The Case of the Stealthy Franken Hornet

a reply to: gfad

Foxtrot Alpha put up a second set of pictures. It sure looks like its not a wrapped fuselage and not a partially taken apart stealthed Super Hornet. Whatever it is seems to have used parts of an Super Hornet, but isn't really a super hornet.

So, mockup? Or test article? Oder was?

Just a question here, would those tails be remade completely?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
There have been several attempts to stealth up legacy aircraft over the last few years. They usually flop for various reasons.

Stealthy A-6 anyone....

What genius thought that was a good idea?

a reply to: spaceman42

The same one that thought an aircraft with lots of large flat sides and right angles could be made stealthy cheaply.

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: gfad

Foxtrot Alpha put up a second set of pictures. It sure looks like its not a wrapped fuselage and not a partially taken apart stealthed Super Hornet. Whatever it is seems to have used parts of an Super Hornet, but isn't really a super hornet.

So, mockup? Or test article? Oder was?

Aerdoynamic lifting body. meant to be dropped at high speed and to glide in a straight line.

a reply to: yuppa

I thought it looked like a lifting body when I saw the first set of pix.

Now that I've seen the second set, it bugs me that I swear I've seen this somewhere as a drawing. With two swept back wings. I just can't place where. It looks a bit like the Chinese bomber pix that were running around, but that had the inlets on the top and the nose was wrong.

Sort of like a stub nose, wingless version of this:



Either way, it must have been a failed attempt at something if it's anything at all otherwise it wouldn't be at AMARG wrapped in plastic.

Still failing to see what makes this anything other than a RCS test article as was already acknowledged?

a reply to: _Del_

Acknowledged by who?

An RCS test object of a previously unknown aircraft (i.e. grey if not black) would still be a great find!

originally posted by: gfad
a reply to: _Del_

Acknowledged by who?

An RCS test object of a previously unknown aircraft (i.e. grey if not black) would still be a great find!

By Boeing, if you read the Bill Sweetman article...

Look Boeing tested Confrontational Fuel Tanks and a stealthy pod pod for the F-18 E/F . They would have no doubt tested those in a wind tunnel. This could have been that model.

If it were a black air frame I doubt they would have left it out in the open.

a reply to: FredT

I too doubt that this was left out in the open intentionally or by mistake if it were a black project.

To me this just looks like an F/A-18 without its wings or nose in long term protective shrink wrap. It's very common for the transpo guys to put cones over the intakes and turkey feathers as to not tear the plastic. It's also not uncommon to remove the wings and nose for fitting inside a container or on a truck, especially if those sections are damaged.

The boxes beside the fuselage are the associated parts required to reassemble it.

The "delta"ness of the nose can easily be explained by a mold to keep the plastic off the intakes and strange angles on that particular part of the aircraft.

Here are some pictures to show what I mean.


Notice the F-15 has a frame protecting the plastic from the intakes et al.


I'm not seeing a stealth aircraft here. Just a damaged Hornet that's being kept around for parts.

originally posted by: FredT
Look Boeing tested Confrontational Fuel Tanks and a stealthy pod pod for the F-18 E/F . They would have no doubt tested those in a wind tunnel. This could have been that model.

If it were a black air frame I doubt they would have left it out in the open.

First, I can't resist.

Confrontational Fuel Tank. "I will not hang on the side of that ugly plane".

There is no way in hell you are sticking that hose in me, whether you think I need it or not"

Second, I love auto correct.

a reply to: aholic


Great points and that's what I thought first, as well, but I immediately remembered back to the Aviation Week article from early last year (2014) that show photos taken of it from outside the fence line, without the shrink wrap... And without the protective shrink wrapping, it shows parts of the stealth front nose cone, and other stealth aero treatments.

a reply to: weavty1

Does anyone have pics of this? If it would change my mind I would love to see them.

a reply to: aholic

Here's a scan of the aviation week article (I didn't copy it, just linking to someone else who did):
i.kinja-img.com...

I would tend to agree with you that this was likely just a normal airframe with its nosecone removed BUT we know from the unwrapped pics that it's not just a normal airframe.

a reply to: gfad

It's tough to tell from that picture, thanks for sharing btw, if it's a stealth rcs model or not. I'm not seeing the serrated edges they mention in the writing and the exhaust caps to me look like transportation caps. Can anyone here help me out and explain how what we see in the picture relates to chevron exhaust nozzles? Or any stealth feature. I'm having a hard time seeing it.

I love the idea of a stealth hornet by the way. I've seen some amazing renders and concepts, I'll have to post soon.

a reply to: aholic

When I think of a stealth bug...

a reply to: aholic

Nice work. If you blended the sides of the fuselage into the wings a little more you'd have some good weapons bays and less sharp edges.

Just an update for everyone, but here's probably the closest pic of this beast, to date...



Source: Jim Goodall


Caption: "This is the RCS test fixture that was used by Boeing to evaluate making the F/A-18E/F weapons pylons and tail assembly to have a smaller RCS. I wish I could have shot it before it was covered with Spraylat."