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Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

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Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#201

Post by Phrodo_00 »

systemvoltage wrote: post #112
teodorlu wrote: post #19

The aircraft seems to be a Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. > The Northrop (later Northrop Grumman) B-2 Spirit, also known as the Stealth Bomber, is an American heavy strategic bomber, featuring low observable stealth technology designed for penetrating dense anti-aircraft defenses. Designed during the Cold War, it is a flying wing design with a crew of two.[1][3] The bomber is subsonic and can deploy both conventional a…

The B-2 Spirit is insane. People usually know the SR-71, but I personally think the B-2 is straight up savage - aesthetically alien, impossibly aerial, and incomprehensibly powerful. Its silhoutte is terrifying: https://i.imgur.com/WqMvxXg.jpg What a beast: https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/air/b-2-stealth-b...

That's while probably really effective at its job, it's not really the most of anything. The B-1B for example is faster and can carry more ordinance.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#202

Post by msisk6 »

Hogarth01 wrote: post #193
akie wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like you're right - there's one parked on (indeed) Whiteman Air Force Base right here https://goo.gl/maps/x8738SicBvtSPqmR6

On Google Earth you can use the timeline feature to actually see when the imagery was captured (or at least uploaded?). The plane sitting near the hangers was from a capture in May 2016. Google Earth currently shows several newer captures, including one from September 2021. The current one from September 2021 is actually far more interesting in my opinion. In it, you can see a B2 sitting in a field about a quarter up…

Good timing on that capture.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/16/b-2-rolled-of...

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#203

Post by renzo88 »

boomskats wrote: post #184
jldl805 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's 2021 (for another couple weeks) and everyone has access to imaging satellites with almost instant turnaround, for a negligible fee. Consider yourself corrected.

Have you considered including a source that supports your statement?

I googled it and came up with multiple answers. Instead of demanding people prove their work, take reasonable statements in good faith imo.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#204

Post by myself248 »

0xQSL wrote: post #180
ericbarrett wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My napkin calculations are that the three channels are ~10ms apart, given the bomber is 69 feet nose-to-tail* and an assumption of 400 mph velocity. * http://www.dept.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/B2Spr09.pdf

One might be able to calibrate this by using cars in the area close to the shot [1]. Assuming most cars are driving at the speed limit [1] https://www.google.com/maps/place/38%C2%B059'37.1%22N+93%C2%...

The cars aren't flying at altitude though. They're farther from the satellite.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#205

Post by diggernet »

t0bia_s wrote: post #60
MontyCarloHall wrote: post #9

Interesting how the three separate R/G/B images are taken independently a few ~seconds~ milliseconds apart, with a different color filter placed over the image sensor. I assume this is to maximize resolution, since no Bayer interpolation [0] is needed to demosaic the output of a traditional image sensor that integrates the color filters onto the sensor pixels themselves. As these satellites are not intended to photog…

Shadow of this object is also distorted: https://goo.gl/maps/VWwtt1PbLJVkbiBS9

Thank you. I was wondering where that was. Now, can someone calculate the plane's altitude?

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#206

Post by glitchcrab »

Hogarth01 wrote: post #193
akie wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like you're right - there's one parked on (indeed) Whiteman Air Force Base right here https://goo.gl/maps/x8738SicBvtSPqmR6

On Google Earth you can use the timeline feature to actually see when the imagery was captured (or at least uploaded?). The plane sitting near the hangers was from a capture in May 2016. Google Earth currently shows several newer captures, including one from September 2021. The current one from September 2021 is actually far more interesting in my opinion. In it, you can see a B2 sitting in a field about a quarter up…

I'm very intrigued as to what is going on here - it almost looks as if it veered off the runway. Anyone got any suggestions?

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#207

Post by contravariant »

myself248 wrote: post #204
0xQSL wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One might be able to calibrate this by using cars in the area close to the shot [1]. Assuming most cars are driving at the speed limit [1] https://www.google.com/maps/place/38%C2%B059'37.1%22N+93%C2%...

The cars aren't flying at altitude though. They're farther from the satellite.

How low are these satellites? I wouldn't expect the altitude of a plane to be any significant proportion of the altitude of a satellite.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#208

Post by willis936 »

fullstop wrote: post #199
willis936 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The google maps scale shows the plane as being pretty close to that length as well. I think the satellite is high enough up that altitude scaling for aircraft is going to be minimal. I see about a 10 foot separation between colors. Velocity = distance / time 400 mph is 587 fps. 10 / 587 = 17 ms

Do they actually use satellites for their "satellite" view? I always assumed that it was done by aircraft.

Flying a plane around the planet sounds a lot more expensive financially and thermodynamically than just beaming down images from an object constantly falling into the views you want to see.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#209

Post by fullstop »

willis936 wrote: post #208
fullstop wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do they actually use satellites for their "satellite" view? I always assumed that it was done by aircraft.

Flying a plane around the planet sounds a lot more expensive financially and thermodynamically than just beaming down images from an object constantly falling into the views you want to see.

I looked it up. There are some satellite images, but a lot of it is done by aircraft.

Re: Stealth bomber in flight on Google Maps

#210

Post by Hogarth01 »

msisk6 wrote: post #202
Hogarth01 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On Google Earth you can use the timeline feature to actually see when the imagery was captured (or at least uploaded?). The plane sitting near the hangers was from a capture in May 2016. Google Earth currently shows several newer captures, including one from September 2021. The current one from September 2021 is actually far more interesting in my opinion. In it, you can see a B2 sitting in a field about a quarter up…

Good timing on that capture. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/09/16/b-2-rolled-of...

Ah very interesting! I saw the skid marks on the runway north of the plane and was wondering if it was an emergency landing situation considering that it was just on the side of the runway. Pretty cool to read the article and get the other half of the story.
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