Lockheed Airframe Spotted?

[TAGBOARD]

While poking around a bit at the defense contractor sites on Google Earth, has anyone noticed an object on the north end of a large building on the Lockheed Palmdale site of what appears to be a conventional configuration airframe (MQ-9 like) with an approximate wing span of 32 ft, in the building shadow on the 01/08/2008 imagery at 34°37'7.88"N 118° 7'8.25"W?

 

[Michel Van]

this look first like a U-2 Spy plane?
Surrounded by containers so no one can see it, the Container show up 2003 then are removed around 2009 to new position

by the way, that odd structure north, must be "the mate-demate struckture" to get the space Shuttle orbiter on B-474
if Shuttle orbiter landed in Edwards AFB 20 miles away...

 

[SOC]

The mate-demate assembly is at NASA's DFRC at Edwards, near where the 747 carrier is parked.

I don't see anything in the Palmdale image?

 

[Michel Van]

your right SOC
the The mate-demate assembly is still at NASA's DFRC

so wat is this thing at Stunk works ?

I don't see anything in the Palmdale image?

you stick in year 2011
in GE menulist is little clock icon, klick on that.
a timeframe turn up, 1993 to 2011, you choose the year

 

[TAGBOARD]

It's in the shadow of the north side of the building - making it difficult to see - but it's there in the image. Below is a hyperlink to a screen grab from Google Earth:

32 ft Span Aircraft?

 

[SOC]

so wat is this thing at Stunk works ?

I've seen it referenced as a structural test rig somewhere.

you stick in year 2011
in GE menulist is little clock icon, klick on that.
a timeframe turn up, 1993 to 2011, you choose the year

Umm... http://geimint.blogspot.com/ I know how the historical imagery bit works ;D But even in the screencapture posted by TAGBOARD, I still don't see anything that you can definitely point to as being an airframe.

 

[Byeman]

The mate-demate assembly is at NASA's DFRC at Edwards, near where the 747 carrier is parked.

I don't see anything in the Palmdale image?

The Orbiter Lifting Frame was moved from Vandenberg AFB to Palmdale. This was done so that when the Orbiters were returned to Palmdale for major inspections, refurb and modifications, they did not have to be towed the 20 or more miles to and from DFRC.

It was located here

34.63891,-118.096189

and shows in 2006

 

[TAGBOARD]

Compare the image at the location below, with estimation highlighted in red dash, to that discussed above:

32 ft Span Aircraft? (highlight)

 

[seruriermarshal]

Seems like U-2

 

[quellish]

While poking around a bit at the defense contractor sites on Google Earth, has anyone noticed an object on the north end of a large building on the Lockheed Palmdale site of what appears to be a conventional configuration airframe (MQ-9 like) with an approximate wing span of 32 ft, in the building shadow on the 01/08/2008 imagery at 34°37'7.88"N 118° 7'8.25"W?

Compare it against a U-2 at Blackbird Airpark:
34.602487, -118.085651

 

[TAGBOARD]

That's a good idea. I checked the airpark on Avenue P and the span on that variant is around 80 ft, which is 48 ft longer than the airframe I'm seeing on Google Earth. In addition, the aspect ratio appears greater than most U-2 types.

Perhaps it's a GNAT 750 as the span is in that ballpark? If so, no "secret" projects of note. It not, what is it?