[finnman69]

unfortunately its not real...

F/A-37 Talon
F/A-37 Talon Pictures
Links
Hollywood Joins Abe Underway to Film 'Stealth' Release Date: 6/23/2004 1:57:00 PM By Journalist Seaman Michael Cook, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs
"Stealth"
"Stealth"

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This airplane has been making the rounds for several weeks now, with folks being a bit confused as to whether it is the real deal.

On 18 June 2004 a scene for the upcoming Columbia Tri-Star movie "Stealth" was filmed on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Lincoln was conducting local operations in preparation for an upcoming scheduled deployment after 10 months of dry docked Planned Incremental Availability (PIA). About 80 cast and crew members were aboard the Everett-based aircraft carrier to shoot scenes for the Columbia Pictures action film starring Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Sam Shepard, The $130 million film is expected to hit theaters in 2005.

According to the back story, the F/A-37 "Talon" is a Mach 3.5, super cruise stealth fighter/bomber/interceptor with a 4000nm range. Top speed is somewhere in the Mach 4+ range. The movie is premised on an artificial-intelligence program designed to fly jet aircraft and reduce human casualties. Not surprisingly, one of the AI robo-pilots runs amok when Navy officials decide to use an unmanned version of the “Talon”. When the plane begins attacking friendly forces, Navy pilots are called in to save the planet from artificial intelligence.

[camle]

so it's "2001:a space oddessy meets the navy"?

[wmichgrad]

Mmmmmm. Jessica Biel.

[RonF]

A 4000 nm range? Let's see, that's 4 * 10^-9 meters, or about 1.37 * 10^-7 inches. But, hey! It can cover the distance at about Mach 4. So, these pictures probably show an entire flight, since the exposure time was probably a lot longer that it would take the plane to cover the distance.

[Mike Darancette]

unfortunately its not real...

Did the USAF markings on a Navy jet give it away?

[So Cal Rocket]

Plot outline from IMDB: Deeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control ... before it initiates the next world war.

Does this plot sound familiar? Anyone remember War Games with Matthew Broderick?

[So Cal Rocket]

Plot outline from IMDB: Deeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control ... before it initiates the next world war.

Does this plot sound familiar? Anyone remember War Games with Matthew Broderick?

[OXENinFLA]

.............

[epluribus_2]

The Talon is already a beautiful bird T-38 that trains our best fighters and is the humble and deadly bad-guy at Top Gun and Red Flag.

[Little Ray]

Sounds like they are doing "Day of the Cheetah" (Dale Brown) but don't want to pay him royalties.

I wish, instead of a "Frankenstein" type movie, Hollywood would do one of Keith Laumer's Bolo stories as a movie. "Honor of the Regiment" would be a good contender, as would some of the new Bolo stories that Baen books is putting out.
For those who wonder what Bolos are, they are giant super-tanks - Continental Siege Units - controlled by sophisticated AIs. Far from running amok, they live up to very highest standards of military courage, discipline, and honor and are the shield of humanity against a hostile universe in the far future.
Humans being shamed by the virtues of their creations would make a interesting departure from the usual "machines running amok" tales.

[wildbill]

All you guys comments about the movies are wrong. The closest movie is Deal of the Century with Chevy Chase as a looney arms salesman for the unmanned fighter that goes berserk.

[alnitak]

A bump for you for being first!

"It's not real - but it ought to be!"

[Long Cut]

Am I the only movie fan out here who is tired of seeing fake-boobed, model-looking women in their early 20's playing roles like this? Not that I mind the eye candy, but what's wrong with doing a movie the "old-school" way, with a tough-guy, butt-kicking hero and the chick being his squeeze, just for a change of pace?

Hollywood's crop of female "heroes" just look too "bimbo" to be believable.