Northrop TACIT BLUE

[Scott Kenny]

Actually it had one of the first LPI radars for exactly this

Wrong group of people wondering where the data came from. You're thinking Russians, the Tacit Blue program people were thinking Americans.

 

[Hydroman]

Tacit Blue also had to meet a broad radar frequency band no matter where the aircraft was being illuminated since it was for near-front line battlefield surveillance plus had to deal with the infrared, visual, acoustic elements and operating the LPI radar, pretty tall order for that time period. B-2 had to meet the same requirements. Northrop did spend a lot of money to develop their RCS prediction code for any shaped air vehicle which definitely paid off and a lot of pole testing at the range to boot. TSSAM and YF-23 directly benefited from Tacit Blue and I would assume other non-acknowledged programs as well.

 

[flateric]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT7H5IBTMkA

 

[publiusr]

That’s the first belly pic I’ve seen…a big manned cruise missile

 

[fightingirish]

If not mentioned in this topic before, Tacit Blue was also called "the (inverted) flying bathtub".

 

[flateric]

...

 

[martinbayer]

From the first time I ever laid eyes on her, I've always mentally pictured the Tacit Blue as a flying bread/cake loaf with wings and empennage.

 

[Scott Kenny]

From the first time I ever laid eyes on her, I've always mentally pictured the Tacit Blue as a flying bread/cake loaf with wings and empennage.

You're not wrong...

 

[Stargazer]

From the first time I ever laid eyes on her, I've always mentally pictured the Tacit Blue as a flying bread/cake loaf with wings and empennage.

Ditto! I always wondered if I was the only one to see it!!!

 

[Rhinocrates]

From the front it looks like Donald Duck.

 

[piko1]

You are not far from the truth but in Germany its called ET403 aka the father of the ICE and maglev not TACIT BLUE

 

[FighterJock]

Just had a second look at Tacit Blue and you are right Rinocrates, from the front it really does look like Donald Duck in a strange sort of way.

 

[Archibald]

And it was specially build to duck detection...

 

[publiusr]

More a Seaview/TOS shuttlecraft hybrid to me.

 

[phantomphan]

From the front it looks like Donald Duck.

Would it look better with canards? Okay, sorry

 

[martinbayer]

Would it look better with canards? Okay, sorry

No need to apologize - everything with wings looks better with canards.

 

[southwestforests]

everything with wings looks better with canards.

A bit of a tangent to the topic, but right under this monitor atop the stack of books which raise it to a better height is a Matchbox diecast SB82 Pusher Prop, an attractive little sky blue and white T-tail canard looking like something from Piaggio or Beechcraft or Velocity.

 

[southwestforests]

You are not far from the truth but in Germany its called ET403 aka the father of the ICE

Aw man, in the 1980s and 1990s I had one of those in DB paint scheme with red window band in HO scale by Lima; it vanished in a move.
Great looking train. Miss the model to this day. And very much remember it having picked up "Donald Duck" nickname.

 

[flateric]

Would you please stop off-topic?

 

[Hansblix]

Does anyone have information on any aircraft or programs that were post Tacit Blue but Pre YF-23 more in line with an F-111 sized aircraft or role?

 

[Hydroman]

Does anyone have information on any aircraft or programs that were post Tacit Blue but Pre YF-23 more in line with an F-111 sized aircraft or role?

You would have to look at Tony Chong's book but there may have been programs still classified and prohibited from publication during that time frame, the only one I know of would be FB-23 which was in parallel with YF/F-23 and a derivative.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Does anyone have information on any aircraft or programs that were post Tacit Blue but Pre YF-23 more in line with an F-111 sized aircraft or role?

Between 1982 and 1990? Northrop only?

 

[flateric]

USAFM R&D hangar as of 2015

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force | Dayton OH

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[Stargazer]

USAFM R&D hangar as of 2015

Never been there, but undoubtedly one of my favorite places in the whole world! What I wouldn't give to get locked up in that hangar for the night and spend time amidst all those legends!