is it possible for stealth aircraft to at will shut off their stealth, for example, if demo. or flyby?

Answer 1

Stealth aircraft are only stealth to radar, not visibly stealth.
Even our top brass dont know everything about the operating procedures, and they will vary between models. If information like this was available it would render them only as useful as a regular aircraft of the same performance.
What is known is that stealth aircraft are not stealth when they are on display, they have been modified in some way so that the radar signature is not the same as they would use in combat, because even though they may be stealthy, if you get close enough they will always show up on radar, and you can use that information to determine ways to defeat it.
Sounds far fetched, but we had a device that uses the magnetic induction from a telephone line to listen in without tapping the wire, if we can do that we could easily create a device that would project a wide band of the microwave spectrum and record which bands return.
We do know for sure that the B-2 has a boom that extends from the rear to modify the radar signature, and there are at least a few pictures of F-117, B-2, B-1, and F-22 towing decoys, whether or not these were tests or can be used operationally are not known. Dont count on them being declassified before either of us are collecting social security, these aircraft will be around for decades.
Something interesting that I can tell you is that we have special procedures whenever operating around allied aircraft, mainly the French. I have two air force colonels in my family and they told me that whenever we have war games they were ordered to turn off any sophisticated piece of equipment because our allies would record the frequencies and operating techniques and sell them to our enemies.
I imagine thats one of the main reasons we mask the signatures of our aircraft.
And like the other guy said, they can turn on their transponder, which is far far more effective that even towing a decoy, it allows an aircraft to be detected much much farther away than by primary radar alone. Transponders are by far the most valuable way of tracking aircraft, they even allow other aircraft to detect each other using very cheap basic equipment instead of carrying a radar around. Even a Cessna 172 has the capability now. Larger aircraft have a system called TCAS which will actually detect if there is a collision hazard and will synchronize with the other aircraft's TCAS and will make a decision as to what each aircraft should do, then both aircraft will automatically execute a smooth maneuver to avoid each other.

Answer 2

thinking outside the box, yes in way it is possible to not shut off stealth but to compromise its stealth. They cannot flick a switch and have it bee seen or not seen. The F-22 for example is a stealth aircraft until four things compromise it. 1, when they fire a missile, the weapons door is opened exposing massive radar reflective components therefore compromising its stealth. 2, when the F-22 is being refueled in mid-air, the UARRSI(refuel port) creates a radar reflective zone on the aircraft. 3, when on long distance missions or loitering, they have drop tanks which are not a stealth component. Until those tanks are dropped, stealth is compromised. And 4, when taking off or landing, there are flaps, and landing gear that are excellent radar reflecting angles.

Answer 3

I presume that by stealth, you mean radar stealth. Radar stealth is the attempt to bring the radar signature of the airframe less than the minimum detectable signal of the probing radar.

The radar signature can be increased if you expose a non-stealthy part like the landing gear or weapons bay shutters to the seeking radar. So extending the landing gear maybe thought of as "shutting of stealth".

If you got this doubt after watching a movie, then the "Stealth Mode" is probably the activation of Emission Control (EMCON), which means there are no active electromagnetic transmissions from the aircraft. "Stealth Mode" (at the flick of a switch) is more glamorous than the drab "EMCON" reality.

Answer 4

All they have to do to render themselves easily detectable is switch on their transponder. The current stealth aircraft are not the first to be hard to detect in their day, the F-105 Thunderchief was hard to detect on radar so they put a radar reflector on the landing gear so it could be tracked during the approach.

Stealth is built in to the geometry of the aircraft and the materials it is constructed from, that you can not switch off. Aircraft like the F-117 and F-22 do have more radar cross section when they open bays and deploy their landing gear.

Answer 5

Stealth Fighter F117 and also the B2 have radar reflectors they can deploy. These are normally used so that they and tanker aircraft can meet. These are certainly used while flying in civilian airspace for training missions.

Answer 6

Stealth is not invisibility it just means that they are hard to detect by radar because of the design of the aircraft and the material used.

Answer 7

they are not invisible, so you can see them well when on airf shows, /considering the stealth planes participate there/ they are only "invisible" to the radar. the most effective way to "cancel" their stealth ability is switching their trnsponder on, or using a corner shaped radar waves reflector, mounted in a aerodanymic coating.

Answer 8

It's not Star Trek. If one flies past you you'll see it.

The design makes it difficult for radar to get an accurate return from them.

Answer 9

Transponder on... stealth gone... they are actually very large and black, easy to see if you are looking skyward when one flies by...

Answer 10

THEY'RE INVISIBLE TO RADAR,NOT THE REST OF THE WORLD. IF IT FLIES BY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT.