Weird California sighting

The green light very would could have been a new afterburner/scramjet burner derivative.. Possibly using a symmetrically-diffused laser or focused plasma.

a reply to: B2StealthBomber
It's a Lockheed project, that I'm certain of.

originally posted by: Astr0
Maricopa (AZ) + Westminster (CA).

Eye witness reports [On differing dates, same year ] of single green light heading westwards at [presumed] high altitude. I would NOT be at all surprised what so ever if these reports are factual sightings of a very distinctive airframe.

I'm also out in the desert. Did the green light look like a very slow strobe light? I saw something similar three months ago. It wasn't very high, and about five minutes later, three blackhawk helicopters followed the same path. It was around 8pm, so you could barely make out the shapes of the whirly birds. No sound on the first craft, but it looked like a beefier version of the B1.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Maybe I was wrong about the quiet boom.

www.cbs8.com...

There's been quite a few sky's quakes heard around California in the last few months. They're being blamed on the navy breaking the sound barrier over the ocean but...

a reply to: Kratos40

Could be the follow on the F-111?

a reply to: Kratos40
You're on the right track there with your details.

a reply to: Zaphod58
The green lights might be tactical lights used at night when normal position lights are turned off. They give off a light green glow so other aircraft can be seen by each other when maneuvering at night. These lights are located on the vertical stabilizers and on the front and rear fuselage.

Is JP-7 the same as TEB? It's used on engines that fly at high altitudes where there is little air. I have read that this fuel is used on two engine types used on the SR-71 and the B-70.

a reply to: buddah6

TriEthylBorane was only used to start the engines or reignite them as they went out, it's not a fuel.

originally posted by: B2StealthBomber
a reply to: Kratos40

Could be the follow on the F-111?

Mmm..I want to say no. It has a sleeker shape to it. But larger in shape. Like I said no sound. LRS-B perhaps? Could I be that lucky?

a reply to: buddah6

TEB was used to start the engines on the SR-71 because of the high flash point of the JP-7.

a reply to: Kratos40

You may be luckier than that. If this is a new black high speed platform, then you might be one of the luckiest people out there.

originally posted by: weavty1
a reply to: Kratos40
You're on the right track there with your details.

Well, can I wager a guess....LRS-B? The supposed replacement to the B1 long range?

a reply to: Kratos40

The LRS-B has a delta wing planform, wouldn't look anything like the B1-B you mentioned looking a bit 'beefier'.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Kratos40

You may be luckier than that. If this is a new black high speed platform, then you might be one of the luckiest people out there.

Well, that would be pretty cool. But why was it trailed by blackhawks instead of jets out of Luke AFB (or other places)? The only time I see Blackhawks in town are from the National Guard doing training over the city.
You know WAY more than me, so if this something special....then I can take it off my bucket list.

a reply to: Kratos40

I didn't mean the actual f-111 a similar mission profile though and a black project

a reply to: B2StealthBomber

Ah ok. Thanks for the reply, because the outline of the object that I saw did not look anthing like the Aardvark or in its dimensions.

RATTLRS may be using the JP-7 variety. It went quiet a few years ago - about two years before the subject FBO was released. I know Allison poured a ton of money into the J102 variant.

Video: Lockheed RATTLRS

Well this is heating up quickly. It must eat up those of you on here [if any, no offense] who are "in the know" to only be able to provide vague, cryptic clues, and gentle nudges in the right direction as far as publicly available info.

This is by far the best and most informative sub-forum here on ATS. It's what keeps me coming back. Carry on, team!

a reply to: Zaphod58

Any chance this could be the SR-72? With the high altitude/ High speed fuel, and there have been rumors that it has been flying for a while now are there not?

I believe the JP-7 is for the X-51 scramjet being tested at Edwards. I don't believe that has anything to do with your sightings, however. At mach 5, I don't think they would be testing it over land.