The Philadelphia Experiment...cloaking device?

[Enola Straight]

Could the USS Eldrige been fitted with a Romulan or Klingon cloaking device?

Archer and Co. in WWII raises that possibility.

[Stofsk]

Could the USS Eldrige been fitted with a Romulan or Klingon cloaking device?

Archer and Co. in WWII raises that possibility.

Oh christ, that movie brings back the memories. But I think Romulan/Klingon cloaks are out of the question; rather, the Allies will have to make do with SULIBAN technology! You know, the Cellship that keeps on getting forgotten by B&B.

[Patrick Degan]

Basically, the experiments conducted on the Eldrige involved using a simple magician's illusion to grand scale. At sea, camoflauge involves creating an illusion which will fool a distant observer as to a ship's size, speed, and direction of movement; hence the usage of various striped camoflauge schemes during both world wars. In the case of the Philadelphia experiment (so named for the navy yard where the tests were conducted), the ship was rigged with powerful spotlights strategically placed on the ship's structure. The spots were very powerful lamps which would create such a glow that the ship itself would be obscured behind its own lights and would effectively vanish from view. A similar concept is behind recent illusions such as making the Statue of Liberty disappear. On the ocean, the ship would effectively be invisible to any distant observer.

The problem I think came in when the amount of juice needed to power those lamps was more than the ship's generators could produce, and in one of the tests the Eldrige's power grid was blown out from overload. Eventually the idea was abandoned as impractical, and the development of radar made all visual camoflauge schemes moot.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

What the fuck is this about lights? I heard the ship was being degaused and passed through a military-only path through the minefield from one port to another overnight.

So what gives?

[Kitsune]

Basically, the experiments conducted on the Eldrige involved using a simple magician's illusion to grand scale. At sea, camoflauge involves creating an illusion which will fool a distant
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overload. Eventually the idea was abandoned as impractical, and the development of radar made all visual camoflauge schemes moot.

I don't think it happened since the vessel was never in Philly according to her log.

[Stormbringer]

Basically, the experiments conducted on the Eldrige involved using a simple magician's illusion to grand scale. At sea, camoflauge involves creating an illusion which will fool a distant observer as to a ship's size, speed, and direction of movement; hence the usage of various striped camoflauge schemes during both world wars. In the case of the Philadelphia experiment (so named for the navy yard where the tests were conducted), the ship was rigged with powerful spotlights strategically placed on the ship's structure. The spots were very powerful lamps which would create such a glow that the ship itself would be obscured behind its own lights and would effectively vanish from view. A similar concept is behind recent illusions such as making the Statue of Liberty disappear. On the ocean, the ship would effectively be invisible to any distant observer.

The problem I think came in when the amount of juice needed to power those lamps was more than the ship's generators could produce, and in one of the tests the Eldrige's power grid was blown out from overload. Eventually the idea was abandoned as impractical, and the development of radar made all visual camoflauge schemes moot.

While that might be the case, the Eldridge wasn't involved in any of those test nor does she have any time in service that isn't accounted for. The test were no doubt conducted, but not with the Eldrige.

[Utsanomiko]

What the fuck is this about lights? I heard the ship was being degaused and passed through a military-only path through the minefield from one port to another overnight.

So what gives?

Lots of flim-flam and obfusticated tom-foolery exist surrounding the mysterious and not-so-secret 'Phillidelphia Experiment', methinks.

...Or is it secret and not-so-mysterious? Anydangway, it more or less was just degaussed (to prevent mines from using magnets to attract to the ship) and then sent though a shortcut between East coast ports.

[Patrick Degan]

The visual masking experiment was the plausible explanation I read for what was done with the Eldrige. It made the most sense since it didn't lean upon the physically impossible, the mechanically impracticable, conspiracy-wanking, or the sort of faerytale bullshit usually spouted by the VonDaniken School of Crackpots. Unfortunately I cannot find my sources for this story, so I will have to concede any point regarding its relation to the "Philadelphia experiment" for now.

[Stormbringer]

The visual masking experiment was the plausible explanation I read for what was done with the Eldrige. It made the most sense since it didn't lean upon the physically impossible, the mechanically impracticable, conspiracy-wanking, or the sort of faerytale bullshit usually spouted by the VonDaniken School of Crackpots. Unfortunately I cannot find my sources for this story, so I will have to concede any point regarding its relation to the "Philadelphia experiment" for now.

Oh, it was definitely done. Mostly with cargo vessels and a couple of tries with destroyers and aircraft it's just the USS Eldrige was not one of them. It was definitely done and might account for some of the elements of the Philadelhia Experiments. The rest can be explained by the fact that it orginated with a total, pathological liar.

[Patrick Degan]

The visual masking experiment was the plausible explanation I read for what was done with the Eldrige. It made the most sense since it didn't lean upon the physically impossible, the mechanically impracticable, conspiracy-wanking, or the sort of faerytale bullshit usually spouted by the VonDaniken School of Crackpots. Unfortunately I cannot find my sources for this story, so I will have to concede any point regarding its relation to the "Philadelphia experiment" for now.

Oh, it was definitely done. Mostly with cargo vessels and a couple of tries with destroyers and aircraft it's just the USS Eldrige was not one of them. It was definitely done and might account for some of the elements of the Philadelhia Experiments. The rest can be explained by the fact that it orginated with a total, pathological liar.

Ah.

[JME2]

It's probable that the military may have gotten the stealth tech from a crashed alien ship; episodes like 'Regeneration' and 'Little Green Men' show that this is possible.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

Well I hope that they don't decide to let the ENT crew to fuck around in the past during WWII, in this situation in particular decide to turn the Philadelhia Experiment into some fucking cloaking/transportation bullshit like the lunatic fringe is claiming rather than the simple degaussing operation and minefield crossing that it truly was.

But as I've stated in another thread, if they decide to pull something and make Star Trek in any way responsible for the Allies winning the War, they will permanently loose any respect what I once had for them...

[Patrick Degan]

Well I hope that they don't decide to let the ENT crew to fuck around in the past during WWII, in this situation in particular decide to turn the Philadelhia Experiment into some fucking cloaking/transportation bullshit like the lunatic fringe is claiming rather than the simple degaussing operation and minefield crossing that it truly was.

But as I've stated in another thread, if they decide to pull something and make Star Trek in any way responsible for the Allies winning the War, they will permanently loose any respect what I once had for them...

Oh, they probably will.

[JME2]

Well I hope that they don't decide to let the ENT crew to fuck around in the past during WWII, in this situation in particular decide to turn the Philadelhia Experiment into some fucking cloaking/transportation bullshit like the lunatic fringe is claiming rather than the simple degaussing operation and minefield crossing that it truly was.

But as I've stated in another thread, if they decide to pull something and make Star Trek in any way responsible for the Allies winning the War, they will permanently loose any respect what I once had for them...

Oh, they probably will.

I agree; knowing Rick Berman this probably will be the case. And if so, than I will have made my mind up once and for all; I chose to give ENT a chance this season, but it has all been for naught.

I HATE it.

[Typhonis 1]

I remeber they did something like that on a program on stealth . They had a biplane hooked up with dozens of lightbulbs and as the camrea pulled back the plane vanished.

[Sarevok]

It's probable that the military may have gotten the stealth tech from a crashed alien ship; episodes like 'Regeneration' and 'Little Green Men' show that this is possible.

The Voyger episode "The 37s" mentioned that an alien race from the delta quadrant visited Earth in the 1930s.

[phongn]

IIRC, the searchlamp experiments were also done for aircraft in daylight -- which let it blend in with the bright sky -- but the drag penalty was too high.