New plane in the works?

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:06 pm

My dad received this email from an old military buddy today...

******
Who knows about this airplane? Is this the answer to the F-15 being outclassed by a Sukhoi?

Why are there flaps on the leading edge?

The pilot’s kind of cute. If this is a hoax, it is an elaborate and clever one.

We received the following pictures but have no information about their authenticity. The plane in these pictures is air vehicle number 1, a prototype on board the USS Washington for catapult fit checks. Not yet made public, the F/A-37 is a Mach 3.5, super cruise stealth fighter/bomber/interceptor with a 4000nm range. Top speed is classified, some where in the Mach 4 plus range. Awesome! Also, there is no phase interval for this plane. It has a 10,000 hour life airframe and engines that require replacement only at failure or signs of trouble. The squadrons are to be out of Whidbey Island, 12 planes to a command.
******

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:07 pm

picture 2

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:09 pm

picture 3

by **cavalierlwt** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:10 pm

That plane is ugly and cool looking at the same time. I wonder what the hell it is? It doesn' t look like conventional jet engines from the rear view. Pretty exciting though.

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:10 pm

picture 4

by **Buliwyf** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:15 pm

looks like something from Independence Day

by **Bagginses** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:20 pm

*Runs to go write down Lt. Kara Wade...*

-Bagginses

by **cavalierlwt** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:31 pm

Too cool to be real, it's a movie:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0382992/

That's why the pilot is so cute, it's jessica biel

by **pupshark** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:39 pm

Sorta reminds me of the plane from the movie Firefox... With directional thrust that thing would fly circles around nearly anything. Exahust design is extremely interesting, looks similar to the system in the B2. Skunk Works design if I ever saw one. Be interesting to see this thing up against a Raptor, good question if its legit or just a decoy project...

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:40 pm

I thought she looked familiar!

That would also explain the movie camera in the foreground in the last shot...

Nice find lwt :cool:

by **cavalierlwt** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:41 pm

Having the pilot's name stenciled on the side was the giveaway on this. I didn't notice it till baggins mentioned her name.

by **Colonel Ingus** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:44 pm

Thinking its a fake.

Landing gear looks off to be used on a Carrier. Planes that launch and land on Carriers have beefed up landing gear to take the shock of hitting such a hard deck so fast.

Also didn't notice a tail hook. How does it stop on the flight deck?

And any new aircraft would be seen in trade magazines and over the desert long before they were tested on a Carrier.

[edit]

Aha! Seeing all the new posts while I was being bothered by customers! Vindication.

by **Rule of Wrist** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:49 pm

I don't know how good a stealth plane would be to a carrier battle group anyway... I mean, a battle group is mean, but stealthy it isn't. All that radar up all the time, all those ships making noise, the enemy almost has to know where you are...

Now, doing something with that knowledge is another story

by **JimmyTango** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 5:56 pm

Originally posted by cavalierlwt
Having the pilot's name stenciled on the side was the giveaway on this. I didn't notice it till baggins mentioned her name.

My first clue was that they were testing it on a carrier. Then that Jessica Biel really gave it away.

by **Colonel Ingus** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 6:05 pm

Oh you would be surprised Rule. The Navy does all kinds of stealth. And one of the biggest disciplines while at sea is your emcon or emmiter condition.

The DDG's in the Arleigh Burke class, which were introduced in the end of the 80's beginning of the 90's are so stealthy they have a smaller RCS (Radar Cross Section) than a fishing trawler. They have to broadcast a transponder while in shipping lanes to be seen by normal surface traffic.

New plane in the works?

New plane in the works?

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