What aircraft are actually at Area 51?

First thing's first. I'm new to ATS. I have not heard about this site until I read Annie Jacobsen's book about Area 51. I have been to the back gate of Area 51 with my dad.

Anyways, what I do know is that the following aircraft were/are at Area 51: A-12, A-12 II, SR-71, F-16, F-15E, Beech B200, Beech 1900C, B737-200/600, C-130, C-124, U-2, a couple drone types, several MiGs, Hopeless Diamond, HAVE BLUE, F-117, TACIT BLUE, and the B-2.

What other aircraft were at Area 51 other than what I've mentioned? Were RC-12s ever at Area 51?

a reply to: lazyfortress

Anything required to test new aircraft. There are any number of aircraft required to observe tests, depending on what they're testing at the time.

WOAH! Zaphod58! People at another forum told me about you.

What types of experimental aircraft? The TR-3 seems a little overboard.

a reply to: lazyfortress

Here you go bud, it is a link to the Area 51 forum on this site. It has lots of speculation, but also lots of facts about things you seem interested in.

Plus, I am sure that the well informed people in here will help you along too.

Area 51 and other bases

I personally know not much about aircraft, they are cool though. Have fun!

a reply to: lazyfortress

Most of them are still classified. It's rumored that the new bomber has been flying out of there, a new reconnaissance platform, several fighter types have flown out of there.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The new bomber is the RQ-180 I think... Wait a second...

a reply to: lazyfortress

No. The RQ-180 is a completely separate unmanned platform. It's been flying much longer than the new bomber.

www.defensenews.com...
Is that it?
LRS-B

The new bomber is the one that just got awarded right? Northrop-Grumman got it I think. And now the other companies are fighting it or something.

a reply to: lazyfortress

a reply to: Jonjonj

Yes. The GAO has until about the middle of February to decide to uphold it, uphold it and penalize the Air Force, or overturn it and force a rebid.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Is there a precedent for the GAO forcing a rebid? That would kind of shine a bad light on the ones who made the decision it seems to me, but military politics is far beyond me so I have no clue.

Can't wait to see pics of it though, it should be gorgeous.

About the TACIT BLUE. How did they develop a twinkie-looking shaped aircraft into the giant flying wing (B-2A)?

And how long does it usually take to declassify things? For the F-117 it was 25 years before they revealed it.

a reply to: Jonjonj

It's kind of mixed. They rebid a few, they uphold a few. Sometimes it's as simple as they didn't write the RFP right, other times it's more serious.

a reply to: lazyfortress

The F-117 was 7 years. It first flew in 1981, and was revealed to the public in 1988. Some programs are never declassified, others are declassified in a few years or less.

a reply to: lazyfortress

They didn't. They took some of the technology used in Tacit Blue and put it into the B-2.

Do you guys know anything about satellites (the Satellite Data System, Quasar and Quasar 3rd generation)? I'm trying to find out everything I can about the satellite. I know it's used to relay data from the KH-11 to ground stations. Sorry for changing the topic

a reply to: lazyfortress

If you haven't done so I I recommend the book or audio tapes for Ben R. Rich book.

From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind America's high-stakes quest to dominate the skies Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two

www.amazon.com...

a reply to: interupt42

Seems a bit fictious. The book. Written by Tom Clancy. He does fiction work, correct?

a reply to: lazyfortress

It wasn't written by Tom Clancy, it was written by Ben Rich and Leo Janos. And it's not ficticious.