Secret Stealth VTOL Transport - "Senior Citizen"

[TomS]

Color me skeptical about the story
There's nothing to indicate that any ground forces were inserted into Baghdad during Desert Storm, much less by super secret stealth transport.

 

[quellish]

OBJECTIVE: AFSOC Mission Area Plans identify signature deficiencies for current transport aircraft. Next generation transports will require reduced observables across the threat spectrum to satisfy SOF mission requirements. However, there is no precedence for installation of efficient large fan propulsion units into advanced low observable air vehicles. Due to recent fighter/attack aircraft development efforts, technology readiness for some air induction components is considered medium to high, and promising technologies for exhaust nozzle components are beginning to evolve. This effort will determine propulsion sensitivities by integrating air induction components, fan propulsion units, and exhaust nozzle components into conceptual low observable transport configurations. High payoff technologies will be identified for inclusion in follow-on full scale development. Operability problems with fan propulsion units installed in low observable configurations will also be identified. Key factors considered are balanced low observables (IR, RF, acoustic), and propulsion system integration with powered high lift devices for STOL. SOF infil/exfil is expected to have the most demanding requirements, but technology derived from this effort will also be applicable to other medium size transport missions (tankers, gunships, airborne command and control, anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance, etc.) This effort is coordinated with current air vehicle configuration development and advanced transport structures development.

TECHNICAL APPROACH: Trade studies of candidate propulsion components will be conducted via comparison of estimated system performance with these components integrated into a low observable airframe. Performance estimates will be obtained from empirical databases or advanced computational analyses. Promising candidates will be identified by air vehicle performance metrics including cruise range, STOL capability, detectability. Performance estimates and fan unit operability will be verified experimentally by standard subscale aero-propulsion wind tunnel test methods. Signature levels will also be verified by standard subscale RF range tests, IR measurements in conjunction with the wind tunnel tests, and exhaust nozzle acoustic chambers. Trade studies will be completed within the first year (Jun 97). Experimental databases for follow-on design and development will be available during the third year (Sep 98).

 

[sublight_]

Where did this come from?

 

[quellish]

SENIOR CITIZEN was PE code 0401316F, a tactical airlift operational support program. In FY93 this PE code disappeared from the budget.


There has never been any *concrete* link between this program and special operations or R&D. At the time that SENIOR CITIZEN was active there were other, unclassified efforts to develop V/STOL airlift and the connection was inferred by several people.


In 1993 and 1994 test activity that *could* have been V/STOL aircraft were observed in and around the Nevada test ranges. It's now known that in the late 80s/early 90s Lockheed was contracted by DARPA to research new low observable V/STOL approaches for small strike fighters (GHOST HAWK). It is also now known that several contractors were working on V/STOL concepts for special operations applications as part of a series of DoD efforts. It is important to keep in mind that special operations were a much lower national priority at the time than today. It would have been very difficult to fund new fixed wing aircraft development for special operations needs.


The links between the SENIOR CITIZEN program and low observable V/STOL SOF concepts are very tenuous.


0401129F was THEME CASTLE, an airlift operations program. Other airlift operations programs of that period were things like funding for operational C-5 squadrons. THEME CASTLE was active during the same period that SENIOR CITIZEN was, but there has never been any other connection between the two.

 

[Avimimus]

Thank you for the thoroughness. It is well appreciated.

 

[Stargazer]

Just a reminder that we have a topic here dedicated to SOFTA (mostly Burt Rutan's Scaled proposals as a subcontractor to Vought):

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/20555

Of course, SOFTA may or may not be related to Senior Citizen, but I think it's good to have a cross-reference to it from here.

 

[Stargazer]

As an afterthought about the possible connection between SOFTA and Senior Citizen (which has often been hinted/suggested/assumed but never clearly evidenced), here's an excerpt from a message sent by Burt Rutan himself:

I do not think I can discuss senior citizen in any way.

Note that he didn't say: "I don't know what the hell you're talking about"... To me, his reply indicates at least that:

1°) Burt knows full well about Senior Citizen.
2°) If he knows about it, chances are Scaled Composites must have been involved in it.
3°) If Burt didn't feel free to discuss it a couple of years ago then Senior Citizen must have been technologically-sensitive enough a program that it still fell under the veil of secrecy 20 years after the program's entry disappeared from budget lists.

From which we may infer that IF there was an article built at the time, however experimental, it featured technology that is still relevant to current operational articles. Thoughts anyone?

 

[flateric]

...

 

[flateric]

http://warisboring.com/articles/the-u-s-air-force-wanted-to-build-a-stealth-transport-plane/

 

[xstatic3000]

....Came across this while going through my photo library on an old hard drive. I honestly can't remember where it came from, but I didn't see that it had been posted in this thread. Quite a bit of Northrop "family resemblance" to Tacit Blue, B2 and YF-23, IMHO.

 

[flateric]

Thank you for heads up!
Seems to be NAR/RI 1992 white world design - among others in this treasure cave source document.

