20080410

My how Stealth has changed in 20 years


DSC06729, originally uploaded by PlaneJared.

In 1978 Northrup engineer's started to work on 'Stealth' as an idea to allow aircraft to fly places that other people (i.e. the Russian's) didn't want our planes to go.

Usually those no fly zones were strictly enforced with AAA and SAM's - as shown by the Vietnam War. And Air Force planners wanted to limit the chances of the opposition to harm their pilots and their pretty planes.

This was their first attempt. Northrup's Tacit Blue aka the Whale. It is currently on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH.

If you go to the Museum page for the Whale, and click on the More pictures, you can see a better look at the wings and tail surfaces. The canted tail surfaces have carried through to the F-117 and the F-22. The JSF (aka F-35) has canted surfaces - just not as dramatic.

And then there is the B-2 - that decided they didn't need a tail at all. But it shares the curves that the Whale tested.

When I first saw this plane - it was parked over in the main building - under the wing of the XB-70 Valkyrie. And at first glance - all I could think of - is a Star Trek Shuttlecraft.