Boeing Bird of Prey
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| Bird of Prey | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental stealth testbed |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas / Boeing |
| First flight | September 11, 1996 |
| Retired | April 1999 |
| Status | On display |
| Number built | 1 |
The Boeing Bird of Prey was a
Design and development
Development of the Bird of Prey began in
The first flight was in 1996, and 39 more flights were performed through the program's conclusion in 1999.[1] The Bird of Prey was designed to prevent shadows and is believed to have been used to test active camouflage, which would involve its surfaces changing color or luminosity to match the surroundings.[3]
Because it was a demonstration aircraft, the Bird of Prey used a
The shape is aerodynamically stable enough to be flown without computer correction. Its aerodynamic stability is in part due to lift provided by the
The aircraft, which had given the designation "YF-118G" as a cover,[4] was made public on October 18, 2002.[1]
Aircraft on display
The Bird of Prey was put on display at the
Specifications
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004[5]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 46 ft 8 in (14.22 m)
- Wingspan: 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m)
- Height: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
- Wing area: 220 sq ft (20.4 m2) (estimated)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,400 lb (3,356 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C , 3,190 lbf (14.2 kN) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 260 kn (299 mph, 482 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
- ^ a b c d "Boeing Unveils Bird of Prey Stealth Technology Demonstrator" Archived October 10, 2004, at the Wayback Machine. Boeing, October 18, 2002.
- ^ USAF Museum literature
- ^ "Now you see it, now you won't: Boeing lifts the veil on stealthy Bird of Prey". Jane's International Defence Review, December 2, 2002.
- ^ Suciu, Peter (May 1, 2020). "Boeing's Stealth YF-118G 'Bird of Prey' Was Straight Out of Science Fiction". The National Interest. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ Jackson 2003, p. 580.
- Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.
External links
