From owner-skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Thu Oct 6 21:36:30 2005 Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 16:00:28 -0500 From: skunk-works-digest Reply-To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com To: skunk-works-digest@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works-digest V14 #15 skunk-works-digest Thursday, October 6 2005 Volume 14 : Number 015 Index of this digest by subject: *************************************************** skunk-works James G. Baker dies skunk-works NASA WB-57F skunk-works Finally a good use of GoogleMaps skunk-works "STR-12" Engine for SUNTAN skunk-works Hurricane Katrina Damage, Skunk related.. skunk-works (fwd) FWD (TLC-Brotherhood) Re: Lost Black Cats skunk-works Lookheed Walrus RE: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus skunk-works The Skunk Works - 'Shapeshifter' - by Nick Cook RE: skunk-works The Skunk Works - 'Shapeshifter' - by Nick Cook *************************************************** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 08:23:23 -0500 From: "Allen Thomson" Subject: skunk-works James G. Baker dies http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/13/national/13baker.html The New York Times July 13, 2005 J. G. Baker, Designer of High-Altitude Camera Lenses, Dies at 90 By JEREMY PEARCE James G. Baker, an astronomer who designed powerful lenses and cameras for the U-2 spy plane in the 1950's and became a pioneer of satellite reconnaissance in the cold war, died on June 29 at his home in Bedford, N.H. He was 90. His death was reported by his son Neal. Dr. Baker conceived and began to build lenses for aerial cameras used by military aircraft for mapping and reconnaissance by the Army and Navy in World War II while he was still a graduate student. After the war, Dr. Baker advised the Air Force Photographic Laboratory and refined his work on high-altitude optical systems. He designed the lenses used by the U-2, which flew at 70,000 feet to escape detection and capture images of Soviet troops and missiles. Intelligence derived from flights of the U-2 was credited with helping to temper concerns about Soviet military superiority during the Eisenhower administration and was later used to verify launching sites in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. In the late 1950's, with the launchings of the first satellites, Dr. Baker, in collaboration with Joseph Nunn, developed the Baker-Nunn satellite tracking camera, which allowed observers to follow the course and trajectory of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957. The camera uses an expansive field of view to photograph large swaths of sky and record the progress of satellites and other objects. Robert S. Hilbert, an optical designer and president of Optical Research Associates, a design firm in Pasadena, Calif., said that the Baker-Nunn camera provided "an unprecedented combination of speed, wide field of view and image quality" and that, 45 years later, "for the same purpose, no better camera or design exists than the Baker-Nunn today." Dr. Baker later helped create the camera systems used in the Air Force's high-speed reconnaissance plane, the SR-71 Blackbird, in use from the 1960's until the 1990's. As an independent contractor to Polaroid, Eastman Kodak and other companies, Dr. Baker also applied his research to consumer products. In the late 1960's, at the invitation of Edwin Land, the Polaroid chairman, Dr. Baker designed the optical system for the folding SX-70 Land Camera, which instantly developed its images and became internationally popular in the 1970's. In earlier work in astronomy, Dr. Baker improved the accuracy of existing telescopes and designed the Baker Super-Schmidt camera, which he developed to photograph meteors. With George Z. Dimitroff, he wrote the 1945 book "Telescopes and Accessories." James Gilbert Baker was born in Louisville, Ky. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Louisville in 1935. He received his doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics from Harvard in 1942 and had been affiliated with its observatory since the 1930's. In 1960, Dr. Baker was named president of the Optical Society of America, and in 1965 he was awarded its highest honor, the Frederick Ives Medal. He was a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Baker is survived by his wife of 67 years, the former Elizabeth Breitenstein. Besides his son Neal, a remote-imaging specialist, of Annapolis, Md., he is survived by two other sons, Dennis, a meteorologist, of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Kirby, a mathematician, of Los Angeles; a daughter, Brenda Baker, a computer scientist, of Berkeley Heights, N.J.; and five grandchildren. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 08:43:38 -0700 From: Patrick Subject: skunk-works NASA WB-57F Speaking of U-2's (wing's?) and telescopic cameras..... http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/multimedia/photos/2005/photosH-05-097.html ( I had to cut and paste this link to get it to work. Not sure why.) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 13:55:37 -0700 From: "Erik Hoel" Subject: skunk-works Finally a good use of GoogleMaps http://gmaps.tommangan.us/index.html Erik ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Aug 2005 23:13:11 -0700 From: Paul Suhler Subject: skunk-works "STR-12" Engine for SUNTAN I'm trying to get information about the STR-12 engine. According to Jay Miller's history of the Skunk Works, they would have been used on the two largest variants of the CL-400. (Smaller versions would have used the model 304 engine, which is very well documented.) However, I've been unable to turn up any information on who would have made them, their characteristics, whether any were ever built, etc. If anyone out there has any information... Thanks very much, Paul Suhler ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 18:49:13 +0000 From: john.szalay@att.net Subject: skunk-works Hurricane Katrina Damage, Skunk related.. the USS Alabama museum which has A-12 #06938 suffered moderate to heavy damage from winds and storm surge. according to reports and photos, the building housing the Blackbird was damaged. with windows & walls blown out, water damage to exhibits but many of the aircraft are intact. have not seen reports to how high the storm surge got into the building, but photos show water on the floor of the aircraft display area.. heres hoping that salt water damage is kept to a minimum.. museum is currently closed to the public, during recovery and salvage . according to friends living in the area, recovery is slowed due to the heavy damage to the surrounding utilities, gas shortages, housing ETC: http://www.ussalabama.com/html/photos/index.php ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 06:33:14 -0500 From: George R. Kasica Subject: skunk-works (fwd) FWD (TLC-Brotherhood) Re: Lost Black Cats On Tue, 20 Sep 2005 21:38:28 -0700, "Terry W. Colvin" wrote: >Terry if you can get hold of this book, "By Any Means Necessary" by William > >E. Burrows. sub titled flying secret missions in a hostile world. It is >basically a recounting of those brave souls who flew the photo and >electronic reconnaisance missions during the cold war. FGlying every thing >from C-47s to SR 71s. It also recounts the those who were lost. Apparently >many were captured alive and held by the russians, chinese, etc. It also >recounts the brutal murder of an AF colonel by a North Korean general. > > >It is a plum book, the e-mail address is www.penguinputnam.com > >Jim Stampher >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Terry W. Colvin" >To: "TLCB (single address)" >Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2005 11:00 PM >Subject: TLC-Brotherhood FWD (skunk-works) Lost Black Cats > > >> Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 09:33:39 -0400 >> From: Joe Donoghue >> Subject: skunk-works Lost Black Cats >> >> To: Former Taoyuan Bandits, the U-2 community and those interested in a >> good story >> >> From: Joe Donoghue >> >> (I was in the command post at Taoyuan the night Jack Chang was shot down. >> We knew within minutes that the Chicoms had cancelled their air defense >> alert but I spent the next several hours monitoring the HF and UHF radios >> hoping that Jack might somehow still be airborne and making his way back >> to >> base. The next morning I tuned-in Radio Peking on an R-390A radio receiver >> and heard the announcement that the U-2 had been shot down but the >> announcer made no mention of the fate of its pilot. We Americans and >> Chinese in the Black Cat Squadron assumed that Jack had not survived and >> so >> I still believed till I attended a reunion in 1983 and heard an excited >> John Raines tell the story of how he had welcomed Jack and Robin to the >> US. >> The following is my brief review and hearty recommendation of a new book >> by General Hsichun "Mike" Hua.) >> >> On 1 November 1963, Major Changti "Robin" Yeh's U-2 was shot down over >> mainland China and he was captured by Communist forces. The saga of Yeh's >> 19 year captivity and that of Major Liyi "Jack" Chang whose U-2 was shot >> down in 1965 is well-told in a new book by General H. Mike Hua. Hua, >> himself a former U-2 pilot in the joint CIA/ROCAF program, has conducted >> numerous interviews with his former squadron-mates to get the story of >> their captivity and of the disgraceful treatment by their own government >> on >> Taiwan when the Communists finally released them in 1982. >> >> Surprisingly to me, the Communists, by their standards, did not physically >> mis-treat the two captured U-2 pilots. After 5 years in solitary >> confinement (although not in a prison environment), both were released to >> communes for "re-education." But the hard labor and poor rations that they >> had to endure were the norm for the average peasants in the communes. The >> cruel and unforgivable action of the Chicoms was the failure to admit that >> Yeh and Chang were still alive. >> >> The chapters on life in the communes and the effects of the Red Guards and >> Cultural Revolution on the lives of the Chinese peasants and our grounded >> aviators are a mini history lesson on the period. >> >> As a result,of their government's declaring the pilots KIA, both their >> wives eventually remarried and both US and Republic of China intelligence >> circles as well as their