Late 2020s is my best guess, feeling lucky about 2028.
www.thedrive.com
Don’t the demonstrators usually get buried in the desert and never seen in public. That’s what’s meant to have happened to the alleged smaller scale B-2 demonstrator.
There were people advocating for its preservation and declassification from the end of the test program forward. That does not happen often
Why would it ever be? It could have technology very advanced they don't want revealed that might not make it into a production article. I'm sure the desert is the burial yard for many unknown secret test articles.
That’s where the sub-scale B-2 demonstrator is meant to be.
Not necessarily. Both Have Blues were buried after crashes, but the Tacit Blue and Bird of Prey are both at the USAFM. Scaled Composites ARES/Model 151, meanwhile, is still flying in support of an unknown number of clandestine programs.
It should happen with all the cool toys.
There was never a small scale Flight test vehicle for the B2. The closest thing was a full scale mockup for the Navy ATA, which of course, was cancelled by Northrop/Grumman. The only thing buried in the desert in modern history is the Have Blue prototypes, after accidents.
This is true.
Depends on what you define as modern history. If that encompasses the 60s and 70s, you are wrong.
And that belief I have seen challenged a number of times, and that there was indeed a sub scale B-2 demonstrator.
Prove it. I can tell you I was there at the start of the ATB/Senior CJ/AP-10/B2. worked there until the mid 90's. I also worked ATA, ATF, etc. There was no demonstrator of any kind. Just Tacit Blue, which was my first. So I don't know who is feeding you your misinformation, so present your evidence please.
Considering these projects are compartmentalised would anyone from one program know what was going on with another.
Cancerman, I worked these programs as well and you are correct in your statements and info regarding B-2, ATA and ATF. I left NGC in the late -90's. I started NGC at ASD-Pico.
aviationweek.com
I started at ASD-Pico in '86 working to design and build the full-scale flight controls/hydro iron bird test rig (the FCHIL), my first project. By the late '90s when I left NGC, not much going on in the way of new programs, all B-2 went to Palmdale then eventually ASD-Pico closed and was demolished unfortunately.
You and I have crossed paths numerous times. I won't go into too much detail on a public forum, but here's a snapshot, and I won't go into too much detail as some of this I would imagine is still sensitive. In early 1981, I left the USAF, as a weapons system specialist. Main bird was the F111D at CAFB. I went to MD in Long Beach on DC9, MD80, KC10. Being a new hire, I was laid off during contract/union disputes. A friend suggested I go apply at Northrop. I was hired,went through security, since I still had my clearance active from the USAF, they snatched me up at 23 years old. I worked Wind tunnel instrumentation at the Tunnel complex at Aircraft division / Advanced projects. My first program was Tacit Blue which only a hand full of us were cleared for. ATB/B2 was next, along with other "Poverty programs/studies". ATF, and ATA, and some other things. When Pico started it's buildup I was drafted and made the move. When the design was mostly frozen, I was bumped back into my avionics background and took over the Lead tech role in the Avionics lab across the hall from the FCHIL lab. I also integrated the two, allowing the AIL to "Run" the FCHIL bird. I also ran at that time several other "labs" that I won't mention on the forum. Northrop had it's fingers in many areas at Pico. After the 21 bird cut, things were getting tight, the plan was to cut the Lab in two, part going to Palmdale, the other to OK. I was burnt out, and I was building Ultralights and experimental aircraft on the side as a hobby, so I took a voluntary layoff which gave me full benefits while I got my instructors ratings, and went into that field full time. I quickly moved out of CA and set up shop. Been a hell of a ride. I just retired after a 10 year bout with cancer. I'm still standing, just a bit wobbly.
What could have been soooo secret that It remained classified for 40 years?
There is no automatic declassification review, a fact which many enthusiasts forget. If something is marked SECRET, it will always remain that way until:
Glad you are doing well and recovering and yes, you and I have probably crossed paths many, many times. I ended my NGC stint in B-2 flight test with the CTF. Since NGC, I have performed subsystems engineering development work for DARPA RASCAL, Stratolaunch (carrier aircraft) and more recently the 5GAT drone just to name a few, not retired yet, still having fun working some new things including aerial refueling.
Doug Richardson, Stealth (1989)
No doubt you know my Father, who also worked in the wind tunnel shop on Tacit Blue, ATF and ATA. Not gonna say his name, but he also went on to do a bunch of RCS stuff on the B-2 (not at Pico) and YF-23. Heck you might even know me too, I was doing ATF and TSSAM RCS stuff back then.
I probably did and may have known you as well. I knew quite a few folks in the wind tunnel model shop. I was involved in YF-23 (aircraft support as required and iron bird lab) and TSSAM (B-2 integration at CTF). I remember planning for the ATA iron bird, would have been fun. I have run into some old NGC colleagues but far and few between now, it is a small world.
That set took its first test flight in 1983... and was intended to replace most older rad-alts then in use, so yes, I'd say that that old rad-alt is long out of US military service.
