A stealthy shadow for USAFE

[Spinners 15,984]

Boeing A-15C Shadow - 53rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, USAFE, 2007

 

In 1992 the McDonnell Douglas Phantom Works Division (for special projects and located at Area 51) began the development of what was intended to be a stealth technology demonstator. The project soon became known as the 'Bird of Prey' (a reference to the Klingon warship from the Star Trek television series) and progressed smoothly and efficiently leading to a successful first flight in September 1996. Costs were substantially reduced by using an off-the-shelf Pratt & Whitney JT15D turbofan engine and manual hydraulic controls instead of fly-by-wire controls and initial testing soon demonstrated that the design had considerable operational potential.

 

In 1997, immediately after the Boeing–McDonnell Douglas merger, Boeing Integrated Defence Systems was asked to produce a short production run of 60 operational 'Bird of Prey' aircraft. This was planned as a larger machine optimised for the tactical attack mission and using computerised controls with off-the-shelf avionics. The chosen powerplant was the General Elecric F414 non-afterburning turbofan engine developed from the F404 and originally intended for the cancelled McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger. 

 

The project was still officially a 'Black Project' and continued to be known as the 'Bird of Prey' until it was finally announced to the world in August 1999 as the A-15C 'Shadow' with no official reasons given as to what (or where) the A-15A and A-15B were. Entering service with the 410th Flight Test Squadron in Mojave in May 2002 the A-15C eventually equipped a three-squadron wing based at Spangdahlem from 2004 until the present day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Race 0]

WOW!!!!!

[jborelli 0]

That looks totally cool