families were amazed when Robin and Jack turned >> up >> alive in Hong Kong. Given a very cold shoulder by the ROC government which >> refused these ROC Air Force officers entry to their homeland and even >> threatened court martials if they should make it to the island, the two >> were helped by a network of former ROCAF pilots and former Chinese and >> American U-2 squadron mates who put them in touch with the CIA which - >> under no legal obligation - recognized a moral duty to these brave men. >> There are eventual happy endings including a home-coming to Taipei in 1990 >> but the lost years can never be regained. >> >> General Hua tells the story of these two lost Black Cats and their >> families >> with compassion and - often - in their own words. Among many surprising >> details: Yeh was shown a recent photo of Chinese and American U-2 squadron >> personnel relaxing at the Taoyuan hostel during his interrogation; the >> Chicom money in Jack Chang's survival kit was out-dated and would have >> given him away even if he had not been wearing his pressure suit. >> >> Lost Black Cats: Story of Two Captured Chinese U-2 Pilots >> >> by H. Mike Hua,; AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana >> >> 208 pages. >> >> Paperback (6x9) ISBN 141849917X $13.50 >> >> Dust Jacket Hardcover (6x9) ISBN 1418499188 $22.00 >> >> http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~27221.aspx >> >> also available from Amazon.com >> >> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/103-9735061-4370253 >> >> and from Barnes and Noble >> >> http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=h%20mike%20hua&userid=dK8xjBHBtq&cds2Pid=946 > > > >-- >"Only a zit on the wart on the heinie of progress." Copyright 1992, Frank Rice > > >Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1 at mindspring.com > > Alternate: < fortean1 at msn.com > >Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html > >Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB * > U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program >------------ >Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List > TLCB Web Site: < http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org > [Southeast Asia >veterans, Allies, CIA/NSA, and "steenkeen" contractors are welcome.] > ===[George R. Kasica]=== +1 262 677 0766 Skunk-Works ListOwner +1 206 374 6482 FAX http://www.netwrx1.com/georgek Jackson, 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: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 08:06:34 -0400 From: "Frank Markus" Subject: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus According to an article in the October 2005 edition of AIR International (p.12), DARPA has awarded contracts for a heavier-than-air blimp designed by Lookheed-Martin's Advanced Development Projects division. "Walrus will be designed to control lift in all stages of air and ground operations including the ability to offload payload without taking on board ballast other than the surrounding air. In contrast to earlier generation airships, Walrus will be a heavier than air that will generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics, thrust vectoring and gas buoyancy generation and management." The purpose of the Walrus would be to "carry a payload of more than 500 tons . over 12,000nm . in les than seven days at competitive cost. " Although there is a picture of a blimp-like airship with four large (helicopter-like) propellers, two about half-way along the body and the others near the rear, the article states that no decision has been made as to whether it will be rigid, semi-rigid or non-rigid designs. Based on past discussions on the Skunk Works list, I assume that LM will use the shape of the large stealthy airship that they apparently tested a few years ago. For the first twelve months of the contract, LM and a team from Aeros Aeronautical Systems of Tarzana, CA will both do analysis of the best design. Then one of the two will be selected to enter a demonstration phase which will last three years.. During this phase, flight tests of a scaled down version of the vehicle will be flight tested. My guess is that this is a bit of a sham. Based on the discussions here, I believe that this is a way of quietly bringing a well-tested black project out into the light. But I would like to hear from others on the list. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 16:25:42 +0100 From: "Hill, Robin (UK)" Subject: RE: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus On 06 October 2005 13:07, owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com: >According to an article in the October 2005 edition of AIR International >(p.12), DARPA has awarded contracts for a heavier-than-air blimp designed by >Lookheed-Martin's Advanced Development Projects division. We have seen a number of these ideas, both in mock-up and (very provisional) prototype form. The last one I remember consisted of an envelope and an underslung cruciform frame with four Sikorsky helocoptors (S56s?) complete with main rotors but minus anti-torque rotors and driveshafts, one each at the end of each arm of the cruciform. The gas bag provided 80%-90% of the lift and the rotors provided