I read Uncle Sam used a U2 spy plane to take a close look at the first one shot down and perhaps they could rig one or two up as a sort of balloon fighter to take them down cheaply. Actually something new, like a U2, but able to go higher, lighter stronger airframe, better engines and even a reaction control system for when it goes way up there and they lose control authority.
i'd think a cheap ass missile with a basic guidance system ought to be able to deal with a balloon, they don't have a lot of evasive maneuvers.
The detection/homing problem is nontrivial. We have missiles that’ll reach, but a specialist guidance system is likely needed.
Yep, one of those cheap unguided ones the fire from helicopters in clusters.
not enough range.
If it were fired from a U2 at a similar altitude, it would be hard to miss!
Ya don't want to be wasting expensive missiles on what could be decoys, so something that can get up high enough to have a look and dispose of it for cheap.
Rigging a U-2 for external weapons is a recipe for disaster.
Horizontal range of the 2.75 inch rocket is a few thousand yards. That’s extreme range well beyond how it’s used.
It is a simple enough mission that a high altitude drone could do it, take the ton out of a U2 used to support a man and eject him and replace it with a hundred pounds of electronics.
A laser will be the cost-effective solution. You don’t even have to use an airframe.
Good idea, but something cheap, they don't move fast, so one plane can cover a lot of territory.
Well I hope Justin never shot down aliens or we could be in deep shit!
The planes in that picture are actual size. So big!!
I had to scale in so I could see each ones altitude. But yeah... They'd be fucking huge!The planes in that picture are actual size. So big!!
perhaps these have been what many of the "ufo" sightings have been, caught from the corner of the eye, passing through clouds, in front of the sun...
Def not through the clouds at 40K ft., but yeah plausible at altitude. They spend thousands of hours a week (divided up amongst the many flights) at 34-42K ft in that area.
