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Post by Ravenchamp on Nov 4, 2013 16:19:25 GMT -5
Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks to build successor to SR-71 Blackbird A new hypersonic spy plane is coming from the company that helped invent the technology -- and this one will fly six times the speed of sound. Dubbed the SR-72, or Son of Blackbird, the new unmanned spy plane is under development at Lockheed Martin’s famed Skunk Works division, where some of the company’s most advanced projects have been developed. It will be the successor to the famous SR-71, which the U.S. Air Force operated for decades but retired almost 20 years ago. Lockheed built the Blackbird in the early 60s after Gary Powers’ U-2 spy plane was hit by surface-to-air missiles over the Soviet Union, a Cold War crisis that revealed the real need for faster planes and better spy capabilities. Built and tested at Groom Lake in Nevada -- right around the corner from Area 51 -- the Blackbird was designed to fly far faster than anything else around, maintaining speeds in excess of 2,000 mph. www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/11/04/lockheed-martin-skunkworks-to-build-successor-to-sr-71-blackbird/?intcmp=latestnews |
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 17:04:55 GMT -5
I'll bet it doesn't go far without government funding. On which enemy should we spend gadzillion of dollars on to buy a few of these?
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Post by Ravenchamp on Nov 4, 2013 17:15:46 GMT -5
There is a whole list of nations to use this on, and the list is long.
The funds are already in place for development.
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Post by Evil Yoda on Nov 4, 2013 17:28:50 GMT -5
In the age of satellites, I am curious what kind of mission profile this extremely expensive thing fits. Other than lining the pockets of Lock-Mart executives, that is.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 17:52:46 GMT -5
In the age of satellites, I am curious what kind of mission profile this extremely expensive thing fits. Other than lining the pockets of Lock-Mart executives, that is. Particularly when you consider that Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic SS2 could fly higher and faster, stick a couple of guns on that and the Lockheed is toast.   |
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 18:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by middleoftheroad on Nov 4, 2013 18:27:28 GMT -5
In the age of satellites, I am curious what kind of mission profile this extremely expensive thing fits. Other than lining the pockets of Lock-Mart executives, that is. I share your skepticism. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:41:15 GMT -5
Read the article. It's a drone.  |
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 18:43:24 GMT -5
Read the article. It's a drone. I did. Does that make the thing cheap to fly? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:43:43 GMT -5
I'll bet it doesn't go far without government funding. On which enemy should we spend gadzillion of dollars on to buy a few of these? South American drug cartels?  |
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 18:46:17 GMT -5
I'll bet it doesn't go far without government funding. On which enemy should we spend gadzillion of dollars on to buy a few of these? South American drug cartels? Who are they the enemy of? They're the justification for spending a gadzillion dollars on a police state. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:49:13 GMT -5
Read the article. It's a drone. I did. Does that make the thing cheap to fly? Ok, sorry. No it doesn't make it cheaper to fly. My point was simply that an unmanned A/C ("drone"), shouldn't be considered to be a "replacement" for a classic manned aircraft. In human terms, would anyone consider the Predator drone a replacement for a B-17? (Devil's advocate speaking.) |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:50:45 GMT -5
South American drug cartels? Who are they the enemy of? They're the justification for spending a gadzillion dollars on a police state. Wow! You're touchy tonight, old friend! |
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 18:55:07 GMT -5
Who are they the enemy of? They're the justification for spending a gadzillion dollars on a police state. Wow! You're touchy tonight, old friend! I'm sorry. I'm not really. I'm just sick of the country spending billions and trillions of dollars with no clear plan. Unless someone authoritative can explain what this thing can do that current assets can't, besides the "cool" factor, I see it as another waste of money. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:55:56 GMT -5
Don't forget the saying from the early NASA days: "No Buck Rogers, no bucks!"  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 18:57:57 GMT -5
Wow! You're touchy tonight, old friend! I'm sorry. I'm not really. I'm just sick of the country spending billions and trillions of dollars with no clear plan. Unless someone authoritative can explain what this thing can do that current assets can't, besides the "cool" factor, I see it as another waste of money. On that point I agree with you 100%, Douger. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 20:15:00 GMT -5
In the age of satellites, I am curious what kind of mission profile this extremely expensive thing fits. Other than lining the pockets of Lock-Mart executives, that is. Curious of the same, execs, well not so much, maybe I'm not as paranoid as you Besides, the great Kelly Johnson died several years ago, Glen L and Jack Northrup too. |
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Post by Ravenchamp on Nov 4, 2013 21:48:41 GMT -5
Just sit back and let it happen, it will benefit us down the road
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Post by drjohnnyfever on Nov 4, 2013 21:53:34 GMT -5
Sounds like something clayton williams would say.
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Post by douger on Nov 4, 2013 22:32:36 GMT -5
Just sit back and let it happen, it will benefit us down the road How? We need a Mach 6 drone to catch flying carpets? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2013 23:24:53 GMT -5
Just sit back and let it happen, it will benefit us down the road How? We need a Mach 6 drone to catch flying carpets? Well I do recall they were talking hyper speed travel, most everything high tech is either military or space derivative. You know that quite well, the box lunch was invented in 1936 as part of the C-47.  |
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Post by freddfish on Nov 5, 2013 11:57:36 GMT -5
It has a wow factor you don't get from pissing $$ down ratholes like using welfare payments to subsidize illegitimate childbirth.....
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Post by Evil Yoda on Nov 5, 2013 15:29:37 GMT -5
Just sit back and let it happen, it will benefit us down the road Explain how. |
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Post by com6063 on Nov 5, 2013 15:33:07 GMT -5
Just sit back and let it happen, it will benefit us down the road Explain how. They will kill more people with it, I guess. |
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Post by Ravenchamp on Nov 5, 2013 15:34:09 GMT -5
New technology improves the military and it trickles down to the general public it time. As it has with sooooo many other programs in the past.
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