The Ledger

Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.

clear all ✕

why aren't all 8 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable

What-if
Lockheed Would Have Failed Without Its Missiles and Space Division
“And really, as we'll see, this division, you know, not Skunk Works, this division kept Lockheed alive. Lockheed would have absolutely died without this division.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 1:17:57 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Gilbert: Future breakthrough defense innovation won't come from Lockheed's Skunk Works
“It's very likely that the Skunk Works mentality ends up solving more problems for our country, but probably not from the Skunk Works division of Lockheed Martin.”
Ben Gilbert May 30, 2023 ▶ 3:30:48 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Opinion
Lockheed Missiles and Space Had a Bigger Impact Than Skunk Works
“What LMSC, Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, did, I honestly think, like, it is bigger impact to the country, to the world, and certainly on business to Lockheed and to Silicon Valley than Skunk Works.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 1:08:52 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Assertion Partly supported
Skunk Works Delivered the U-2 Spy Plane in 18 Months for $3.5M
“So Skunk Works completes and delivers the plane by July, 1955. So like a year and a half and for a total project cost of three and a half million dollars.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 41:44 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Assertion Supported
Peak Skunk Works Had Just 50 Engineers and 100 Machinists
“And at its most productive, Skunk Works I think was about maybe 50 designers and engineers and maybe a hundred machinists and shop people.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 30:33 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Assertion Supported
Pentagon Ordered Skunk Works to Destroy SR-71 Tooling in 1970
“In 1970, the Pentagon cancels further orders, and they order Skunk Works to destroy all of the titanium tooling for it so that no more can ever be built.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 2:14:26 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Assertion Supported
Lockheed's Skunk Works Created Area 51 to Test the U-2
“This is Area-Fifty-One. Skunk Works creates Area-fifty-one.”
David Rosenthal May 30, 2023 ▶ 46:46 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
Assertion Supported
U-2 Test Pilots Pre-Breathed Pure Oxygen for Two Hours Before Flight
“They needed to breathe pure oxygen for two hours to remove all the nitrogen from their blood in case they had to eject, because remember, these are test pilots on a super experimental aircraft.”
Ben Gilbert May 30, 2023 ▶ 47:46 Lockheed Martin (Audio) · Acquired
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