Realy a Saab Draken ?laughing View: https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1512097708588294151
I agree. This doesn’t really tell us anything. I reckon the general was talking about these kind of things in general (sorry
) rather than this specific incident.I'll refer you to several earlier posts in this thread instead of explaining again why this isn't a translucent or transparent cover over the metal ribbing of the ClearSpan structure in the images. Over the past months, I've asked a few of my suppliers - who are leaders in the industry - if they have ever heard of a transparent ClearSpan-type aircraft shelter. The consensus is that no such thing exists.Realy a Saab Draken ?
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, it's not the aircraft that was the sensitive item, but the translucent canvas for the shelter.
It was meant to send a signal to our adversaries: "We can't cover up anything"
This thread is too serious for humor.I'll refer you to several earlier posts in this thread instead of explaining again why this isn't a translucent or transparent cover over the metal ribbing of the ClearSpan structure in the images. Over the past months, I've asked a few of my suppliers - who are leaders in the industry - if they have ever heard of a transparent ClearSpan-type aircraft shelter. The consensus is that no such thing exists.Realy a Saab Draken ?
If I'm reading between the lines correctly, it's not the aircraft that was the sensitive item, but the translucent canvas for the shelter.
It was meant to send a signal to our adversaries: "We can't cover up anything"
However, although the aircraft itself may not itself be some sort of new,exotic airframe (as many seem to want it to be), It's role and presence at Groom Lake certainly are sensitive. For example, if one of Draken International's F4s or L-139s were being used to test a new sensor or electronic warfare system, a savvy hostile analyst might be able to figure out what was being done based on what aircraft was being used. The aircraft may have been carrying systems or modifications that need to be concealed. Most of what happens at all test ranges would seem extremely mundane to most enthusiasts, and the skies over Groom Lake aren't constantly filled with exotic aircraft (especially in this age of advanced computational modeling).
I could be wrong, but I still suspect that this is N543J, which has an airworthiness certificate valid until August 2022. It's currently owned by a holding company that may be leasing it back to a contractor, or it may be a Small Business contractor dealing directly with DOD. If so, it's ADS-B transponder certainly wouldn't be active during flight ops within NTTR.
I agree. However, if they had said it was a Draken that would have been the end of the matter, at least for me. Occam’s razor dictates that the most simple solution is the most likely one, and in this case that would be that we’re looking at a Draken. The fact that they didn’t comment on that, not even off the record is very telling in my opinion.
They tried that, the North Sea sighting was meant to be a Vulcan, so they helpfully suggested. Ignoring they had been retired about 2-3 years previously. About as convincing to an informed aviation geek as saying it was Louis Bleriot lost in a fogbank...
This has been disproven, unless they have some very spooky paint that adjusts the shadows according to the time of day.
Or a miracle portable shelter that cast a shadow, but is some how magically translucent to the equipment inside because DoD WANTS satellites to see the contents? Which sounds more plausible?
www.thedrive.com
That's just south of the Space Heritage Center. That maybe an old cruise missile, like a BOMARC.
Not to mention we know it isn't a B-21 because the B-21 hasn't even rolled out yet and it's at Palmdale. From Palmdale it will go to Edwards. Unless all of that money they've been spending at Edwards for it's flight test program is just an expensive elaborate ruse to distract everyone from the testing done at Homey AB and when it rolls out later this year we'll find out it's actually operational!!!! ( The last line was snark for the snark challenged). Having said that, when they said it would roll out soon back in April or May, I would just like to point out that their definition of soon and my definition of soon are not the same thing. I don't consider the end of the year,"Soon." I consider less than a month away, soon. I'm sure they'll take that into account next time they make an announcement. No, no they won't.
It could be the B-21 the shape seem to match with the renderings, the size seem to match too... The legendary RQ-180 could be white in color, this one is grey, what could be the wings seem very swept backward, another possibility could be a NGAD demonstrator.
Sir Winston would have loved all this cheating...
“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if this thread and its Forum last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was (probably not) their finest hour.”
