This is not a joke...

[PRB]

I've never heard of an RC-12 Guardrail before today. At work, today, I saw a picture of one. This picture. At first I thought it was a joke. But it isn't. It's a real plane. I think if the designers really applied themselves and worked a little harder they could find room for a couple more antennas on there someplace... :icon_lol:

[Dain Arns]

Here's a couple other pics from the other side of the plane.
I agree, first reaction is a 'shop job', but it's not.
I can't imagine the drag off all of those. :icon_lol:

[Toastmaker]

Weird - appears to be some kind of test-bed aircraft.

[PRB]

It's actually a "data gathering" plane. And you better believe it can gather a lot of "data" with all those antennas... There's a basic C-12 Beech King Air in there somewhere...

[Panther_99FS]

Yep - it's real alright...
Saw one on a previous deployment of mine.....US Army :)

[Brian_Gladden]

It's an electronic warfare/Intelligence platform built on a Beech King Air 200 flown by the US Army.

Had a pair stop in to clear customs when I worked for Heritage a couple of years back on their way back from the middle east. Spoke with one of the pilots and he said they loose about 40-50 kts in cruise over a "clean" King Air.

Said it was a very long flight back from Afghanistan. They also Whistle. When they took off, the air noise from the antennas was louder than the PT-6's


Brian

[PRB]

Interesting... Thanks, Brian!

[Willy]

Wonder if they get HBO with that thing?

[srgalahad]

It's an electronic warfare/Intelligence platform built on a Beech King Air 200 flown by the US Army.

Gawdddddddd.. now FoxNews is going to pick up on this post and by tomorrow we'll hear all about how the DHS is monitoring all the cellphone transmissions in Ohio or someplace.

Watch out overhead and if you see one of these hedgehogs flying around, start worrying that everything you say will be transmitted to the three guys sitting on a grassy knoll in Dallas.

Now, a brief flash back to the real world...
Before they got the volume discount on antennae: http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Dietsch/6154.htm
30 years of "Guardrail" development: http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/rc-12-guardrail-pics.htm
If you really want the tech stuff: http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/guardrail.htm

Rob

[PRB]

They heard that... There will be one at Dorvall tomorrow...

[strikehawk]

At on time there was a few stationed at NAS Moffet during the 80's. They were parked by the tower where the road passed between the runway and Hiway 101. Got used to seeing them when my unit went up there for training then one visit, gone. Oh well seeing these brought back some memories.

[Ken Stallings]

Weird - appears to be some kind of test-bed aircraft.

I know exactly what this airplane does, and I cannot talk about it! :icon_lol:

But, it is operational, not test.

Cheers,

Ken

[TeaSea]

Yep,

Guardrail...U.S. Army Intelligence Support to the ground maneuver forces commander...organic to a U.S. Army Corps.

Fielded down to Corps Military Intelligence Brigade.

Divisions had "QuickFix" down to Military Intelligence Battalion (CEWI) at one time.

'course, we used to have nukes at the Division Artillery level also.....