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Post by andy on Feb 14, 2023 13:46:46 GMT
The History Guy on YouTube made a video about how often these things have happened and it seems there are plenty historical examples of mysterious balloons getting shot down or captured. If the balloon was part of some classified project they didn't say what they were for and just let folk think what they wanted.
Apparently they used to think missiles were overkill but there was one they couldn't down with 20mm rounds.
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Post by dreampolice on Feb 14, 2023 14:09:08 GMT
I'm surprised they don't just fly by it with a big net to capture it. Then they can look at an intact one. Sort of Dastardly and Muttley style.
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Post by mark101 on Feb 14, 2023 14:45:25 GMT
I'm surprised they don't just fly by it with a big net to capture it. Then they can look at an intact one. Sort of Dastardly and Muttley style. There are aircraft around with large scissor shaped fittings on the nose designed to snag research balloons. |
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Post by gray1720 on Feb 14, 2023 15:01:47 GMT
I'm surprised they don't just fly by it with a big net to capture it. Then they can look at an intact one. Sort of Dastardly and Muttley style. There are aircraft around with large scissor shaped fittings on the nose designed to snag research balloons. And other things - the rig that lifted Sean Connery, I think, in a Bond movie was real, used for getting CIA agents out of tight spots. |
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Post by andy on Feb 14, 2023 15:08:48 GMT
I'm surprised they don't just fly by it with a big net to capture it. Then they can look at an intact one. Sort of Dastardly and Muttley style. There are aircraft around with large scissor shaped fittings on the nose designed to snag research balloons. How do they fly slow enough not to hit it at hundreds of miles per hour? |
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Feb 14, 2023 15:22:43 GMT
I'm surprised they don't just fly by it with a big net to capture it. Then they can look at an intact one. Sort of Dastardly and Muttley style. There are aircraft around with large scissor shaped fittings on the nose designed to snag research balloons. It's a problem of altitude and speed. A prop driven 'plane can't get much above 30,000 feet although some turbo-props have reached 40,000, and at 60,000 feet you have to be flying so fast to generate lift from the rarified atmosphere that any attempt to snag something essentially stationary would likely be disastrous. For instance a typical modern airliner can fly at 40,000 feet, but it is at its maximum speed, and also very, very close to stall speed - so they don't! It also explains why the pilots eyeballing it, or their cameras, don't get a very good look at it. Another cheerful thought - if an aircraft lost pressurization due to the collision at 60,000 feet, the blood of all on board would boil instantly. This might not be comfortable. |
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Post by dreampolice on Feb 14, 2023 15:24:39 GMT
I would like to point out, I wasn’t being serious about a dog and a net.
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Feb 14, 2023 15:29:42 GMT
I would like to point out, I wasn’t being serious about a dog and a net. What? Really? I'd never have guessed!  |
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Post by Bipolar on Feb 14, 2023 17:03:13 GMT
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Post by andy on Feb 14, 2023 17:39:20 GMT
I've seen headlines about lots of people getting sick from it but must admit I never read the reports. |
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Post by geoffr on Feb 14, 2023 18:42:38 GMT
There are aircraft around with large scissor shaped fittings on the nose designed to snag research balloons. It's a problem of altitude and speed. A prop driven 'plane can't get much above 30,000 feet although some turbo-props have reached 40,000, and at 60,000 feet you have to be flying so fast to generate lift from the rarified atmosphere that any attempt to snag something essentially stationary would likely be disastrous. For instance a typical modern airliner can fly at 40,000 feet, but it is at its maximum speed, and also very, very close to stall speed - so they don't! It also explains why the pilots eyeballing it, or their cameras, don't get a very good look at it. Another cheerful thought - if an aircraft lost pressurization due to the collision at 60,000 feet, the blood of all on board would boil instantly. This might not be comfortable. As it happens many current production airliners can happily cruise at 42,000 feet. As to being close to stall speed, yes that is indeed the case, an area of the flight envelope known as "coffin corner". At max cruise altitude there isn't very much margin for error. |
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Post by daves on Feb 14, 2023 20:39:27 GMT
Just come up on YT
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Feb 15, 2023 7:33:24 GMT
Panic over folks - the latest story seems to be that the last three were just rogue balloons. Of course, they would say that, wouldn't they? I mean, they don't want us to know that ET has come back and brought his friends with him. I suppose you all didn't realize that 'ET' was actually a documentary?
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Post by spinno on Feb 15, 2023 9:31:26 GMT
Panic over folks - the latest story seems to be that the last three were just rogue balloons. Of course, they would say that, wouldn't they? I mean, they don't want us to know that ET has come back and brought his friends with him. I suppose you all didn't realize that 'ET' was actually a documentary? I keep dreaming about mash potato mountains |
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Post by willien on Feb 15, 2023 12:12:28 GMT
Panic over folks - the latest story seems to be that the last three were just rogue balloons. Of course, they would say that, wouldn't they? I mean, they don't want us to know that ET has come back and brought his friends with him. I suppose you all didn't realize that 'ET' was actually a documentary? I keep dreaming about mash potato mountains Still SciFi but I keep dreaming about Sigourney Weaver.  |
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