"Lockheed Martin's secretive Skunk Works unit--which previously developed U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 supersonic spy plane and the radar-evading F-117 stealth fighter--has big plans for its latest project: drones. Among the concepts under development, according to the Wall Street Journal: 'One drone would be launched from, and retrieved by, submarines; another would fly at nine times the speed of sound. A third, which is off the drawing board but not quite airborne, has wings designed to fold in flight so that it could rapidly turn from slow-speed spy plane to quick-strike bomber.' The WSJ's reporter also is allowed a rare visit to the Skunk Works complex: 'A factory hall was filled with the prototype of a massive helium-filled airship that one day might ferry troops and heavy equipment to distant battlefields faster and more efficiently than ships--no port or airbase needed. The blimp would float just above the ground on four hover pads, meaning that "you could literally pick a farmer's field" to set down in, says program manager Robert Boyd.'"
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113928028617366870-BKlP9h9idPh1WzJJa3p9JdPbUgk_20070207.html?mod=blogs
"Hoverpads"?... oh its a blimp!
unmanned is the future nothing can take g forces like a ccomputer.
weee... More video game style killing...
PAX
The computer planes are cool but the blimp seems like a disaster waiting to happen...
That blimp was filled with Hydrogen.. They won't be doing that I bet.
We can contain helium these days, and have access to many lighter than air gasses, so hydrogen will not be neccessary.
PAX
PS: I still think people would do a lot less killing if it was more like the dark ages and less like video game.
They didn't have automatic weapons in the dark ages...
And the Hindenberg Zeppelin didn't go up because the hydrogen wasn't contained, it was because of a grounding fault between it and the mooring tower. As well, Germany used Hydrogen because it was a lighter than air gas, and it was a lot easier to refine that than it is to create helium.
Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.
You misunderstood my points (as much my fault as yours).
They used hydrogen in the hindenburg because helium was expensive to produce and difficult to contain. Hydrogen was aquired through simple electrolosis. I was not suggesting a leak.. BUT, with that in mind, did you know hydrogen is the only gas that heats up as it excapes from pressurized containment.. Leaks are almost certail to catch fire. Usually compressed gas absorbsheat as it escapes but hydrogen actually releases heat as it escapes, nasty eh?
Most are sure that static arcing caused the explosion, but that cannot be proven.
My comment on the dark ages was simply that if you could see who you were killing, you might be less inclined to do it. Right now, and into the future, it's blips on radar and pushing buttons against faces targets.
PAX
GAM (The Kilted One) wrote:They didn't have automatic weapons in the dark ages...
And the Hindenberg Zeppelin didn't go up because the hydrogen wasn't contained, it was because of a grounding fault between it and the mooring tower. As well, Germany used Hydrogen because it was a lighter than air gas, and it was a lot easier to refine that than it is to create helium.
/\/\ The Hindenberg was originally filled with helium, but as part of economic sanctions they couldn't buy helium anymore and had to use hydrogen. Germany couldn't produce helium because of the huge toll from their war efforts.
Back on topic, we've had this tech for a while. It's just like a gps guided missle, but now it's a gps plane that drops a gps missle. I don't see the advantage.
And a blimp? Please. My Grandfather flew a glider in Korea. It was towed up by a plane, then he pulled the release and flew with no instruments in the dark to get behind enemy lines. There was no method of landing, you simply parachuted out and let the plane crash. Is Lockheed planning to bring that 50 year old tech back too?
Lockheed really needs new thinking in their R&D dept.
John Wilken
2002 Cavalier
2.2 Vin code 4
Auto
No need to "revive" and old tech. They still use gliders in surveilence roles. Don't throw away tech because it's old, only if it has no use. Air ships are still usefull. They are faster than boats, can carry more, further for less money than regular aircraft and are relatively hard to knock down.
With today's tech added, they could evade radar, move near silently into position and drop many many tons of people and equipment into the theater without a landing strip or any real acoomodations.
Think about it.
PAX
