"READY TO SOAR - This mysterious-looking airship was spotted Tuesday morning near Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale." RON SIDDLE/Valley Press
Posted on 02/02/2006 12:35:43 PM PST by BenLurkin
PALMDALE - A mysterious flying craft seen hovering over Air Force Plant 42 Tuesday morning was the latest creation from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.'s famed Skunk Works on its maiden flight. The blimp-like aircraft, known simply as P791, is a proof-of-principle vehicle to help engineers learn more about technology and aerodynamics for such airships.
"Lockheed Martin is testing a small-scale airship as part of an internal research and development effort," Lockheed spokeswoman Dianne Knippel said.
The large white airship is shaped somewhat differently from a traditional blimp, with twin torpedo-like sections joined in the center and a cockpit beneath. Four airlifters move the vehicle on the ground and in the air.
The company, known for its advanced technology developments conducted in secrecy, is not releasing any additional information about the project at this time.
The airship likely will be seen flying for the next six weeks, generally during the morning hours, Knippel said.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
"READY TO SOAR - This mysterious-looking airship was spotted Tuesday morning near Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale." RON SIDDLE/Valley Press
Codename: 'Rove-r'
Everyone who reads this thread will be visited by the Men in Black. And killed.
I have more to say, but someone is knocking at my door. Be right back ...
This is what Karl Rove moves his dastardy machines around in to control the weather, stock market, and oil prices as well as Teddy Kennedy's scotch reserve.
Looks like a golf dome.
I, for one, welcome our alien overlords.
Hahahahaha! There's a company called Skunk Works and it's the only within a radius of 200 miles that gets rid of bats.
Me too but I was hoping they'd arrive in something more than a blimp.
I hate it when that happens.
Go ants go!
I'll have Scully and Muldur look into it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, er, we've just lost the picture, but, uh, what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has been taken over — 'conquered', if you will — by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive earth men or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain, there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to...toil in their underground sugar caves." --Kent Brockman
Lakehurst NJ ping
I'd nickname it, "Fat Teddy".
Always loved LTA craft. Would get a thrill when I would see the rare blimp go over head when I was a kid.
Guess the last one was a navy blimp over the North Carolina coast back in 1994 or '95.
I would love to see new airship designs plying the skies once more.
ewwwwww.. too late.
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