This is the amazing Lockheed Martin SR-72—the space Blackbird

reply to post by Zaphod58


anything else?

chrismg
understandable as the us air force and navy train more unmanned uav operators than fighter and bomber pilots.

IMO it is unlikely to need a ground linked pilot - it will be autonomous.

A new article on SR-72:www.nationaldefensemagazine.org... FPosts

I m not really optimist for the futur of the Sr-72 it look to me that the USAF is not ready to finance this plane. They want to protect the three priority programs F-35, KC-46, LRS-B. But may be it will be a mistake to finance the LRS-B, in my opinion may be it will be better to finance a game changing plane like SR-72 for the futur instead a low risk but classic plane like the LRS-B surely a SR-72 will be the very superiority in a futur denial theater. I realy hope that the SR-72 will not be another poster child.

reply to post by darksidius


We probably don't have to worry about funding since it most likely already exists and has for some time now.

reply to post by Sammamishman


with with mostly costing millions of dollars and the government sucking as it is they might only build 5 or less.

reply to post by chrismg


They don't need a massive fleet of them. One aircraft will give a lot of coverage.

Ok I agree with that a fleet of 4 or five will give a very advantage, if it exist now its enough to do the job surely Lockheed don't give us a news like that with just a great pictures I think its surely more than a demonstrator since 7 years. If it be operational soon where it can be in station Edwards ?

reply to post by darksidius


They can easily fly it out of Groom. Or forward deploy them to old SR-71 locations hidden around.

Yes Groom is more bigger than ever it must be easy to find a place for the beast, and may be a day in futur Groom can become a more operational base instead of a super secret site because now its well known by public , and a day USAF will have to find a more secret place I imagine.

reply to post by darksidius


Area 51 is still very secretive, and a secure place to test aircraft. There's only been a few times that anyone's caught a test on video and even then all you see is a light moving through the air with a chase plane.

Also there's only certain parts of the year that you can climb tikkaboo peak, so just because the base itself isn't a secret it's still very good at keeping it's testing secret.

Zaphod58
reply to post by darksidius

 

They can easily fly it out of Groom. Or forward deploy them to old SR-71 locations hidden around.

There are "hidden" SR-71 bases (other than Groom)?? Where are those?

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Not so much hidden, as they're a little out of the way, where they can launch, and it wouldn't be obvious to the entire world they were launching a super secret project.

reply to post by Zaphod58


IIRC they used about the same amount of runway as a B-52

reply to post by darksidius


it could be also still be in construction and storage at the large hangar at area 51.for now

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Anything around 8,000 feet or so would work.

There is the large hangar, and another possibility the hangar 18 to home SR-72 in Groom. Since all time the Skunk Works ISR projects are housing in Groom, there is no reason to change with the new project. And if no SR-72 in the large hangar what else?

reply to post by darksidius


I'm gonna go with Intelgurl's sources on this one. She had a habit of being right a lot more than she was wrong (I don't think I ever saw her wrong). The timing on that hangar is right for it to be for this program.

Yes she start a very good thread on the Blackswift in 2007, and a lot she said at this time seem right now. Great respect for her, and thread like that are very interseting for the hobbiyst like us, the same on this thread with people like you Zaph

reply to post by Zaphod58


I'm not convinced that the new (circa 2007) big hangar at Groom is being used by Lockheed Martin. There is some (albeit tenuous) circumstantial evidence that it was used by Northrop Grumman, a company that has been reportedly working on a classified ISR platform and possibly a new bomber. The hangar has been there about five years now, and there are preparations underway for a "new" program moving into South Base at Edwards, which will require enhanced security similar to that associated with the B-2 test operations at South Base in the early 1990s. South base is home to the Global Power Combined Test Force (bombers and ISR), so these preparations have the flavor of something "black" moving into the "gray" world.

The SR-72 is a cool concept but it sounds like it is still a long way from producing a flyable demonstrator. I recently spoke with someone who has been with the Skunk Works a long time, and asked if the SR-72 would ever be more than just a "paper airplane." He felt confident that the design goals were achievable but admitted that there are still significant hurdles with regard to the propulsion system. The company is trying to leverage lessons learned from the HTV/FALCON program that produced a lot of good data on materials, propulsion, and technology maturation. Ultimately, I expect funding to be a greater obstacle than technological challenges. I'm not holding my breath waiting to see it fly.

reply to post by Shadowhawk


There is a rumor that due to training issues, as well as other groups interest something very interesting is about go go light. That's probably what is going to be at Edwards. I can't wait because what I've heard about it is very cool. Although from what I understand it's not flying out of Groom, but other locations.