Patterico's Pontifications

3/6/2006

We Have Cool Stuff

Filed under: Gadgets,Space,War — Angry Clam @ 7:53 am



[Posted by The Angry Clam]

Aviation Week has a story currently about a secret two-stage to orbit military spaceplane that was supposedly operational.

Considering that Aviation Week isn’t the Weekly World News, and that these guys also guessed the existence of the sweet-as-hell F-117 before it was publicly announced, I don’t think that it is entirely implausible that they’ve got the broad outlines for the program correct. The descriptions of the Blackstar also align fairly closely with the numerous reports of the Aurora aircraft.

If Aviation Week’s correct that the program has been scrapped, the real question becomes “what even cooler toy did they get to replace this?”

14 Responses to “We Have Cool Stuff”

  1. It’s not only unplausible, it’s unpossible.

    Seren (479d1b)

  2. god damn it.

    This, kids, is the effect of giving up certain things for Lent.

    Angry Clam (fa7fff)

  3. Apparently calling on the Lord to damn things was not given up for Lent.

    Matto Ichiban (4d4be8)

  4. Lowercase “g.”

    As the great (and apparently immortal) line from Groundhog Day went: “I am a god! I am not the God, but I am a god!”

    Angry Clam (fa7fff)

  5. There ya go Clam, invoking the names of Ares and Zeus in vain . . .

    C Student (4d4be8)

  6. “..what even cooler toy….” A great question.
    But, why haven’t we seen this in the NYT or WaPo? Do you mean to tell me that there are gov’t workers who won’t leak their programs to the media? We need an investigation to weed these subversives out so as to protect the privilages of the press.

    Another Drew (8018ee)

  7. Back in mid-1968, I was working the graveyard shift at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and got hungry during the wee morning hours. On my way to the flight line cafe, I took my usual short cut through a line of hangers and suddenly came upon an SR-71. Wow.

    It sat alone stark and menacing in the dim lights of an otherwise empty hanger. There were no armed guards evident, but I just knew there had to be security people around, it could not be otherwise. I walked up to the otherworldly machine slowly and deliberately, as I stood there quietly looking, goose pimples up and down my arms, I waited for the guards to realize I was there. It would not do to startle them.

    In the previous 3 1/2 years, I worked on many of the AF’s front-line warbirds, but I had never seen anything like that one. Nothing, not the U2 or the F4, even remotely prepared me for the sight of what was before me that dark night. I tried to memorize the shapes and details, and was much reassured to see the usual USAF markings. It was one of ours.

    Then, a guard’s disembodied voice asked what the hell I was doing there. I explained my accidental presence and was told to forget what I saw and get moving, and not to come back. I did move along and didn’t come back, but I couldn’t forget the most exotic airplane I had ever seen. It was years later when I first saw a picture of that very special blackbird, NY to London in under 2 hours.

    Black Jack (d8da01)

  8. Speaking of “cool stuff” Clam, some of you firearm aficionados out there might like this 22-caliber cell phone: http://cellular.co.za/phones/gunphone/gun-phone.htm

    Psyberian (9eb2a7)

  9. “where does he get those wonderful toys?”
    pretty slick.
    And scary too.

    paul (464e99)

  10. Psyberian – South Africa. Why am I not surprised? That country also features awesome stuff like the flamethrower car alarm.

    Angry Clam (a7c6b1)

  11. I have seen those ridiculous toys (cell gun phones) also in the guise of cigarette packs. Trust me. Just grow your fingernails long. You will be better off defensively and you will not be violating the NFA. No accuracy, no velocity, a loud blast and backblast from unburnt propellant (if they shoot in the first place), and ten years in prison simply for possessing one.

    nk (835d39)

  12. Amazing. I like what this site says about the flame-throwing car:

    No legal problems

    Police say they cannot see any legal problems with the blaster – so long as the right people are blasted.

    Psyberian (9eb2a7)

  13. Nice site I found … Plan on coming back later to spend a little time there.

    Acne Laser (5f0394)

  14. I have to agree with your comments. Not normally
    I do, but in this case your correct.
    Anyway, I have a busy day ahead of me, booked in my favorites
    for later on…….

    AEM Dolls (e2018d)


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