Inside Skunk Works

19 Episodes

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Prove It

2019-10-1634:36

Aircraft design begins with an idea, but you can’t fly an idea. Just as the Wright brothers proved air travel is possible, Skunk Works® engineers must prove the impossible, is possible. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Associate Producer Nick Tanaka Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge & Heidi Smith

Clementine

2019-09-3025:44

A spy story involving CIA cover stories, the Red Fleet, Skunk Works® engineers, and a famous, eccentric American billionaire. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield, Theresa Hoey, & Nick Tanaka Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge & Heidi Smith

Sea Shadow

2019-09-1330:501

In the 1970s, Skunk Works® stealth technology was proving so successful, that Ben Rich began looking for new potential applications. From this search would arise a program that would allow the United States not only to dominate the air, but the sea. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Associate Producer Nick Tanaka Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge & Heidi Smith

Faster & Faster

2019-08-2729:03

Skunk Works® is in the business of going fast. More than a mile per second fast. What does it take to fly at hypersonic speeds? For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Associate Producer Nick Tanaka Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge & Heidi Smith

Dutch 51

2019-08-1433:051

The first pilot to fly the SR-71, a pilot with more flight test hours at Mach 3 than any other, and a protégé of legendary aircraft designer Kelly Johnson – this is his journey that changed the world. His name is Bob Gilliland. For a full transcript of this episode go to https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/business-areas/aeronautics/skunkworks/insideskunkworks.html#s2episode5 Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield, Theresa Hoey, & Rachel Bartlett Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge

Dull, Dirty, Dangerous

2019-07-2937:15

In 1962, Kelly Johnson led a small team to design and develop a supersonic drone. Meet today's leaders of Skunk Works® unmanned systems and learn about what we're working on today. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Associate Producer Nick Tanaka Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge

Trusted with Secrets

2019-07-1521:05

Without security, the Skunk Works® wouldn’t exist. Security Integrator, Ward Albin, discusses some of his most challenging experiences operating in secrecy. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield, Theresa Hoey, & Sabrina Braga Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge

Wolf Pack

2019-07-0140:16

The X-35 and the YF-22 set the precedent for a new kind of jet fighter. We're outlining the evolution of 1st generation jet fighters to 5th generation and beyond. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at LockheedMartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge

Visioneers

2019-06-1730:19

Skunk Works® designs the aircraft of the future. Ever wonder how? For exclusive content, check out our show notes at LockheedMartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva Web Content by Kyra Betteridge

Introducing Inside Skunk Works: Season 2

2019-04-2501:10

Are you ready for season 2? We’re covering conceptual design, hypersonics, unmanned systems, and much more. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at LockheedMartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Claire Whitfield & Theresa Hoey Artwork by Becca Smith & Francisco Silva

A Low Rumble

2018-06-1730:00

Advancing technology allows aircraft to go faster and faster, but there is still one barrier that prevents the public from traveling faster than the speed of sound - the sonic boom. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

It Changes Everything

2018-06-0431:17

In the midst of an energy revolution, a small team at the Skunk Works® is trying to solve a massive problem. Will they make compact fusion a reality? For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Crashing is Success

2018-05-2132:191

Skunk Works® engineers have a willingness to take on projects most others don’t because the chances to succeed are too small or too difficult. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Not Today

2018-05-0632:39

Before the F-117 and the SR-71 there was an aircraft that began to experiment with stealth - an aircraft that does so many things well, it’s still flying today. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Hat Trick

2018-04-2329:121

For many years fighter jets were specifically designed for individual military branches. In the 1990s, U.S. military leadership decided it would be more efficient to design one jet to meet the unique needs of the Air Force, Marines and Navy. In November of 1996, Lockheed Martin and Boeing competed to design the best X-plane solution to this new requirement. This would come to be known as the “battle of the X-planes”. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Arrowhead

2018-04-0938:30

Radar-guided missiles were an ever-growing threat to aircraft throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and the creation of an invisible airplane that would come to be known as the F-117 Nighthawk was no exception. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

They Gave Him a Tent

2018-03-2532:301

In 1943, the Germans were already using jet technology in combat. The United States military leadership was frantic for a jet fighter of their own to counter the new threat. An idea for a secret organization hidden within a large aeronautics company begins to take shape and at the root of this idea is a young American engineer. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Absolute Definition of Power

2018-03-1132:011

It was a time when computers were in their infancy. They were incredibly expensive and enormous with less processing power than an iPhone. Using little more than slide rules and pencils, a group of engineers designed one of the most advanced aircraft in aviation history. The year was 1958 and the aircraft they created was the SR-71 Blackbird. For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Introducing Inside Skunk Works

2018-02-1901:211

75 years ago in Burbank, California, engineer Kelly Johnson devised an operational concept so unique it is still celebrated today. As the birthplace of many revolutionary technologies – from America’s first fighter jet to the classified programs of today – Skunk Works® sets the precedent for how our most critical and difficult problems are solved. This podcast brings to light the dark, classified world of the secret Lockheed Martin organization. First-hand accounts and stories passed down from generation to generation within the walls of Skunk Works are made public for the first time. And yes – we’ll talk about compact fusion! For exclusive content, check out our show notes at lockheedmartin.com/insideskunkworks Email us at insideskunkworks.lm@lmco.com Produced by Theresa Hoey & Claire Whitfield Artwork by Becca Smith

Comments (7)

open.road

one issue with facts on this segment... F-117 was never a fighter, never launched air to air missiles, and did not have a gun. It was an attack aircraft. The "F" designation was assigned to this aircraft for two reasons that I'm aware of: to confuse the intelligence agencies of other countries as to the nature of the aircraft and, funny as it seems, to get fighter pilots interested in joining the program. They are usually the best pilots our nation had to offer but most would balk at the notion of flying a "ground pounder" that was not very maneuverable and had no air to air capabilities.

Aug 27th

Reply (2)

Delvin Jackson

Been hooked since the first episode, always look forward to the next, thank you for providing these!

May 21st

Glen Hugo III

love this podcast , need more!

May 7th

Reply (1)

Mike C

great podcast!!!

May 1st

#box-pro-ellipsis-17323381072372{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Inside Skunk Works

open.road

Delvin Jackson

Glen Hugo III

Mike C