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Aurora Spy Plane
Official Name : Unknown (Nicknamed the "Aurora" and designated the codename "Senior Citizen")
Mission : Most likely a spy plane built for reconnassance on threats to OPEC and nuclear, biological, and chemical threats.
Built : Late 70s' or early 80s'
Built by : Unknown ; Most likely Lockheed's Skunk Works or Rockwell
First Flown : Some time in the early 80s'
Location Aircraft is Based or Commonly Found At: Possibly Groom Lake Test Site, RAF Machrihanish, Scotland, RAF Boscombe Down, England, Alice Springs, Australia, Kwajelin Atoll, Cold Lake, Canada
History : In the mid 80s' sonic booms were heard coming from the Nevada desert and other remote places across the world. These were no ordinary sonic booms though. They were from an aircraft flying 5 to 6 times the speed of sound. They were also coming from the direction of secret bases. Although all aerospace engineering companies deny the existance of this aircraft, it does exist. In 1989, a world reknown aircraft recognitionist was working on the Gavelston Key oil rig in the North Sea near RAF Machrihanish in Scotland. He reported observing a loud triangular aircraft refueling with a group of F-111s'. Indeed F-111s' and refueling aircraft are based at Machrihanish. Radar operators at the base also acknowledge tracking an aircraft moving at extremely high speeds. For obvious reasons, an aircraft like this would need a long runway to support it. At around the same time that the Aurora was supposed to be flying, the runway at the secret Groom Lake Test Site, aka Area 51, doubled in length. Also, the base's support facilities have doubled in number.
In 1991, several huge with power sonic booms were heard over California. They rattled windows and shook wall in Los Angelas. Although it was daytime and there were little clouds in the sky, the aircraft was not spotted. Most of the sonic booms were heard around 6 or 7 in the morning. Now if you think about it, a hypersonic aircraft can leave Groom Lake in the evening, refuel, fly it's mission at night and return to Groom sometime in the morning. The USGS detected the "skyquake" and determined the speed of the aircraft as between mach 3 and 4. No aircraft in the world can fly at these speeds, not even the SR-71 Blackbird or A-12 and according to aerospace engineering companies, flying at these speeds for sustained periods of time is not possible. In fact, the Aurora is supposed to be the replacement for the SR-71 fleet.
The Aurora is supposed to use liquid methane as it's fuel because it is more combustable. It is also supposed to use turbo-ramjet engines that can fly the aircraft to around 100,000 feet and 4,000 miles per hour (Mach 6). Various aerospace studies from Lockheed and Boeing reveal that methylcyclohexane and liquid hydrogen would be the best fuel for the aircraft. MCL (methylcyclohexane) is a great fuel for a hypersonic aircraft because it absorbs lots for heat before it combusts and Aurora would be under extremely high temperatures of around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.
In FY 1986, the defense budget, a line appeared near the funding for the TR-1 fleet. It was title "Aurora". It was to receive $80 million in 1986, and over $2.2 billion in 1987. The Aurora line in FY 1987 later mysteriously disappered. When the Air Force was confronted with the item, they said that it was the codename for the B-2 stealth bomber. In the book Skunk Works written by Lockheed Skunk Works president, Ben Rich, he also claims that the line Aurora that everyone was so hyped up about then was simply the B-2 codename. Funding could also have come into project from OPEC, the NRO, CIA, and NASA, all hidden within other pojects. The Air Force says that it wishes it had a SR-71 follow-up.
Well, you decide, does the Aurora exist? With the amount of facts and lack of facts in this chapter of secret aircraft, it is hard to decide. Let me know what you think. It is interesting for me to hear what other people believe.
Associated With : Groom Lake Test Site , RAF Machrihanish, Lockheed , Rockwell , Groom Lake Interceptors
Refereces : Internet, Skunks Works by Ben Rich
Miscelaneous : Keep checking up with this page for more references and information.
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