Aicraft design I made last 2008 showed up with Lockheed Martin!

Last 2007, I started an aircraft design study with aerodynamic efficiency being the highest priority of this project.

The study ended around September/October of 2008 and produced a hybrid flying wing design which I entered into a competition.

At around 2008, the Skunkworks division of Lockheed Martin also began a conceptual study of an aircraft with very high aerodynamic efficiency (similar to my design goals).

Obviously, given the highly secretive nature of Skunkworks, there's no way I would have known what they're working on at that time.

Last 2015, they unveiled this design to the public:

foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com...

www.popularmechanics.com...


And this is my design in a 2008 design competition:

Link to 2008 design competition


Multiview of my design:

a reply to: johndeere2020

Very cool man!! Did you get a chance to build and test the wing design? Or was it all simulated?

The calculated performance of my design is as follows:

cruise speed: mach 0.95 / 627 mph / 1010 kph
cruise altitude: 50,000 ft -- this can go a lot higher depending on configuration and basic design can be adapted to 80,000+ ft altitude reconnaisance aircraft.
combat radius: over 6,000 miles
ferry range: over 15,000 miles
Lift over Drag ratio (aerodynamic efficiency) at cruise: over 30 (The B-52 had 20 and the concept had nearly twice the aerodynamic efficiency of the B-52 and nearly twice the range!)

I orinally designed it as an airliner. But the competition required a Long Range Strategic Bomber so I turned it into a bomber.

Anyway, what could be make of this??? Is there a possibility that Lockheed Martin somehow saw my design in the 2008 competition and took it as their own?

There were aircraft engineer regulars in that forum and one of them is from Boeing. I didn't know if there were Lockheed engineers in there but it's likely they did. Ironically, Boeing have also turned up a similar looking concept in 2009 -- just several months after I unveiled my own design.

a reply to: johndeere2020

That does look like your design. I'd be calling my attorney. Theft of intellectual property is a crime.

well you could try and take it to court if they did not own all the judges LOL.

a reply to: johndeere2020

I would say they took your design and adapted it or even copied it completely. But unless you have copyrighted or intellectual rights to the design they would say it's their design. Either way they can't deny the similarities and it makes for a hell of a conversation or even resume piece!!

Still an accomplishment!!

a reply to: GuidedKill

I don't think you would stand a chance of winning in court.

That said, if you have any proof that was your design at the time... it may be worth approaching them for a job? Honestly, I think I would prefer that option myself.

~Winter

originally posted by: GuidedKill
a reply to: johndeere2020

Very cool man!! Did you get a chance to build and test the wing design? Or was it all simulated?

It was all simulated but everything checked out. It also checked out in the wind tunnel testing done by Lockheed.

See the simulated/projected specs I posted above, it had the efficiency of a high performance glider!

It is basically a flying wing but without the deficiencies of a pure flying wing by giving it conventional tailplanes. My concept used normal(optimal) airfoils, avoided the inefficient drag rudders and the horizontal stabilizer contributed to lift, thus giving my design a very high "wetted aspect ratio".

originally posted by: GuidedKill
a reply to: johndeere2020

I would say they took your design and adapted it or even copied it completely. But unless you have copyrighted or intellectual rights to the design they would say it's their design. Either way they can't deny the similarities and it makes for a hell of a conversation or even resume piece!!

Still an accomplishment!!

Yup, it was copyrighted last 2008!

Well, it appears that somehow you are linked to someone who is doing research. Your thoughts interact with their thoughts.

They were probably designing that about the time you were designing it or maybe they saw your design and copied it.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: johndeere2020

That does look like your design. I'd be calling my attorney. Theft of intellectual property is a crime.

If you didnt patent the design
Oh , well . SOL

originally posted by: Winterpain
a reply to: GuidedKill

I don't think you would stand a chance of winning in court.

That said, if you have any proof that was your design at the time... it may be worth approaching them for a job? Honestly, I think I would prefer that option myself.

~Winter

That would be my choice too, approach them for a job.

But I don't actually have qualifications / related college degree for any serious aircraft design work. All my knowledge about aircraft design came from my model aircraft hobby, mostly free-flight gliders and lately, powered RC flight but mostly with RC helicopters.

originally posted by: johndeere2020

originally posted by: GuidedKill
a reply to: johndeere2020

I would say they took your design and adapted it or even copied it completely. But unless you have copyrighted or intellectual rights to the design they would say it's their design. Either way they can't deny the similarities and it makes for a hell of a conversation or even resume piece!!

Still an accomplishment!!

Yup, it was copyrighted last 2008!

I would say it's time to contact an attorney... and watch your back. Make back ups of all your material for safe keeping somewhere no one can access and make plans just in case someone decides it's cheaper for you not to be around then pay a settlement.

a reply to: johndeere2020

Looks pretty much identical to your post from 2008, at least from a birds-eye perspective. Perhaps the "man" got you on this one... flagworthy no-doubt!!!

a reply to: johndeere2020

Some companies are more concerned with skill-set than degree. If you could prove your skill-set it may be worth a shot. If it doesn't work out, lawyer up.

~Winter

a reply to: GuidedKill

watch your back LOL. I would say back, Front, left, right, above and below. Things like this are why people die unexpectedly.

Best advice I can give is to go purchase a big fat life insurance policy so your wife has some money to hang out shopping for her new boyfriend after your gone.

originally posted by: rickymouse
Well, it appears that somehow you are linked to someone who is doing research. Your thoughts interact with their thoughts.

They were probably designing that about the time you were designing it or maybe they saw your design and copied it.

That is also probable. Lockheed started the work at about the same time I published my work.

But I also can't shake the fact, there were engineers from Boeing, etc who did SEE my work last 2008. Boeing also came up with a very similarly looking design last 2009 but didn't follow up. Only Lockheed Martin followed up but with a design that looked a lot like mine!

originally posted by: GuidedKill

originally posted by: johndeere2020

originally posted by: GuidedKill
a reply to: johndeere2020

I would say they took your design and adapted it or even copied it completely. But unless you have copyrighted or intellectual rights to the design they would say it's their design. Either way they can't deny the similarities and it makes for a hell of a conversation or even resume piece!!

Still an accomplishment!!

Yup, it was copyrighted last 2008!

I would say it's time to contact an attorney... and watch your back. Make back ups of all your material for safe keeping somewhere no one can access and make plans just in case someone decides it's cheaper for you not to be around then pay a settlement.

I would prefer a job though, than go all through that trouble!

originally posted by: johndeere2020

originally posted by: rickymouse
Well, it appears that somehow you are linked to someone who is doing research. Your thoughts interact with their thoughts.

They were probably designing that about the time you were designing it or maybe they saw your design and copied it.

That is also probable. Lockheed started the work at about the same time I published my work.

But I also can't shake the fact, there were engineers from Boeing, etc who did SEE my work last 2008. Boeing also came up with a very similarly looking design last 2009 but didn't follow up. Only Lockheed Martin followed up but with a design that looked a lot like mine!

It could be you inspired some of their engineers to build a similar style plane. You patent a product, not an idea. I don't think I would want to lock horns with that company, they have some excellent lawyers onboard.

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: johndeere2020

Looks pretty much identical to your post from 2008, at least from a birds-eye perspective. Perhaps the "man" got you on this one... flagworthy no-doubt!!!

It was a from a slightly different design objective. Lockheed's design was intended for a Strategic Lifter (military cargo), air-refueling tanker, and possibly as an airliner. Their version is stockier in comparison.

My objective is for a long range bomber aircraft and it is required to fly a lot farther than Lockheed's version, for example, fly out of bases in USA, bomb targets in the Middle East like Iran (for example) and return, nonstop even without refueling!