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- For some time, I have been trying to uncover information on the classified
- aircraft code-named SENIOR CITIZEN (Program Element 0401316F). Some people
- have claimed that SENIOR CITIZEN is a supposed hypersonic reconnaissance
- aircraft, also known as "Aurora".
-
- On August 19, 1994 I posted the following on the Internet:
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- There has been a lot of speculation about the secret U.S. Air Force aircraft
- code-named SENIOR CITIZEN. Some people have stated that this code-name refers
- to a hypersonic SR-71 follow-on ("Aurora") while others have stated that
- it refers to the small bat-like Stealth aircraft that Steve Douglass
- photographed in New Mexico (sometimes referred to as the "TR-3A"). Based
- on a Department of Defense document that I just received, I will reveal
- what the SENIOR CITIZEN aircraft really is.
-
- SENIOR CITIZEN is an advanced transport aircraft!!
-
- According to Department of Defense document DoD7045.7-H, "FYDP Program
- Structure", October 1993, SENIOR CITIZEN (Program Element 0401316F) is a
- tactical airlift aircraft. It might be a STOL (Short Take-off and Landing)
- aircraft, because there have been several advanced STOL aircraft funded
- under program category 04013xxx.
-
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The picture is of a turbofan powered, low-observable ('Stealth') V/STOL
- advanced tactical transport design, and is taken from the technical paper
- "Technology and design considerations for an advanced theater transport",
- 1990, by Richard Wible, Technology Exploitation Directorate,
- Wright-Patterson AFB. This may be similar or very close to Program Element
- 0401316F, SENIOR CITIZEN. In the same GIF is a picture of a Boeing "Advanced
- Theater Transport" aircraft design, provided by a source who doesn't want
- to be identified.
-
- Based on what I know, I believe the following for the SENIOR CITIZEN
- aircraft:
-
- * SENIOR CITIZEN is a low-observable, V/STOL turbofan powered aircraft.
- It is not designed to carry heavy cargo, like tanks, which a C-5
- can carry, but for troops (probably Special Operations Forces) and
- their equipment.
-
- * The aircraft is probably manufactured by Boeing. It should also be
- pointed out that Boeing has a fairly elaborate radar cross section
- (RCS) range, that would be needed to test the Stealth characteristics
- of the design.
-
- NOTE: the picture for this article is on this FTP site, ftp.shell.portal.com,
- in this directory (/pub/trader/secrecy) as SC-2.gif .
-
- Paul McGinnis / TRADER@cup.portal.com / PaulMcG@aol.com
- http://www.portal.com/~trader/secrecy.html
-