The government first made that beautiful aircraft back in the 60's and is still considered "Top Notch". Other than the B2 and this small thing that Boeing has out, what kind of secret stealth aircraft do we have now? Good websites to check them out?
2006-10-19 12:34:46 · 19 answers · asked by Michael 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Aircraft
Correction: Obviosly if it's secret we don't know, that's why it's a "secret" but what else do we have?
2006-10-19 12:55:51 · update #1
Wouldn't be much of a secret if there was a website about it.....
2006-10-19 12:36:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The newest planes are the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning (still in development), but these aren't touted as true stealth planes. Just fighter jets with stealthy features, much like the B-1 Lancer, is a bomber with stealth features.
Planes touted as stealth planes include
SR-71 Blackbird (though it isn't really that stealthy)
F-117 Nighthawk (only a bomber, unlike the F designation implies)
B-2 Spirit
There was a rumored Aurora project in the early 90s that was supposed to be the replacement for the SR-71. Though it's program was apparently canceled in 1992. Very little information exists on this program and plenty of speculation. Read about it at wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Aurora).
You can also find lots of good information on all the planes listed above there.
2006-10-19 18:17:41 · answer #2 · answered by AL5963 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, SPG Media's
http://www.airforce-technology.com/
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/
has a nice list of list of currently avaiable military aircrafts. As you can see, stealth is becoming more integrated to military aircrafts as radar and become no longer a special feature.
For more aircrafts, you can always use Yahoo to search for more.
As for what we got now.
SpaceShip One is as fast the Blackbird, fly four times higher, and it's a civilian aircraft.
Though its cruise time and range are much shorter, it done same thing as the X-15 though it' slower than the X-15, and also it took 20 millions US Dollars (X-Prize is 10 millions US Dollars) and several support to develop, build, and operate.
But if this is a civilian aircraft, the military probably is capable of something better.
It should be noted the SR-71 is a stealth aircraft due to its speed, it's hard for a person that manually scan the radar screen to notice it in comparison of the background clutter.
Its stealth from speed become no longer useful once computer is used to scan radar signatures.
2006-10-19 13:45:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The latest one to "come out of the closet" is the Tacit Blue. It started flying in 1982 but I bet almost no one has ever heard of it. It is invisible to radar as well as invisible to the eye! A very cool ship but only flies about 280 MPH. Just not very sexy compared to the SR-71. Satellites really replace the role of the SR-71. The Blue was designed to fly right over an active battle and give down to the nose-hair information for fire control. The technology to keep it invisible to optics wasn't mature enough to push for production. 2 airframes were made. Only one flew but had the most reliable flight record in the history of experimental planes. The flying frame is now retired to the wright patt museum in Dayton.
http://www.ausairpower.net/000-Tacit-Blue.jpg
Other planes yet to come out:
Aurora
Switch Blade
Suntan
Black Manta
2006-10-20 03:44:27 · answer #4 · answered by Drewpie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sr17 Blackbird
2016-12-15 08:02:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are other Test aircraft that the Air Force hs contracted to be researched in hopes that they will one day replace the SR-71. As far as the specs of the test planes and the testing sites, that is classified to a level that even people in the White House don't have access to.
2006-10-19 14:55:44 · answer #6 · answered by fly4fun 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The SR-71 was used primarily as a spy plane. Advances in satellite technology have largely made this need obsolete. As for what 'secret' aircraft do we have now... if they were all over websites they wouldn't really be secrets, now would they?
2006-10-19 12:37:46 · answer #7 · answered by UNITool 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sorry as far as super stealthy hot rods are concerned there is nothing. Only that old reliable U-2/TR-1 is the current high flyer and will probably be replaced by some damn drone. The days of SR-71 like planes are over as satellites and stealthy slow drones have taken over the job. The old days there gone forever!
2006-10-20 06:39:23 · answer #8 · answered by brian L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to see something sad,go to the Intrepid Air Museum in New York.They've got a Blackbird sitting on the flight deck.Its got chunks of paint missing,and broken windows.I nearly cried when I saw it.
I saw one at Mildenhall airshow,years ago,beautiful
Satellites are not a substitute,it takes time to reposition them for the new "global threat"most are pointing at the former Eastern block
NASA still uses a couple of Blackbirds for high speed testing,and they are still the fastest plane around
2006-10-19 20:47:06 · answer #9 · answered by salforddude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
like the government is going to tell the world...
the SR-71's information is almost all confidential, 85k feet and mach 3 is just how fast they say it goes... there the gov. they say anything (right and wrong)
2006-10-19 16:32:47 · answer #10 · answered by predhead33 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Secret" means you don't know because we don't want you to know. But, if you want, watch The History Channels or The Military Channels. They love to give away national secrets the first chance they get! God Bless you.
2006-10-19 12:44:04 · answer #11 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