Message posted by wolfbane on November 21, 2001 at 12:56:52 PST:
To Andreas Parsch; I tried posting more info on the HGV yesterday, but as the Webmaster stated, this site was down. I thought I was being blocked by someone. The HGV was contracted to the Skunk Works' so-called Unmanned Aircraft Bureau (UAB - remember the patch?)in 1979. It was about 30-ft long and resembled the old Lockheed Star Clipper design from the sixties. It had a range of 5,000 miles after being air launched at 68,000-ft by a B-52 (or other launcher). It was supposed to be armed with two nuclear warheads. Plan was for it to be a quick reaction surviable nuclear strike weapon. Speed was Mach 18. Test articles were recoverable(usually at Groom, but also at North Base). Most flight test took place over the Pacific Missile Range (PMR), parallel with the California coast. AW&ST reported a few sightings in 1989/90. These were at night and could be distinguished by silence, watching a difuse white light moving at extremely high speed. This glow was due to the plasma sheath that surrounds every hypersonic air vehicle.
In Reply to: HGV (Re: Hangar 18) posted by Andreas Parsch on November 20, 2001 at 5:48:41 PST:
Replies: