED HYPERSONIC FLIGHT *************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 15:18:06 -0700 From: David Lednicer Subject: More etiquette Don't try and post pictures to this list! What we see is: /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEASABIAAD/4ATeSkZYWAAQ/9j/2wBDAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQN DAsLDBkSEw8UHRofHh0aHBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0Hyc5PTgyPC4zNDL/2wBDAQkJ CQwLDBgNDRgyIRwhMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIy MjIyMjIyMjL/wAARCAA8AE4DASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQF BgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQAAAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0Kx wRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlq c3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWmp6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT 1NXW19jZ2uHi4+Tl5ufo6erx8vP09fb3+Pn6/8QAHwEAAwEBAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAECAwQF etc... I'd love to see the pictures - why not post them on alt.binaries.pictures.aviation or put them on a webpage? If you can't do either, e-mail them to me, and I'll host them in my web space. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 17:34:28 -0500 From: Todd Madson Subject: Arrrrgh! Can people please stop (1) encoding their e-mail in HTML and (2) including JPEG files IN the digest? Can't you just get us a URL somewhere we can pull it up? My e-mail program isn't capable of reading miles of gobbledygook like I've been getting. Would love to see pictures but this is getting ridiculous. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 19:29:50 -0400 From: Jim Rotramel Subject: Pictures This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --------------A2C94CB647803F8A5A0247B6 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Obviously, another way to jam this list it to attach pictures to a post. If you want to post pictures, may I suggest: alt.binaries.pictures.aviation as a place to do it. Then all you need to do is advise the list to go look at them. Jim Rotramel - --------------A2C94CB647803F8A5A0247B6 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="mrvark.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for Jim Rotramel Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="mrvark.vcf" begin:vcard n:Rotramel;Jim tel;fax:(301) 342-4922 tel;home:(301) 862-2321 tel;work:(301) 342-4358 x-mozilla-html:TRUE url:http://sites.netscape.net/mrvark/homepage adr:;;47249 Silver Slate Drive;Lexington Park;MD;20653-2434;USA version:2.1 email;internet:mrvark@erols.com x-mozilla-cpt:;3 fn:Jim Rotramel end:vcard - --------------A2C94CB647803F8A5A0247B6-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 22:25:43 -0400 From: Don Hackett Subject: Re: skunk-works-digest V10 #19 Please! With all the concern about HTML (I hate it in email, but who cares), and wordy quoting, I have to say that the WORST kind of netiquette abuse is sending attachments, and especially attachments that end up as inline BS in my mail reader, which is smarter than some, and dumber than some others, but which does not properly handle base64 encoding. Put up a link to your "secret" picture, and help preserve a few abused electrons. I'd love to look at your secret pictures. >------------------------------ > >Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 16:58:18 EDT >From: SecretJet@aol.com >Subject: Secret Aircraft! > >- --part1_3d.a2d114b.28061f6a_boundary >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >OK, here's the story... > >Pics sent to me, from a trusted friend, at/from a huge aviation >facility (in Western USA)... > >Stills (allegedly) from video taken by civvy enthusiasts from >the fenceline of said base, of 'aircraft' they shouldna-oughta >been vidding... > >Computer (not mine!) enhancement reveals the TRUTH! >(Trust no-one!!!) > >So - what do you think?! (Honestly?!) > >The attached pic here shows another test aircraft of the >Rutan / Vari-eze / Long-Eze variety, with the 'unknown', >another pic to