working lift. The prototype was lost when it suffered structural failure in one of the cruciform arms. If I remember correctly there were control problems in getting all four helicopters to generate similar lifting effort at the same time. Handling was good in the hover, but as soon as it started moving forward (or indeed in any direction) there were all sorts of air circulation problems, equivalent to trying to fly four helicopters in extremely close formation. This might have been solved by a more sophisticated autopilot/engine thrust management system. Certainly Lockheed would be one of the companies who would have the technological clout to handle these kinds of problems. There's quite a market for heavy lift, long duration flying platforms, from surveillance aircraft to in-flight refuelling stations (see The Camel's Hump in "Stealth"). And just imagine being able to move entire emergency hospitals in one go from one side of America to the other. I agree that there's a possibility that such a device has been flying for some time. We haven't seen the SR-71 replacement, yet, have we? Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire. ******************************************************************** This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended recipient and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose or distribute its contents to any other person. ******************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 18:31:24 +0100 From: "David" Subject: Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus The From: "Hill, Robin (UK)" To: Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 4:25 PM Subject: RE: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus > On 06 October 2005 13:07, > owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com: > > >According to an article in the October 2005 edition of AIR International > >(p.12), DARPA has awarded contracts for a heavier-than-air blimp designed by > >Lookheed-Martin's Advanced Development Projects division. > > We have seen a number of these ideas, both in mock-up and (very provisional) > prototype form. The last one I remember consisted of an envelope and an > underslung cruciform frame with four Sikorsky helocoptors (S56s?) complete > with main rotors but minus anti-torque rotors and driveshafts, one each at the > end of each arm of the cruciform. The gas bag provided 80%-90% of the lift and > the rotors provided working lift. > > The prototype was lost when it suffered structural failure in one of the > cruciform arms. If I remember correctly there were control problems in getting > all four helicopters to generate similar lifting effort at the same time. > Handling was good in the hover, but as soon as it started moving forward (or > indeed in any direction) there were all sorts of air circulation problems, > equivalent to trying to fly four helicopters in extremely close formation. > This might have been solved by a more sophisticated autopilot/engine thrust > management system. Certainly Lockheed would be one of the companies who would > have the technological clout to handle these kinds of problems. > > There's quite a market for heavy lift, long duration flying platforms, from > surveillance aircraft to in-flight refuelling stations (see The Camel's Hump > in "Stealth"). And just imagine being able to move entire emergency hospitals > in one go from one side of America to the other. > > I agree that there's a possibility that such a device has been flying for some > time. We haven't seen the SR-71 replacement, yet, have we? > > Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire. > > ******************************************************************** > This email and any attachments are confidential to the intended > recipient and may also be privileged. If you are not the intended > recipient please delete it from your system and notify the sender. > You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose or > distribute its contents to any other person. > ******************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 19:20:08 +0100 From: "David" Subject: Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus From: "Hill, Robin (UK)" To: Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 4:25 PM Subject: RE: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus > On 06 October 2005 13:07, > owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com: > > >According to an article in the October 2005 edition of AIR International > >(p.12), DARPA has awarded contracts for a heavier-than-air blimp designed by > >Lookheed-Martin's Advanced Development Projects division. > > We have seen a number of these ideas, both in mock-up and (very provisional) > prototype form. The last one I remember consisted of an envelope and an > underslung cruciform frame with four Sikorsky helocoptors (S56s?) complete > with main rotors but minus anti-torque rotors and driveshafts, one each at the > end of each arm of the cruciform. The gas bag provided 80%-90% of the lift and > the rotors provided working lift. > > The prototype was lost when it suffered structural failure in one of the > cruciform arms. If I remember correctly there were control