Skunk works

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Skunkworks redirects here. For the heavy metal album by Bruce Dickinson, please see Skunkworks (album)Image:SR-71 LASRE cold test.jpg

Skunk works is a term used in engineering and technical applications for secret (black) projects.

1 Lockheed's Skunk Works
- 1.1 Aircraft
2 Term origin
3 Other references in popular culture
4 See also
5 External links
6 Literature

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Lockheed's Skunk Works

The Skunk Works is the unofficial name for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs, formerly Lockheed Advanced Development Projects Unit, and was the production unit responsible for a number of famous aircraft, including the U-2, the SR-71, and the F-117. Its newest project of note is the F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter), which will be used in the air forces of several countries around the world. Production is expected to last for up to 4 decades.

The history of the Skunk Works began with the World War II period, when the black projects of the Skunk Works were located near the Burbank Airport, now renamed Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. The legendary Kelly Johnson started the first Skunk Works project with his design of what would end up to be the P-38 "Lighting." This twin turbo charged prop-driven airplane was the fastest fighter that was widely used in World War II. The team also developed the P-80 Shooting Star in a circus tent set in the parking lot (as there was no existing secure area) in only 143 days. This aircraft was the U.S. Air Force's first operational jet fighter. Kelly Johnson headed the Skunk Works until 1975, when Ben Rich took over leadership.

In 1955 the CIA gave a contract to the Skunk Works to build the legendary U-2, its purpose to overfly the Soviet Union and take pictures of its most secret areas. The first overflight over Russia took place in July 1956 and the last one took place in May 1960, when it was shot down over Russia.

The Skunk Works had predicted that the U-2 had a limited operational life over the Soviet Union and the CIA agreed. The Skunk Works got a contract in late 1959 to build five A-12 aircraft at a cost of $96 million dollars. Building a Mach 3.0 aircraft out of titanium posed enormous difficulties and the first flight did not occur until 1962. Several years later the U. S. Air Force became interested in the design after the CIA was pushed out of the spy plane business, and it ordered the SR-71, a two seater version of the A-12. This aircraft first flew in 1966 and remained in service until 1989, when it was retired from service.

Another interesting aircraft was the D-21 drone, built to overfly China. This drone sat on top of a specially modified A-12, called the mother ship, of which there were two built.

After the end of the Cold War in 1989, Lockheed reorganized its operations and relocated the Skunk Works to Site 10 at U. S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California where it is still in operation today.

The Skunk Works used the Groom Dry Lake Air Force Base in the Nevada desert for testing their secret aircraft prototypes.

Lockheed now considers the term "Skunk Works" to be a trademark of theirs, and has several registrations of it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. They have filed several challenges against registrants of domain names containing variations on the term under anti-cybersquatting policies.

The Skunk Works are often credited with having originated the term KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) as one of their design principles.

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Aircraft

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Term origin

Image:Skunkworks-logo.jpg

One suggestion is that the name was inspired by the popular comic strip Li'l Abner, by cartoonist Al Capp. In the comic, the Skonk Works was a backwoods still operated by the fictional duo "Hairless Joe" and "Lonesome Polecat." They made their "kickapoo joy juice" by tossing dead skunks and worn shoes into their smoldering vat. The original Lockheed facility was located downwind of a malodorous plastics factory. As Ben Rich explained in his memoir, Skunk Works, one of the engineers showed up to work one day wearing a Civil Defense gas mask as a gag. A designer named Irv Culver responded to the gag by answering a ringing phone and announcing, "Skunk Works," thus providing the unofficial name for Kelly's development group.

At the request of the comic strip copyright holders, Lockheed later changed the name of the development facility to Skunk Works. The name Skunk Works and the skunk design are now registered trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Another theory for the name arises from the parking lot where Skunk Works was originally run. The development of projects was held in a black circus tent that is rumored to have had white lines running through its top. Therefore, when seen from an airplane in the sky, the circus tent took the appearance of a skunk.

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Other references in popular culture

On TV's "King of the Hill", Hank Hill's boss, Mr. Strickland, refers to the men's room as the "skunk works", on account of the smell. He frequently holds meetings there while on the toilet.

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