Weird California sighting

a reply to: Zaphod58

So several of you have been talking about the fuel being used. So, if this object is supposed to use very high grade fuel, then why was it so quiet. I should have been hearing roaring engines.
As a side note. About a year ago, several of us posted on here about a strange sonic boom we experienced. It felt like a pressure wave affecting the skin and ears. Different from when you hear /feel supersonic booms.

originally posted by: B2StealthBomber
a reply to: Zaphod58

Hmm 2 chase planes and a fast moving LPI platform with a quiet boom. This has black project written all over it

What's an "LPI platform"?

originally posted by: Kratos40
a reply to: Zaphod58
As a side note. About a year ago, several of us posted on here about a strange sonic boom we experienced. It felt like a pressure wave affecting the skin and ears. Different from when you hear /feel supersonic booms.

Sounds like what you experienced was perhaps an explosive concussion. While I was in Iraq, EOD would detonate caches of explosives from considerable distances. You would still feel the concussion from several miles away.

So several of you have been talking about the fuel being used. So, if this object is supposed to use very high grade fuel, then why was it so quiet. I should have been hearing roaring engines.

Aircraft can be seen from tens of miles away, and not be heard at all. This is particularly tricky, because it's so difficult to judge distances of objects in flight. One they are certainly further away than they appear, and they are moving faster than they appear. The sound will also trail the aircraft, which is a funny effect, because if you observe fast moving aircraft within a couple of miles, you get the sensation that there is an invisible trailing aircraft.

a reply to: LuXiferGriM

The X-51 flew its last flight, and wouldn't have needed anywhere near that much fuel. And it never went near Wright Patterson.

a reply to: trollz

"LPI" - Low Probability of Intercept.

a reply to: TAGBOARD

If this system has gone beyond the testing phase into a low production phase then maybe it is the system that is using the JP-7. I believe 100K gallons of JP-7 would be enough for something like that.
100K gallons would be about 670K lbs. of fuel being burned by something with a similar engine set up as the SR71.
Just to give a rough idea of how far that fuel would go in a test/low rate production article, the internet says an SR71 would go through that much fuel in about 83.75 hrs of flight at Mach 3 (8K lbs./hour).

a reply to: Sammamishman

And if this uses what I think it does the fuel burn will be lower than that.

Don't ask because I won't tell.

Or the sr-72 maybe a reply to: weavty1

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Sammamishman

And if this uses what I think it does the fuel burn will be lower than that.

Don't ask because I won't tell.

Oh you are such a tease...

a reply to: Soloprotocol

I just prefer not having an all expenses paid trip to Cuba.

So that little space plane that no one really know what it do up there. Will i be wrong to think that it might not need a rocket to get to low earth orbit and maybe jp7? I am fine not american, they just drone my a$$ a reply to: Zaphod58

a reply to: neversaynever

No, that still needs a rocket. It can't carry enough fuel to get to orbit.

a reply to: neversaynever

If this craft is as big as the eye witness reported then I'm not sure it would be the SR72. That craft was supposed to be about the same size or smaller than a fighter, as seen at 2:17 of this video:

www.youtube.com...

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Soloprotocol

I just prefer not having an all expenses paid trip to Cuba.

Come to Cuba....300 days sunshine a year, free boardings and three square meals a day..Hell, we'll even cater for your specific dietary and religious requirements. Free Health and dental care, free clothing and you can even learn to play Cricket with the Locals.....

CUBA....IT'S AWESOME!!

a reply to: Soloprotocol

Sounds fun but its against my religion to stay in areas where the weight loss program is sitting still and sweating it off.

Hm...

Perhaps a new mach 5 recon platform. We do know they've announced "Son of Blackbird". This could be it, going through some "shake down" drills.

Are we thinking manned or unmanned?

a reply to: MystikMushroom

That big, based on what he said, my bet is manned.

a reply to: Zaphod58

For a recon platform, wouldn't you want something small-ish? The bigger you are, the more of a target...

Then again, one is only a target if they can catch you....

a reply to: MystikMushroom

Small is one way to go, but your range DVD loiter time are dictated by that size. You aren't getting 2-3,000 miles or more at mach 5 out of an F-16 sized platform. So in this case, you go bigger, faster, and add the best stealth and EW you can to out.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Amen to that. I suppose you'd need a bigger bird to carry the fuel needed.

What about a larger platform that has it's own mini stealth drones? Fly in hot and fast, and deliver the mini stealth drones into contested airspace. This way, you wouldn't have to loiter and risk loosing your expensive, shiny new aircraft.

Just an idea.