problems in getting > all four helicopters to generate similar lifting effort at the same time. > Handling was good in the hover, but as soon as it started moving forward (or > indeed in any direction) there were all sorts of air circulation problems, > equivalent to trying to fly four helicopters in extremely close formation. > This might have been solved by a more sophisticated autopilot/engine thrust > management system. Certainly Lockheed would be one of the companies who would > have the technological clout to handle these kinds of problems. > > There's quite a market for heavy lift, long duration flying platforms, from > surveillance aircraft to in-flight refuelling stations (see The Camel's Hump > in "Stealth"). And just imagine being able to move entire emergency hospitals > in one go from one side of America to the other. > > I agree that there's a possibility that such a device has been flying for some > time. We haven't seen the SR-71 replacement, yet, have we? > > Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire. That would have been the Piasecki Heli-Stat back in the 80s. See: http://www.piasecki.com/pa-97.htm In fact LockMart came up with another notional whale-like hybrid airship concept a few years back which was covered in AW&ST - can't find the ref, but that particular design looked very draggy and not altogether a goer. Chances are that a black world hybrid airship has been operating for some years - along the lines of the Aereon deltoid. I suspect however, that it's not a heavy lift airship - the problems of re-ballasting the ship to keep it in anything approaching equilibrium after tens - or hundreds of tons of materiel have been off-loaded remains a serious - though by no means insurmountable design problem in heavy lift, lighter-than-aircraft. I suspect the ship that's seen from time to time ( when it's not a/c landing lights or NOSS triplet sats causing the three lights in triangular formation 'sightings') is a ELINT/ SIGINT or radar platform. I am told the improvement in resolution that would be possible with stable, physically large radar antennae would represent a huge step forward in the detection of LO or small aircraft/missiles especially sea-skimming threats. Best David ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 14:14:16 -0500 From: "Allen Thomson" Subject: Re: skunk-works Lookheed Walrus > >According to an article in the October 2005 edition of AIR International > >(p.12), DARPA has awarded contracts for a heavier-than-air blimp designed > >Lookheed-Martin's Advanced Development Projects division. For a tiny bit of irony, look at http://media.popularmechanics.com/images/191203.jpg The author of the cover article had a younger brother who later changed his name from Lougheed to Lockheed. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 15:49:24 EDT From: SecretJet@aol.com Subject: skunk-works The Skunk Works - 'Shapeshifter' - by Nick Cook The Skunk Works - Shapeshifter http://www.janes.com/defence/air_forces/news/jdw/jdw051005_1_n.shtml By Nick Cook JDW Aerospace Consultant London It seems inconceivable that the entity that established itself as one of the foremost aerospace pioneers of the last half-century should end up on the sidelines of the UAV and UCAV revolution, yet, on the face of it, this is where the Skunk Works is: on the outside, looking in. For the past few years, as J-UCAS has gathered momentum, ADP officials have let it be known that the Skunk Works has not been standing still - - that there are advanced UAV/UCAV concepts on the drawing board at ADP, many of which are under government consideration. A number of these may have progressed further in the 'black' world - there are persistent rumours that they have. However, it was only in June, at the Paris Air Show, that the Skunk Works/ADP was able to provide hard details of a real, live project: the Morphing UAV. The Morphing UAV is a demonstrator for an unmanned aircraft that, in its developed form, can span intelligence-gathering and attack missions by changing its shape in flight. To date, in the high-end, sophisticated unmanned aircraft market, UAVs and UCAVs broadly fall into two camps: high- and medium-altitude long-endurance types for surveillance, and UCAVs for attack. With its ability to 'morph' from an extended-wing, loitering configuration to a squat, agile, high dash-speed platform - a transition that takes place in less than 30 seconds - the Morphing UAV allows a single vehicle to perform multiple mission profiles. To reinforce ADP's message and add weight to its conviction that the UAV/UCAV market is still in transition, and thus still open to competition, the Skunk Works' Vice President and General Manager, Frank Cappuccio, went to the Paris Air Show to convey it personally. Cappuccio is bound by a different set of rules from most engineering management executives because of what the Skunk Works does. There are times, for example, when the US government prevents him from travelling abroad. However, Cappuccio's message in Paris was clear. "I personally believe there's going to be two or three generations of UAVs before we [the aerospace and defence industry] get it right," he told JDW in an extensive, exclusive interview. 