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a269069.pdf

 

[sublight_]

Thank you for heads up!
Seems to be NAR/RI 1992 white world design - among others in this treasure cave source document.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a269069.pdf

Is there supposed to be some connection between this and the CREST requirements, or does that link point to the wrong doc?

 

[flateric]

First question that comes to mind is 'have you seen the document further than cover page?'))

 

[Sundog]

Thank you for heads up!
Seems to be NAR/RI 1992 white world design - among others in this treasure cave source document.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a269069.pdf

Is there supposed to be some connection between this and the CREST requirements, or does that link point to the wrong doc?

The link is to the correct document.

 

[sublight_]

Thank you for heads up!
Seems to be NAR/RI 1992 white world design - among others in this treasure cave source document.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a269069.pdf

Is there supposed to be some connection between this and the CREST requirements, or does that link point to the wrong doc?

The link is to the correct document.

Ok, so the craft posted by Xstatic, is somehow in the 200 page CREST document on ejection seats? I took a cursory look through, and I'm only seeing studies on ejection seats. Unless I'm just not getting the April fools joke?

 

[flateric]

Somehow yes. Ejection seats are ejecting from _some_vehicles_, usually aircrafts.
Stuff starts at p.65 in short.

 

[xstatic3000]

Thanks Flateric! That's the one.

According to a post by AeroFranz in our CREST thread, this appears to have been a Rockwell design:

Re: North American/Rockwell CREST,and some projects

If so, it seems that just about everyone was studying LO VTOL/VSTOL transports in the late 80's and early 90's.

I'm wondering if we have reached a fork in the path at this point - could this apparent Rockwell design, along with the other VTOL/VSTOL concepts in this thread, have been part of proposals for USMC's THUNDER CAT project?

And could the LTV/Scaled SOFTA proposals, as well as Northrop's SMOCA concept, been in response to DARPA's special operations/low-intensity conflict (SO/LIC) requirements?

 

[RAP]

Lockheed MMSA art

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOCKHEED-SKUNK-WORKS-VTOL-AIRCRAFT-CONCEPT-4-X5-COLOR-TRANSPARENCY-01/272773061159

 

[Antonio]

Lockheed MMSA art

Lockheed Multi Mission Support Aircraft concept from early 90's

 

[flateric]

Re: Lockheed MMSA art

..

 

[TSARb]

It looks like subj, doesn't it?

0:46

 

[Avimimus]

I think that is a much smaller aircraft. I'm trying to remember the name of the proposal - but I believe it was for an observation UCAV with a couple of hellfires. Of course, it could have inherited some of the R&D effort.

 

[AeroFranz]

VARIOUS

 

[Triton]

Lockheed Martin VTOL Advanced Reconnaissance Insertion Organic Unmanned System (VARIOUS).

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3729.0.html

 

[antigravite]

Hi,

SAP moderator posted on the reddit thread a "senior citizen" related document which has been auctioned on the bay last week, as it seems. I have not been able to track down the original (source) bay auction page. Here is what I have:

thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SpecialAccess/comments/7133py

image:

https://i.redd.it/svnmjrjkhumz.jpg

File name unchanged.

Enjoy.

A.

 

[flateric]

I have not been able to track down the original (source) bay auction page.

Good starting point https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,413

 

[antigravite]

I have not been able to track down the original (source) bay auction page.

Good starting point https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,413.msg310605.html#msg310605

oh my !!!!
Apologies to all!!!
I went too fast on this thread and it escaped my attention!!!!
I am very confused. :-[

A.

 

[quellish]

"Beyond the fleet of C-130 variants, the command’s future was now tied to the CV-22 and increased utilization of RPVs and possibly other “specialty” fixedwing aircraft that were beginning to appear."

Air University Press. On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter in War and Peace (Kindle Locations 9347-9348). Pennyhill Press. Kindle Edition.

"The AFSOC staff began detailed planning for the move. The base was projected to receive AC- and MC-130s, possibly CV-22s, RPVs as they continued to develop, and various other unspecified “low signature” aircraft. It was done— AFSOC would finally get its western base. Conspicuously absent, though, was any mention of MH-53s."

Air University Press. On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter in War and Peace (Kindle Locations 9354-9356). Pennyhill Press. Kindle Edition.

"I considered it my responsibility to take that core competence of SOF culture and airmanship and push that out to other aspects of SOF, whether it’s CV-22 or the blue airplanes that we are now flying at Cannon AFB."

Air University Press. On a Steel Horse I Ride: A History of the MH-53 Pave Low Helicopter in War and Peace (Kindle Locations 9533-9534). Pennyhill Press. Kindle Edition.


It is not clear if the "specialty", "low signature", or "blue" aircraft refer to the 318th SOS PC-12s or something else.

 

[flateric]

Trevithick & Rogoway take on the case

The Mysterious Saga Of America’s Hunt For A Stealth Special Operations Transport, Part 1

A labyrinth of programs and initiatives spanning nearly four decades was born out of a disastrous attempt to rescue U.S. hostages in Tehran.

www.thedrive.com

The Mysterious Saga Of America’s Hunt For A Stealth Special Operations Transport, Part 2

The requirement for this type of aircraft has only become more pressing in the new Millennium, which begs the question, where are the planes?

www.thedrive.com

 

[hesham]

From L+K 22/1986,

they mentioned the Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas were also invited,but as I know there were
a five companies and not three,did anyone hear about the anther two firms ?.