follow... > >- --part1_3d.a2d114b.28061f6a_boundary >Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="TwoSecretJets.jpg" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 >Content-Disposition: inline; filename="TwoSecretJets.jpg" > >/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEASABIAAD/4ATeSkZYWAAQ/9j/2wBDAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQN >DAsLDBkSEw8UHRofHh0aHBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0Hyc5PTgyPC4zNDL/2wBDAQkJ >CQwLDBgNDRgyIRwhMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIy >MjIyMjIyMjL/wAARCAA8AE4DASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQF >BgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQAAAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0Kx >wRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlq >c3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWmp6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT > MUCH deleted! "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water." - -- Governor George W. Bush, Jr. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 01:48:54 EDT From: SecretJet@aol.com Subject: Apologies: Attachments/ SW Digest V10 #19 Greetings. I sincerely apologise for recently wrongly sending 2 messages to this list - with attached JPEG photos... As I said before, I would NEVER knowingly send attachments to a mail-list, this was a tragic mistake on my part - due to fatigue/unknown error/finger trouble. The several e-mails I've had in the last few hours illustrate how wrong it is to add pictures/files to postings, I'm so sorry - it was a genuine mistake. Please accept my humble apologies, I honestly didn't intend to bother you with those pictures. Yours Sincerely, Bill (idiot) Turner. http://www.secretjet.net Black-Triangle E-Group HQ. Near London Heathrow, UK. http://members.aol.com/BlackTriangles/index.html - ----------------------------------------------------------------- No Door is Closed - To an Open Mind! - ----------------------------------------------------------------- http://members.aol.com/Secretjet/Links.html Black-Triangle Links ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 17:41:37 -0700 From: Lee Markland Subject: Re: skunk-works-digest V10 #19 Another request, this time to Secret Jet. Please don't embed pictures in your Email, either send a link or send them as an attachment. My Email program, took over a minute to download this digest and when it downloaded it converted your embedded picture into ASCI. Here is it what it looks like (in partiality). I delete most of the ASCI code because I didn't see any reason to clog up someone elses on line connection or email download. I sure would have liked to see the picture, but it is (unfortunately) incomprehensible ASCI code Lee SecretJet@aol.com Subject: Secret Aircraft! - - --part1_3d.a2d114b.28061f6a_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit OK, here's the story... Pics sent to me, from a trusted friend, at/from a huge aviation facility (in Western USA)... Computer (not mine!) enhancement reveals the TRUTH! (Trust no-one!!!) So - what do you think?! (Honestly?!) The attached pic here shows another test aircraft of the Rutan / Vari-eze / Long-Eze variety, with the 'unknown', another pic to follow... - - --part1_3d.a2d114b.28061f6a_boundary Content-Type: image/jpeg; name="TwoSecretJets.jpg" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline; filename="TwoSecretJets.jpg" /9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQEASABIAAD/4ATeSkZYWAAQ/9j/2wBDAAgGBgcGBQgHBwcJCQgKDBQN DAsLDBkSEw8UHRofHh0aHBwgJC4nICIsIxwcKDcpLDAxNDQ0Hyc5PTgyPC4zNDL/2wBDAQkJ CQwLDBgNDRgyIRwhMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIyMjIy MjIyMjIyMjL/wAARCAA8AE4DASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAHwAAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQF BgcICQoL/8QAtRAAAgEDAwIEAwUFBAQAAAF9AQIDAAQRBRIhMUEGE1FhByJxFDKBkaEII0Kx wRVS0fAkM2JyggkKFhcYGRolJicoKSo0NTY3ODk6Q0RFRkdISUpTVFVWV1hZWmNkZWZnaGlq c3R1dnd4eXqDhIWGh4iJipKTlJWWl5iZmqKjpKWmp6ipqrKztLW2t7i5usLDxMXGx8jJytLT 