Possibly un-answerable but here goes...

[aliensporebomb]

Recently I've been sent various items that there's a bit of a classified "museum" of sorts at a certain base out west with a 5 and 1 in the name.


It's supposedly called "Dyson's Dock" and it's where things that aren't going into production sit and wait disposal, burial, revealing or whatever. "Sneaky Pete" amongst other things I am given to understand.


My question isn't "what's there" (besides cool stuff) - it's "Why Dyson? Who's Dyson?"


It might be a "if I tell you I have to kill you" too but I don't need to know that badly.

 

[Stargazer]

My question isn't "what's there" (besides cool stuff) - it's "Why Dyson? Who's Dyson?"

Very interesting!

Could it be the Dyson that makes those efficient sophisticated vacuum-cleaners?!

http://airblade.dyson.com/

 

[Arjen]

Sounds more like Freeman Dyson.
Just guessing, though.

 

[Stargazer]

Sounds more like Freeman Dyson.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right! It's just that the vacuum-cleaner connection sounded as a possible humorous evocation of a place where you dump stuff that collects dust, but obviously the other Dyson seems a much more likely candidate.

 

[Gridlock]

http://thetartanterror.blogspot.co.uk/2006/02/lt-colonel-norman-k-ken-dyson-usaf.html


First result for "USAF Dyson" btw... Google is your friend

 

[Arjen]

First result for "USAF Dyson" btw... Google is your friend

Now why didn't I think of that.

 

[RanulfC]

Just as an "FYI" on the subject

Not saying there isn't a storage hanger at the location mentioned, (I believe that was discussed in a thread here IIRC) however there IS/WAS a "Restricted Access" museum on Nellis AFB that I believe has been "confused" with being at the afore mentioned location.

The last time I got to visit it, (@1995 or so IIRC) it was a bit less "restricted" (when I first visited around 1985 or so visitors were required to arrange about a month in advance and no less than "Secret" security clearance, now I believe it only requires "classified" or a security check and a couple of days notice) and more "open" though still a secure building.

The big "secret"? Lots and lots of Soviet Military equipment The stuff we were NOT putting throught it's paces out on the various test ranges Lots and lots of neat Soviet kit to look at and handle. Biggest thing I will always remember was a short briefing where we got to see the other sides anti-gas equipment. We were all so reassured when a Russian issue gas mask was demonstrated that no "Evil-Commie" soldier was ever going to sneak up on US! (The standard gas-mask at the time had a "flapper" outflow-valve... Basicly every time one would exhale it would make a sound like a "duck-call" )

There was some US and NATO equipment, some project histories and some displays of "on-going" programs as well. When I visited the first time I was working in Munitions and saw a display on the AWACS aircraft and its capabilities. Several years later (@1989 or so) during a "RED FLAG" exercise I got to visit again and discussed with our guide the "differences" in the proposed and actual capability as I was now working on the AWACS itself

I still need to make some time and take in some of the verious Atomic Museums while I can.

Randy

 

[Stargazer]

If the existence of "Dyson's Dock" is ever confirmed, here is a list of items which I believe it could be hosting (in no particular order):

• Scraps of crashed demonstrators (such as Have Blue)
• Wind-tunnel test models (such as Senior Peg)
• RCS pole models* (such as Hopeless Diamond, B-2, etc.)
• Full-scale mock-ups of unbuilt stealth proposals
• A sub-scale test vehicle for the B-2, possibly built by Scaled Composites (I don't believe you can launch a $132-million aircraft — initial pricetag — in the air without flying the concept on a smaller scale)
• The Snowbird secret drone, a Ryan Manta Ray drone, and several other secret drones* (some of them possibly disc-shaped, bird-shaped or triangular)
• Secretly-tested Soviet fighters in the F-110+ range* (confirmed to have existed — MiG-23, MiG-27, Su-15 etc.)
• A Lockheed RQ-3A Darkstar (Tier-III Minus) UAV
• The YF-113G experimental aircraft* (confirmed to have existed — whatever it was)
• The YF-24 experimental fighter* (confirmed to have existed whatever it was)
• The THAP and/or YF-19A demonstrator(s) (if ever it/they existed)
• Experimental technology demonstrators (pulse jet, antigravity and so forth — again, IF such things ever existed — probably unmanned)

I have left out the highly hypothetical Sentinel, TR-3A/CSIRS, Blackstar, SENIOR CITIZEN and Aurora.

Any other suggestions?

 

[LowObservable]

It would be great fun. But the existence of such a museum would be a horrible security weakness because of the number of programs that would be compromised by one breach.


Compartmentalization is at the root of Special Access.

 

[Stargazer]

It would be great fun. But the existence of such a museum would be a horrible security weakness because of the number of programs that would be compromised by one breach.
Compartmentalization is at the root of Special Access.

True enough... But if the bulk of these secret aircraft were tested in one single place, isn't it better to keep the evidence confined to that one single place instead of spreading it around and risking to multiply intelligence breaches?

 

[LowObservable]

The default position would be to scrap the hardware. Now, I will grant the possibility that things that people might want to preserve would be kept; A51 would be as good a locale as any; and you could build a facility with multiple vaults. Still unlikely...

 

[Stargazer]

The default position would be to scrap the hardware.

If the demonstrators belonged to the military, yes.

But if they are still company property, there could be an agreement to keep them stored until the time the programs are no longer secret.

Despite its being tested by the USAF, Bird of Prey remained the property of McDonnell Douglas. The same could apply to other secret demonstrators.

But yes, of course, we're only speculating as the title implies...