358 of 3,185 words [End of non-subscriber extract.] The full version of this article is accessible through our subscription services. ============================ Cheers! Bill Turner. Black-Triangle Admin. UK. =================== Trust No-One! =================== http://www.black-triangle.co.uk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/files/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/links http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/lst ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 6 Oct 2005 16:57:18 -0400 From: "Frank Markus" Subject: RE: skunk-works The Skunk Works - 'Shapeshifter' - by Nick Cook The sad fact is that the UAVs that are getting it right are not high budget strategic products of the major defense corporations. Rather, the truly useful UAVs are the small tactical UAVs but together by small firms (and Israel.) Stealth is less important to the troops than seeing over the next hill. Simplicity trumps complexity. Having lots of cheap (and disposable) easily portable vehicles is more valuable than having a few very complex (and expensive)devices. Global Hawk and Predator are cool but the UAVs that are basically grown-up model airplanes get the job done. While the erstwhile Shapeshifter is cool and cutting edge, one must ask who needs it. Would it not be cheaper and more cost effective to have a pure recon UAV and an optimized fighter/attack UAV than a complex bastard that is mediocre in both roles? (Does nobody remember the FB 111 fiasco?) Of course, there is a lot less money to be made in building something simple than in pushing the envelope. But somehow I suspect that LM management is aware of that. - -----Original Message----- From: owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com [mailto:owner-skunk-works@netwrx1.com] On Behalf Of SecretJet@aol.com Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 3:49 PM To: skunk-works@netwrx1.com Subject: skunk-works The Skunk Works - 'Shapeshifter' - by Nick Cook The Skunk Works - Shapeshifter http://www.janes.com/defence/air_forces/news/jdw/jdw051005_1_n.shtml By Nick Cook JDW Aerospace Consultant London It seems inconceivable that the entity that established itself as one of the foremost aerospace pioneers of the last half-century should end up on the sidelines of the UAV and UCAV revolution, yet, on the face of it, this is where the Skunk Works is: on the outside, looking in. For the past few years, as J-UCAS has gathered momentum, ADP officials have let it be known that the Skunk Works has not been standing still - - that there are advanced UAV/UCAV concepts on the drawing board at ADP, many of which are under government consideration. A number of these may have progressed further in the 'black' world - there are persistent rumours that they have. However, it was only in June, at the Paris Air Show, that the Skunk Works/ADP was able to provide hard details of a real, live project: the Morphing UAV. The Morphing UAV is a demonstrator for an unmanned aircraft that, in its developed form, can span intelligence-gathering and attack missions by changing its shape in flight. To date, in the high-end, sophisticated unmanned aircraft market, UAVs and UCAVs broadly fall into two camps: high- and medium-altitude long-endurance types for surveillance, and UCAVs for attack. With its ability to 'morph' from an extended-wing, loitering configuration to a squat, agile, high dash-speed platform - a transition that takes place in less than 30 seconds - the Morphing UAV allows a single vehicle to perform multiple mission profiles. To reinforce ADP's message and add weight to its conviction that the UAV/UCAV market is still in transition, and thus still open to competition, the Skunk Works' Vice President and General Manager, Frank Cappuccio, went to the Paris Air Show to convey it personally. Cappuccio is bound by a different set of rules from most engineering management executives because of what the Skunk Works does. There are times, for example, when the US government prevents him from travelling abroad. However, Cappuccio's message in Paris was clear. "I personally believe there's going to be two or three generations of UAVs before we [the aerospace and defence industry] get it right," he told JDW in an extensive, exclusive interview. 358 of 3,185 words [End of non-subscriber extract.] The full version of this article is accessible through our subscription services. ============================ Cheers! Bill Turner. Black-Triangle Admin. UK. =================== Trust No-One! =================== http://www.black-triangle.co.uk http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/files/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/links http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/black-triangle/lst ------------------------------ End of skunk-works-digest V14 #15 ********************************* To subscribe to skunk-works-digest, send the command: subscribe skunk-works-digest 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 skunk-works-digest local-skunk-works@your.domain.net To unsubscribe, send mail to the same address, with the command: unsubscribe skunk-works-digest 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