1NXW19jZ2uHi4+Tl5ufo6erx8vP09fb3+Pn6/8QAHwEAAwEBAQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAECAwQF BgcICQoL/8QAtREAAgECBAQDBAcFBAQAAQJ3AAECAxEEBSExBhJBUQdhcRMiMoEIFEKRobHB CSMzUvAVYnLRChYkNOEl8RcYGRomJygpKjU2Nzg5OkNERUZHSElKU1RVVldYWVpjZGVmZ2hp anN0dXZ3eHl6goOEhYaHiImKkpOUlZaXmJmaoqOkpaanqKmqsrO0tba3uLm6wsPExcbHyMnK 0tPU1dbX2Nna4uPk5ebn6Onq8vP09fb3+Pn6/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCh5A+tPEIAq15WTjFS JBkdMmrMCp5IbtQIiTjFXRDnAAp3kkHJAoAzzDwc80wwflWl5PXimPADgd6BmY0AqCWLnpxW s0GCcVBLAfTtQMyWjzUJTmtJ4cCqzx4NAHUCL2rR0z7LE7yTs6PGN8bKAwJ/ulT1/MVEE5qU R8ikIl1H7SPLtpo7dYl/ewtAu3ercgkc4NUvK6Ve8tmxuJOBgZ7D0o8jPamPczzFmm+TitLy CO1MaHigDMeLnOKiaHINajQj0pYtPefDK8QBO07nwR9R6UAc/JFnOBVSWEZx3roL+0W3m8tZ UlAUEvGcqT3APtWdLEAc7aAOjSLjpU6Rc1LHFxVlIvagSK4gz2p4h9qupD7VKIM9qQ0ZvkY7 UxoK1vs59Ka1vx0oGYrw8GltpXspzKiKx2ldrjKn6itJ4ODxVWSHjGKAMWSDLM20AsSTgYBP riqkkOTzxW1NFgVRmh56UCOTsfjNpDlRd6bdw5OCUZXAHr2robD4q+EbmYxPezW/ICtNCQp9 8jOPxr5yozSuVyI+ttO8TeHNRMa2uuafIzsVVfPCsT9Dg100dkxUEISPUDNfEgPOav2utapZ YW11K8gA5AjnZR+houPlPs/7Ee6n8qjez4PFfK1n8U/G9igji8RXbKDnExEn6sCa7bwh8YvF d1MlrfPZ3gJb95NBh+mcZUii4WPaJbYrnivOdX+JOlaTrFzp91b3G+BtpKgcn869L8P3z63a ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 15:43:56 From: "wayne binkley" Subject: US & China Analysis Military and diplomatic officials from the United States and China will meet April 18 to discuss the future of the U.S. EP-3E eavesdropping plane that remains on Hainan Island. Officials have agreed to discuss ways to avoid such incidents and to discuss Chinese demands that the United States refrain from surveillance missions along the coast. China is keen to protect its military secrets. When the U.S. EP- 3E collided with a Chinese jet fighter April 1, its mission at least partly involved gathering intelligence on China's safeguarded - but long-stalled - plans to build a new submarine fleet. The mission also gave the Pentagon a bird's-eye view of growing Chinese facilities for military space programs and signals intelligence (SIGINT) on Hainan Island, headquarters of the South Sea Fleet. Both sides have long-term reasons to continue the contest. For its part, Washington already has laid plans to improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Beijing focuses on developing a handful of strategic capabilities to counter American technological superiority. The upcoming meeting may relieve short-term tensions but not long-term ones Hainan Island will continue to be the epicenter of this tension. Beijing's South Sea Fleet operates out of Hainan. The next generation of submarines is likely to operate here. And China is focusing much of its space program on the island, which is close enough to the equator to quickly and easily put Chinese satellites into orbit. *********** TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE *********** http://www.stratfor.com/home/giu/archive/041301.asp#China _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 13:32:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Andrew Patton Subject: Re: SR-71 962 at IWM Duxford (fwd) On Mon, 9 Apr 2001, David Allison wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2001 12:37:41 +0100 > From: Hannah Kingston > To: allison@habu.org > Subject: SR-71 962 at IWM Duxford > > Hello David Just a quick message to say that the aircraft has arrived > safely at Duxford and WWAR are now in the process of reassembling it. > > The roll out for the press is still scheduled for 11am on 11 April. > > http://www.iwm.org.uk/duxford/duxford1.htm? > > Thanks > > Hannah Kingston > Marketing Manager > Imperial War Museum Duxford > Cambridge > England. CB2 4QR > tel 01223 499320 fax 01223 837267 > www.iwm.org.uk I was actually at Duxford on the 9th and saw 962. She is currently located in Hanger 3 (if i remember) with her wingtips and engins just out sied the hanger on the tarmac. I tries to look at 962 close up but the people at Duxford had put up a canvas wall. Duxford is a great place to visit 6 Hanger of planes including a Blackbird and a U-2C. > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 