“October 1978

Lockheed conducted the first test of its stealth cruise missile, code-named SENIOR PROM. Six prototypes were built. They somewhat resembled a subscale, unmanned version of the HAVE BLUE. The demonstrator models were launched from a DC-130 from the 6514th Test Squadron from Hill AFB, Utah. The SENIOR PROM test articles and launch aircraft were housed in Hangar 17 at Area 51.”

That is very interesting, as my oldest brother was at that time employed by Kentron International… and was working at Hill Air Force Base performing data processing for the ALCM (Air Launched Cruise Missile) tests being performed at that time… the fly-off for the USAF cruise missile contract between the Boeing AGM-86 and the General Dynamics AGM-109 (a modified version of the BGM-109 being developed for the USN’s sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM) program).

The USAF contract was awarded to Boeing in 1980, and both the USAF AGM-86 and USN BGM-109 were ordered to use the Williams F107 turbofan of the AGM-86 and the Terrain Contour Matching – TERCOM – system of the BGM-109.

I wonder if any of the data they handled was actually for SENIOR PROM?

The first description sounds like it was an internal Beaufighter squadron nickname, the second supports the findings on the other forum that such nicknames often came from either civilians or ground troops.

Well, that fat fuselage means that you can stuff a lot of things, and nice large ones at that, inside… which is what a strategic transport is for, right?

“For carrier ops, you don’t need autonomous operation capability, it can be a plain radar carrier, with all the fancy stuff done on the ground,”

swerve, that is a totally incorrect view of how a carrier uses its AEW&C aircraft… a major reason for having autonomous capability is so the carrier can turn off its own radar, and radios, in order to make itself harder for the enemy to find. The aircraft (orbiting away from, but within detection range of, the carrier) then takes over all flight-direction duties… including vectoring returning aircraft to within visual range of the carrier. Then, and only then, does the carrier communicate with the returning aircraft using a very low-powered (and short-ranged) radio.

If the aircraft has to data-link to the carrier for information processing and/or operational control, then the carrier is broadcasting its location to anyone with an RDF set.

I recently got an e-mail from (I believe) the site host saying: “Scattered Intelligence Agency is now closed”… now what?

Mach 3 first reached by the XB-70 on October 14, 1965 in the first prototype (17th flight), which was later limited to 2.5? due to skin separation problems on that flight.

The second prototype was built to a higher standard, and was not restricted. It also reached Mach 3 on its 17th flight, but had no skin problems.

The Mach 3 for 33 minutes flight was on May 19th, 1966 (39th flight).

The crash of #2 was on June 8, 1966 on its 46th flight.

#1 flew 82 flights (the last to the Air Force Museum at Wright Field, in Dayton, Ohio), 33 of them after the loss of #2.

Info from:
http://www.labiker.org/xb70.html

edit
Therefore, Sea Vixen, there were 49 flights of #1 and 45 flights of #2 before the crash… it was on the 95th combined flight.
I tried to get this on right away, but the board had gone down

“fuels not subject to the whims of Islamic radicals”

Or newly re-elected South American radicals.

Did you know that the US still imports more oil (and has done so for over 30 years) from Venezuela than any other single country?

I guess the rantings Hugo Chavez was doing a year or so ago about the US “stealing Venezuela’s future by taking all of its oil” were just political window-dressing, since he is still selling us all the oil we want to buy from him.

A lot of the later “Jumbo-ization projects (on the “newer” [1950s] tankers and cargo ships with all of the engine, control, and crew spaces aft) actually involved simply cutting off the entire cargo section & bow, and scrapping that… and building a completely new, larger forward section onto the old stern section.

After all, that was where all of the expensive items were… the forward 2/3-3/4 was just steel and air, and you know the saying…