 

[RavenOne]

As an afterthought about the possible connection between SOFTA and Senior Citizen (which has often been hinted/suggested/assumed but never clearly evidenced), here's an excerpt from a message sent by Burt Rutan himself:

I do not think I can discuss senior citizen in any way.

Note that he didn't say: "I don't know what the hell you're talking about"... To me, his reply indicates at least that:

1°) Burt knows full well about Senior Citizen.
2°) If he knows about it, chances are Scaled Composites must have been involved in it.
3°) If Burt didn't feel free to discuss it a couple of years ago then Senior Citizen must have been technologically-sensitive enough a program that it still fell under the veil of secrecy 20 years after the program's entry disappeared from budget lists.

From which we may infer that IF there was an article built at the time, however experimental, it featured technology that is still relevant to current operational articles. Thoughts anyone?

I think you might be right about Burt and Scaled Composites, it would have been better of he shrugged his shoulders and said wth or wtf. Mayybe Scaled built some deomonstrator on contract to DARPA/AFSC/AFSOC

At a guess I would see Senior Citizen as more of a STOL vehicle , probably C-47 / C-12 size not C-130 size. I cannot see re 1990s VTOL/V/STOL (its taken them this long to get F-35B perfect as an example) tech be good enough to lift a large airframe vertically in the air or land....at that time. However in saying this, could development still be ongoing to this day what with the developing the control laws for the F-35B, and ducted fan tech successful on personal air vehicles..maybe there is scope there.

Cheers
..

 

[RavenOne]

SENIOR CITIZEN was PE code 0401316F, a tactical airlift operational support program. In FY93 this PE code disappeared from the budget.


There has never been any *concrete* link between this program and special operations or R&D. At the time that SENIOR CITIZEN was active there were other, unclassified efforts to develop V/STOL airlift and the connection was inferred by several people.


In 1993 and 1994 test activity that *could* have been V/STOL aircraft were observed in and around the Nevada test ranges. It's now known that in the late 80s/early 90s Lockheed was contracted by DARPA to research new low observable V/STOL approaches for small strike fighters (GHOST HAWK). It is also now known that several contractors were working on V/STOL concepts for special operations applications as part of a series of DoD efforts. It is important to keep in mind that special operations were a much lower national priority at the time than today. It would have been very difficult to fund new fixed wing aircraft development for special operations needs.


The links between the SENIOR CITIZEN program and low observable V/STOL SOF concepts are very tenuous.


0401129F was THEME CASTLE, an airlift operations program. Other airlift operations programs of that period were things like funding for operational C-5 squadrons. THEME CASTLE was active during the same period that SENIOR CITIZEN was, but there has never been any other connection between the two.

Have you got any links (been searching high and low even dreamlandresort.com) for any possible VTOL/V/STOL sighting activity around Groom Lake .

I remember early in my career, late 99/2000 spotted this on front cover of then MoD Defence Procurement Agency contracts bulletin....the porposed Boeing advanced STOL battlefield transport.

Cheers

 

[sferrin]

Boeing "Super Frog".

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/boeing-advanced-theater-transport-att-aka-superfrog.28642/#post-36061

 

[mr5oa]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

 

[Nigelhg]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

Pretty amazing work- Did you works off plans or were there any photographs?

 

[Sundog]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

Pretty amazing work- Did you works off plans or were there any photographs?

Based on the third photograph, on the wall you can see the blown up image taken from a blue print/drawing.

 

[mr5oa]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

Pretty amazing work- Did you works off plans or were there any photographs?

Plans

 

[RetiredAFGuy]

Back in the 1987-1992 timeframe I was dealing with a certain company involved in multiple black projects at the same time. I had a lot of conversations with people I had worked with over the years and took note of when some of them disappeared from regular business, having in company parlance "Been pulled into a black hole" (classified project).

"Project X" dealt with a major aircraft manufacturer to build training systems for a tactical aircraft. It turned out to be the Lockheed F-117.

"Project Y" dealt with a different major aircraft manufacturer to build training systems for a long range aircraft. That turned out to be the Northrop B-2.

"Project Y NOT" dealt with the same manufacturer as Project Y (hence the name) but the requirements were vastly different. A lot of helicopter-like requirements that seemed out of place when thinking of a conventional aircraft. But thinking of a VTOL aircraft, those requirements made a lot of sense.

Perhaps someday we will find out if the in-plant rumor mill I was plugged into was correct on all three projects.

 

[Moose]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

Normally not one to do Tyler Rogoway's job for him, but you should get in contact with him or Joe over at The War Zone. I bet they'd love to do a story about any of the model work you can talk about.

 

[sublight_]

I worked at Hughes GSG from 79 to 92 as a prototype model maker and had a secret clearance. I was contracted by Westco Models to make this aircraft for a trade show.

You made that in 1992? USAF told all the players they wanted to do a technology demonstration in 1992.