13:18:35 -0700 From: "T. Toth" Subject: US flights what with? I don't think the US authorities actually believe they can recuperate the EP-3 in worthwhile condition, they probably have already written it off, and it will now be used as a political tool. Funny How the Chinese always turn things around, and of course the Irony is that in doing so they also accuse the Americans of turning things around, for e.g. China has now threatened the US with a worsening of relations if they don't 'come to their sense'. One report I heard suggested the EP-3 flights would now be replaced by U-2 missions (who, the reporter went on, fly too high for the Chinese to 'intercept'...). Do you think the US has a spy plane (i.e.. hard to detect or intercept) capable of replacing the EP-3 'surveillance plane' in its mission ? Will it go on using EP-3's, and risk 'another EP-3 incident', or will it use a combination of other assets to replace it? Timothy - -----Original Message----- From: owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com [mailto:owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com]On Behalf Of wayne binkley Sent: April 14, 2001 3:44 PM Subject: US & China Analysis Military and diplomatic officials from the United States and China will meet April 18 to discuss the future of the U.S. EP-3E eavesdropping plane that remains on Hainan Island. Officials have agreed to discuss ways to avoid such incidents and to discuss Chinese demands that the United States refrain from surveillance missions along the coast. China is keen to protect its military secrets. When the U.S. EP- 3E collided with a Chinese jet fighter April 1, its mission at least partly involved gathering intelligence on China's safeguarded - but long-stalled - plans to build a new submarine fleet. The mission also gave the Pentagon a bird's-eye view of growing Chinese facilities for military space programs and signals intelligence (SIGINT) on Hainan Island, headquarters of the South Sea Fleet. Both sides have long-term reasons to continue the contest. For its part, Washington already has laid plans to improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Beijing focuses on developing a handful of strategic capabilities to counter American technological superiority. The upcoming meeting may relieve short-term tensions but not long-term ones Hainan Island will continue to be the epicenter of this tension. Beijing's South Sea Fleet operates out of Hainan. The next generation of submarines is likely to operate here. And China is focusing much of its space program on the island, which is close enough to the equator to quickly and easily put Chinese satellites into orbit. *********** TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE CLICK HERE *********** http://www.stratfor.com/home/giu/archive/041301.asp#China _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 16:27:37 -0400 From: John Szalay Subject: Re: US flights what with? At 01:18 PM 4/14/01 -0700, you wrote: >I don't think the US authorities actually believe they can recuperate the >EP-3 in worthwhile condition, they probably have already written it off, and >it will now be used as a political tool. Media reports that the aircraft is unflyable, and when released, will be Shipped home by barge... course, the all plans are subject to revision. \\ ~ ~ // ( @ @ ) -----------oOOo-(_)-oOOo---------- | john.szalay@att.net | ------------------Oooo.----------- .oooO ( ) ( ) ) / \ ( (_/ \_) No trees were harmed in the transmission of this message, However, A rather large number of electrons were temporarily inconvenienced. