Boeing Bird of Prey Demonstrator

[Hansblix]

I love how many images there are of every classified aircraft we know of, before declassification, taken midday and from a lower altitude.

 

[Sundog]

I love how many images there are of every classified aircraft we know of, before declassification, taken midday and from a lower altitude.

All aircraft are first flown in daylight JIC there's an emergency. I'm not sure why this is so surprising. They know if anyone is watching out at the test ranges, so they just schedule accordingly.

 

[Whisperstream]

All aircraft are first flown in daylight JIC there's an emergency. I'm not sure why this is so surprising.

Amen, brother. Making the maiden flight in daylight is generally necessary from a safety standpoint as well as for engineering documentation. The F-117A, which was specifically designed to operate in darkness, didn't start doing nighttime test sorties until its basic flight characteristics and handling qualities had been verified. That said, the "RQ-180" made "the only nighttime first flight in the history of aviation" as an extra security measure to prevent unauthorized persons from seeing the aircraft.

 

[Hansblix]

"the only nighttime first flight in the history of aviation"

Exactly. That is hilarious.

Y'all need to lighten up!

 

[Scott Kenny]

There has been nothing definitive published, of course.
But it can be reasonably inferred that the signature is significantly lower. According to people familiar with the program, the visual signature became dominant - it could be seen with the eyeball before it could be seen using radar. The visual signature was then reduced by several means, and this was one of the primary goals of the project.

Ho Lee Fook! That's a ghost and a half!