A permanent archive for Scott Stubbs’s research into local planar reference frames, empirical measurement, post-processing, and the assumptions built into technical models.
The Local Tangent Plane as the Primary Methodological Reference Frame: Evidence from Geodesy, Surveying, and Computational Modeling
Technical practice in geodesy, surveying, remote sensing, and engineering simulation consistently employs the local tangent plane as the default computational and operational reference. This paper reviews documented workflows and algorithms across these domains and identifies a recurring pattern: local planar frames serve as the starting reference, while global ellipsoidal or geoidal models are applied secondarily for data transformation or localized correction. Evidence is drawn from GNSS-R geometry algorithms, professional site calibration standards, finite element analysis procedures, radio interferometric imaging, local geoid modeling studies, and inertial navigation systems. The accumulated record indicates that the methodological priority of the local tangent plane is embedded in operational practice, independent of broader claims regarding the Earth's global shape.
Empirical Reinterpretation of High-Altitude Balloon Telemetry: Evidence for Planar Geometry in Raw NASA Scientific Balloon Program Data
Raw GPS telemetry from eight recent NASA Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) flights at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, was analyzed without any spherical or geoid corrections. Linear regression on local planar coordinates yields R² values of 0.99979-0.99995, with observed altitude deviations of only 9-24 m over horizontal distances of 175-240 km. Globe-model curvature predictions are exceeded by more than an order of magnitude. These results are independently corroborated by peer-reviewed NASA/CSBF flights from the same launch site. The data support the Planar Earth methodological claim that raw empirical measurements operate on a flat, stationary baseline, with spherical corrections applied only in post-processing. The full analysis is reproducible from public archives.
This thesis advances the concept of Planar Earth-a formal reinterpretation of the Earth's measurable geometry as a flat, stationary topographical framework-intended to refine how empirical observation, measurement, and modeling interact within the sciences. By distinguishing itself from archaic "flat-earth" traditions, the Planar Earth framework re-centers the planar assumption as an initial condition for testing, modeling, and verification rather than as a belief about ultimate cosmology. The project systematically compares planar and spherical assumptions across applied domains: surveying, civil and structural engineering, ballistics, flight navigation, hydrography, LiDAR mapping, and geomatics. Drawing on open-source datasets and technical literature-spanning USGS, NOAA, NASA, and DTIC archives-the investigation evaluates how often real-world measurements require curvature or rotation to achieve closure or accuracy within stated tolerances. Methodologically, Planar Earth employs a model-comparison framework, constructing paired mathematical descriptions-a spherical/rotational and a planar/static model-to quantify residuals between predictions and observations. Statistical measures and epistemic analysis together illuminate the scales at which curvature terms become indispensable, if at all, and where a strictly planar approximation remains functionally sufficient. Philosophically, the thesis contributes to the continuing discourse in the philosophy of scientific modeling: proposing that the form of Earth chosen for computation may reveal as much about human epistemology and instrument calibration as about the world's actual topology. Rather than seeking refutation or defense, the thesis aspires to methodological clarity-to show exactly how and why certain geometric assumptions are adopted, and to explore whether a globally coherent planar framework could, under modern data constraints, serve as an alternate reference model for terrestrial and celestial phenomena.
F-117 Nighthawk: Local Tangent Plane Primacy in Action
In the 1991 Gulf War, the F-117 stealth fighter operated under extreme conditions with minimal external signals. Its inertial navigation system established a local tangent plane reference frame during ground alignment and maintained this flat reference for all real-time attitude, heading, and velocity computations.
This case directly demonstrates that the local tangent plane served as the primary methodological reference frame, even across hundreds of kilometers in combat operations. Scale did not override it.
Full analysis and evidence from technical practice now available.
#PlanarEarth #LocalTangentPlane #F117
An on-site documentary about aerospace researcher Amy Eskridge, her work on experimental propulsion technologies, and the public questions surrounding her death in 2022. It includes an interview with Franc Milburn, a retired British paratrooper and intelligence officer.
Latest additions
The current paper record.
Titles, abstracts, dates, and source actions are drawn from Scott’s public Academia.edu archive.
01
Reference Frames2026
The Local Tangent Plane as Primary Methodological Reference: Evidence that Curvature Constitutes a Secondary Computational Insertion in Aircraft Dynamic and Tracking Models
02
Reference Frames2026
Concorde LTN-51 Reference-Frame Analysis
03
Remote Sensing & Geodesy2026
The Validation and Refill Architecture of GRACE and GOCE
04
Theology & Cosmology2026
Gadreel, the Retreated Light, and the Architecture of Containment: A Unified Interpretive Framework from the Watcher Betrayal to the Throne at Polaris
