Quiz Time... Name this Plane....

[Peter Cairns]

Mystery Plane

peter.

[SgtMuhammed]

Someone screwing around with a KC-135?

[Leeo]

Vice President Cheney's plane before his transition to the dark side became complete?

[Thomm]

Photoshop One

[Wicky]

Experimental laser target for Northrop Grumman ground to air / air to air systems - hence the white missile on a black background.?

Northrop Grumman Laser Firsts 2004 – THEL Testbed destroys a large-caliber rocket carrying a live warhead in-flight — the largest, fastest and highest flying target ever destroyed by a high-energy laser

The aircraft in the pic was a low power testbed rehersal at a guess

Found it: NC-135E Big Crow

During the flight test, the lasers will be fired at a military NKC-135 aircraft with a picture of a ballistic missile painted on its fuselage, according to Greg Hyslop, Boeing vice president and ABL program director. While these lasers are relatively low-powered, the aircraft will be shielded and the pilots will wear protective goggles, he said.

Boeing-led Airborne Laser

Boeing-led Airborne Laser Team Fires Tracking Laser at Airborne Target

<a href="http://www.st.northropgrumman.com/media/presskits/mediaGallery/abl/photos/media1_3_15609_19458.html" target="_blank">03.16.2006

Big Crow No. 38050, one of two identically named NC-135Es based at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., will serve as a surrogate target for the Airborne Laser’s (ABL) two illuminator lasers later this year. The illuminators will be installed at the Boeing facility in Wichita, Kan., this spring. After being tested on the ground, the lasers will be tested in the air over White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico. The tests are designed to verify the lasers’ ability to track a boosting ballistic missile and measure the atmospheric disturbance between the ABL aircraft and the target, in this case a white silhouette painted on the forward section of Big Crow. USAF photo.</a>

[ March 26, 2007, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: Wicky ]

[SgtMuhammed]

Not only can it shoot down incoming missiles it can top off your tanks at the same time.

[Abbott]

Originally posted by sgtgoody (esq):

Not only can it shoot down incoming missiles it can top off your tanks at the same time.

That is great when you drive a truck with a Chevy big block.

[gunnersman]

According to the first article at MSNBC:

"As envisioned, the aircraft would fly in a figure-eight pattern over an area deemed a likely site of a missile launch."

As in...enemy territory? I don't think so.

I think it is actually suppose to "stand off" at a distance to do its job.

[Peter Cairns]

Well done Wicky... Dead right black crow it is.

I think the range of the Airborne laser is about 250 miles.

Apparently last year or so the USset up a squadron to practice tactics and simulate combat with a fighter sized airborne laser, which presumably is aimed to fit the internal bay of at least an F-22 if not a JSF.

Give that at 186,000 miles per second compared to 1,500 mph for a Mig-29 means that in the time it takes the Mig to move an inch a laser can cover seven miles I think manouverability and speed will start to become less of an issue.

Wouldn't it be just great if it turned out that within ten years a $15m bizjet with a laser could take out a $150m dollar F-22 with AMRAAM's.

Peter.

[John Kettler]

Wicky,

Nicely done! I had IDed it as a KC-135 of some sort and was going to hazard a guess it was for some special purpose refueling mission, not realizing that I was looking at a missile on the fuselage. All I registered was a white shape on black forward fuselage.

Leeo,

Good one!

gunnersman,

You are absolutely correct. The ABL is indeed designed to operate from standoff, about 200 nmi,

if memory serves.

Regards,

John Kettler