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A formerly top secret, bat-winged stealth jet has taken the aviation world by surprise, after a low key unveiling in St Louis, Missouri. It may look like it flew straight off the screen of a sci-fi movie, but the Bird of Prey is no flight of fancy - it could translate into serious business for its makers, aerospace giant Boeing. "Here we have an example of a classic 'black' program: an aircraft which has been built and flight tested for a number of years - and no one outside the program knew about it," says Nick Cook, aerospace consultant to Janes Defense Weekly. Other highly classified aircraft that have ultimately been revealed included the U-2 and Blackbird spy planes and the B-2 stealth bomber. The Bird of Prey cost $67 million and is the product of Boeing's advanced research and development division, the Phantom Works. It first flew in 1996 and is said to have demonstrated a range of stealth and production technologies. Agile and stealthy It is a single seat, single engine design and with a reported maximum altitude of 6100 meters (20,000 feet). Its top speed is a relatively sedate 480 km/h (300 mph). The aircraft has been revealed but the stealth technologies remain secret (Image: Boeing) The unconventional configuration of the Bird of Prey suggests it has been designed to be highly agile and stealthy. But even though the aircraft itself has been revealed to the public, the stealth systems designed to suppress acoustic, infra-red, radar and even visual signatures are likely to be as highly classified as ever. Sources suggest they may include active camouflage systems to reduce visibility by using panels or coatings that change color or luminosity. This could allow safe combat missions in daylight, rather than being restricted to night flying. "And that would represent a revolutionary milestone in aerial warfare," says Cook. It is known that such technologies have been studied for several years, most probably at the remote test site in the Nevada desert near Groom Lake, better known as Area 51. This was also the probable location for the Bird of Prey's 38 test flights.
