Unveiling the ‘Beast of Kandahar’
By Michael Hoffman – Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 21, 2009 7:00:12 EST
Secret plane? What secret plane? Oh, that secret plane.
If you passed through Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan and thought you saw a plane that looked something like a miniature version of the stealth B-2 Spirit bomber, you weren’t seeing things.
The Air Force now acknowledges it has flown a stealthy remote-controlled aircraft called the RQ-170 Sentinel out of Kandahar.
For two years, the RQ-170 has been the Air Force’s Bigfoot. Photos and drawings of the stealthy UAV, also called the “Beast of Kandahar,” have surfaced, producing shrugs and no-comments from service officials. In early December, a clear photograph of the jet’s left side appeared on aviation Web sites, perhaps prompting the Air Force to ’fess up.
Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Program — better known as Skunk Works in Palmdale, Calif. — built the RQ-170. Read Full Article
Airpark cleans up in preparation of Vietnam memorial unveiling
…Joe Davies Heritage Airpark is no ordinary park, you won’t find swings or slides or baseball fields, but what you will find is lots of American aviation history, and that’s what Antelope Valley residents come to support, Mr. Holtz said.