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Apr 101 22:28:22 GMT From: betnal@ns.net Subject: Re: US flights what with? On 4/14/01 1:18PM, in message , "T. Toth" wrote: > reporter went on, fly too high for the Chinese to > 'intercept'...). > Do you think the US has a spy plane (i.e.. hard to detect or intercept) > capable of replacing the EP-3 'surveillance plane' in its mission ? Will it > go on using EP-3's, and risk 'another EP-3 incident', or will it use a > combination of other assets to replace it? > > Timothy > > Actually we have such an aircraft that, while it can't handle the entire EP-3E spectrum on one mission, would certainly have been able to handle this mission (destroyer watching) and has already been used to monitor submarine developments. It's called the SR-71. Oh, wait a minute. They're all in museums, aren't they? I guess Cheney and Clinton have been proven right once again that we'd never need that plane anymore. Art ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 12:14:31 -0500 From: George R. Kasica Subject: Popular Press Articles on "A-11" Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 07:12:21 -0700 From: Paul Suhler Subject: Popular Press Articles on "A-11" To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com I'm trying to locate copies of two articles that appeared in the mid-sixties after the Blackbird was first surfaced. One is a May 1964 "Saturday Evening Post" article titled "The Great A-11 Deception." I have a copy from microfilm, but there's an artist's conceptual drawing of the aircraft that didn't come through at all on the film. I don't have a citation for the other, "The Men Who Fly the A-11." I think that it was in "True" or "Argosy" or something like that. If anyone can help me find these, I'd appreciate it. ===[George R. Kasica]=== +1 262 513 8503 Skunk-Works ListOwner +1 206 374 6482 FAX http://www.netwrx1.com Waukesha, WI USA georgek@netwrx1.com ICQ #12862186 Digest Issues at: http://www.netwrx1.com/skunk-works S L O W E R T R A F F I C K E E P R I G H T tm / \ / \ _/ ___ \_ ________/ \_______/V!V\_______/ \_______ \__/ \___/ \__/ www.habu.org The OnLine Blackbird Museum ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 18:33:38 +0100 From: David & Amanda Linthwaite Subject: SR71/A-12 Can anyone tell me: 1. Total number of SR71/A-12 produced ? 2. Where are they now ? 3. History of the bird now at Duxford (was it ever stationed at Mildenhall ?) Just idle curosity I'm afraid, and yes you can "phone a friend" David ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 13:42:57 -0400 (EDT) From: "D. Allison" Subject: Re: SR71/A-12 > Can anyone tell me: > > 1. Total number of SR71/A-12 produced ? 50. This includes 32 SR-71s, 3 YF-12s, 2 M/D-21s, and 13 A-12s. > 2. Where are they now ? If you want the short version, check out Leland Haynes' web page: http://www.wvi.com/~lelandh/srloc~1.htm If you want to look up individuals in more detail, try this one: http://www.habu.org/photogallery.html > 3. History of the bird now at Duxford (was it ever stationed at > Mildenhall ?) There is a brief synopsis at http://www.habu.org/sr-71/17962.html, or you can look for "962" on John Stone's timeline here: http://www.blackbirds.net/srtl60.html Sincerely, - D - David Allison webmaster@habu.org S L O W E R T R A F F I C K E E P R I G H T tm / \ / \ _/ ___ \_ ________/ \_______/V!V\_______/ \_______ \__/ \___/ \__/ www.habu.org The OnLine Blackbird Museum ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:13:45 -0400 From: "Martin Hurst" Subject: Fw: MEDIA BRIEFING SET AS HYPER-X / X-43A FIRST FLIGHT NEARS - -----Original Message----- From: Dennis daCruz To: press_release@cs2.dfrc.nasa.gov Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 2:44 PM Subject: MEDIA BRIEFING SET AS HYPER-X / X-43A FIRST FLIGHT NEARS >NASA Note to Editors: >National Aeronautics and >Space Administration >Dryden Flight Research Center >P.O. Box 273 >Edwards, California 93523 >Phone 661-276-3449 >FAX 661-276-3566 > >For release: April 17, 2001 > >Leslie Williams >Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. >(661) 276-3893 >leslie.williams@dfrc.nasa.gov > >NOTE TO EDITORS: 01-25 > >MEDIA BRIEFING SET AS HYPER-X / X-43A FIRST FLIGHT NEARS > >NASA Dryden Flight Research Center will host a briefing for the news >media on the upcoming X-43A hypersonic flight research program on >Wednesday, April 18. > >During the briefing, scheduled for 10 a.m. Pacific time in the Dryden >auditorium, Hyper-X program manager Vince Rausch from NASA Langley >Research Center and X-43A flight test project manager Joel Sitz from >NASA Dryden will briefly outline the program and upcoming research >missions. In addition, representatives of the industry team that has >played a major role in the program will be available to respond to >questions posed by reporters on-site at Dryden or at participating >NASA centers around the country. The X-43A mated with its Pegasus >booster rocket will be available for a photo and video opportunity >after the news briefing. > >The press briefing will be carried on NASA Television, which is >available on GE-2, transponder 9C, located at 85 degrees West >longitude, vertical polarization. Frequency is 3880 MHz, with audio >on 6.8 MHz. > >The first of three unpiloted X-43 vehicles in NASA's Hyper-X program >will soon begin hypersonic flight tests from NASA's Dryden Flight >Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Following a planned captive-carry >flight aboard NASA's modified NB-52B launch aircraft late this month, >the X-43A is scheduled to be launched on its first hypersonic flight >on or after May 19. > >Flying from seven to 10 times the speed of sound, using an >air-breathing supersonic-combustion ramjet engine instead of >traditional rocket power, the small, 12-foot-long X-43 could >represent a major advance toward faster, more reliable and less >expensive access to space, as well as providing flight data to aid in >the design of future hypersonic aircraft. > >- NASA - > >NOTE TO EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS: News media representatives planning >to attend the briefing at NASA Dryden should FAX a request for >accreditation on their company letterhead to (661) 276-3566 or call >the NASA Dryden Public Affairs Office at (661) 276-3449 by 4 p.m. >today. >Dennis daCruz >Sparta Inc >NASA Dryden Flight Research Center >PO Box 273 >Bldg 4838 >Edwards, CA 93523 > >dennis.dacruz@dfrc.nasa.gov >phone 661-276-2846 >pager 661-276-3038 x2846 >cell phone 661-810-4973 > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:12:40 -0400 From: "Martin Hurst" Subject: Fw: NASA PREPARES FOR FIRST SCRAMJET-POWERED HYPERSONIC FLIGHT - -----Original Message----- From: Dennis daCruz To: press_release@cs2.dfrc.nasa.gov Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 1:28 PM Subject: NASA PREPARES FOR FIRST SCRAMJET-POWERED HYPERSONIC FLIGHT >NASA News >National Aeronautics and >Space Administration >Dryden Flight Research Center >P.O. Box 273 >Edwards, California 93523 >Phone (661) 276-3449 >FAX (661) 276-3566 > >For Release: April 18, 2001 > >Leslie Williams >Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. >(Phone: 661/276-3893) > >Jim Cast >Headquarters, Washington, D.C. > >(Phone: 202/358-1779) > >Chris Rink >Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. >(Phone: 757/864-6786) > >DFRC Release: 01-24 > >NASA PREPARES FOR FIRST SCRAMJET-POWERED HYPERSONIC FLIGHT > >Imagine a new breed of aerospace vehicle, able to fly at seven times >the speed of sound, using a next-generation air-breathing jet engine. >NASA takes a hypersonic leap into the future of aerospace technology >with the flight of the "scramjet"-powered X-43A. > >It will be the first time that a non-rocket propelled, air-breathing >engine has powered a vehicle in flight at hypersonic speeds, or more >than five times the speed of sound. An aircraft moving at Mach 5 >would travel about one mile per second or about 3,600 mph at sea >level, far faster than any air-breathing aircraft has ever flown. > >Unlike a rocket that carries its own oxygen for combustion, the >X-43A's scramjet-short for supersonic-combustion ramjet-scoops air >from the atmosphere, making the aircraft lighter, which enables it to >carry heavier payloads. The hydrogen-fueled aircraft has a wingspan >of approximately five feet, measures 12 feet long and weighs about >2,800 pounds. > >The first unpiloted X-43A and its Pegasus booster rocket will be >air-launched from a B-52 from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at >Edwards, Calif. The booster will accelerate the X-43A to Mach 7 at >approximately 95,000 feet. At booster burnout, the X-43 will >separate from the booster and fly under its own power on a >preprogrammed flight path. > >The NASA Hyper-X Program's development and flight testing of the X-43 >vehicle is conducted jointly by Dryden and the Langley Research >Center, Hampton, Va. > >"The Hyper-X Program and the X-43A Flight Project have forged a very >fruitful partnership and national asset," said Joel Sitz, Dryden's >X-43 project manager. "What the country is witnessing is the re-birth >of hypersonics. > >"After a successful X-43A mission, the 'brain trust' will exist to >move forward with future propulsion- research vehicles that will >ultimately result in more efficient space access vehicles," Sitz >added. > >"The Hyper-X program takes what we've been doing for the last 40 >years in wind tunnel research to flight. Flight is reality," said >Vince Rausch, Hyper-X program manager at Langley. "The program is >structured around the scramjet engine and should be a major leap >forward in the national capability for access to space. The country >is looking for safer, more flexible, less expensive ways to get to >space, and that's what the scramjet engine would bring us." > >Scramjet technology could also allow more traditional aircraft-like >operations of launch vehicles, with horizontal take-off, landing and >servicing, which could greatly reduce operational cost and time >between flights. > >Three X-43A flights are planned; the first two will fly at Mach 7 and >the third at Mach 10. Valuable performance data will be relayed >electronically to Dryden and Langley. Each experimental aircraft will >fly once in the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Sea Range >off the southern coast of California and impact into the Pacific >Ocean. > >Like the comparatively slower ramjet counterpart, the scramjet has a >simple mechanical design with no moving parts. However, scramjet >combustion occurs at supersonic air speeds in the engine. Rather >than using a rotating compressor like a turbojet engine, the forward >velocity and vehicle aerodynamic design compress air into the engine. >There, fuel, usually hydrogen, is injected and the expanding hot >gases from combustion accelerate the exhaust air and creates thrust. >In the case of X-43, the thrust will propel the vehicle at hypersonic >speeds up to Mach 10. > >The first free-flight test will be approximately three weeks after an >upcoming captive-carry flight, where the B-52 flies with the X-43A >"stack" to the test range for a series of flight systems tests. > >Following the first series of X-43A hypersonic flights, the next step >is an expanded hypersonics research ground and flight program >currently in place as part of the Advanced Space Transportation >Program, which is led by the Marshall Space Flight Center in >Huntsville, Ala. > >The vehicle contractor team, led by MicroCraft in Tullahoma, Tenn., >includes The Boeing Co., Seal Beach, Calif.; and GASL, Inc., >Ronkonkoma, N.Y. The booster is a modified Pegasus rocket from >Orbital Sciences Corp., Chandler, Ariz. > >- NASA - > >NOTE TO EDITORS: > >Additional information is available on the Internet at: >http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/PAO/PAIS/HTML/FS-040-DFRC.html > >http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Projects/hyperx/x43.html > >Still photos and video B-roll of the X-43 are also available from the >Dryden public affairs office. Still photos are also available on-line >in three resolutions at: > >http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/gallery/photo/X-43A/index.html >Dennis daCruz >Sparta Inc >NASA Dryden Flight Research Center >PO Box 273 >Bldg 4838 >Edwards, CA 93523 > >dennis.dacruz@dfrc.nasa.gov >phone 661-276-2846 >pager 661-276-3038 x2846 >cell phone 661-810-4973 > ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V10 #20 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe in the body of a message to "majordomo@netwrx1.com". 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