The Boeing Bird of Prey is a single-seat stealth technology demonstrator built in secret by Boeing's Phantom Works. Boeing paid the $67 million programme cost itself, and the one aircraft flew 38 times between 1996 and 1999 before the company revealed it in October 2002. Developed by Boeing (Phantom Works).
The Boeing Bird of Prey is a single-seat stealth technology demonstrator built in secret by Boeing's Phantom Works. Developed by Boeing (Phantom Works).
Photo: Juergen Schiffmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSee Specifications for full detail.
The Boeing Bird of Prey is a single-seat, single-engine stealth technology demonstrator built by Boeing's Phantom Works, the former McDonnell Douglas special projects division, in the United States. One was built. The programme ran from 1992 to 1999 at Area 51 in Nevada, the aircraft completed 38 flights from fall 1996, and Boeing, which paid the full $67 million cost, revealed it on 18 October 2002. [1] [2] [3]
It was subsonic, with a top speed of 260 knots and a ceiling of 20,000 ft, and it was built to test methods of design and construction. The Air Force museum credits it with testing ways to reduce visibility to the eye and to radar, and with validating large single-piece composite structures, virtual-reality design and assembly, and disposable tooling. Boeing says the X-45A unmanned combat air vehicle took its shape and inlet from the Bird of Prey. [1] [2]
McDonnell Douglas's Phantom Works began development in 1992 as a classified project at Area 51. McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997, and Phantom Works became part of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, which ran the programme until it ended in 1999. Boeing paid the full $67 million from its own funds. [3] [1]
The programme took its name from the Klingon Bird-of-Prey spacecraft in Star Trek, which the aircraft's planform resembled. Several parts were taken off the shelf to cut cost and speed up production: the engine was a commercial turbofan, the flight controls were manual hydraulics with no computer assistance, and the landing gear was adapted from Beech King Air and Queen Air aircraft. [2] [3]
The Bird of Prey was 46 ft 8 in (14.22 m) long with a wingspan of 22 ft 8 in (6.91 m), and its maximum takeoff weight was 7,400 lb (3,356 kg). It had no horizontal tailplane and no conventional rudder, and chines along the nose gave it lift in the way they do on the SR-71. The shape was stable enough to fly without computer correction. [3] [1]
The Air Force museum describes control surfaces that blend into the wings without gaps and an engine intake that is fully shielded from the front. The aircraft was designed and assembled using a 3-D virtual-reality system and low-cost disposable tooling, and its large single-piece composite structures were validated in flight. A single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan rated at 3,190 lbf gave the 260-knot top speed. [2] [1]
The first flight took place in fall 1996, and the programme completed 38 flights before it ended in 1999. The tests looked at ways to reduce the aircraft's visibility both to the eye and to radar. The aircraft stayed classified for another three years after its last flight. [1] [2]
Boeing's X-45A unmanned combat air vehicle drew directly on the Bird of Prey for its shape and inlet, according to the company's 2002 release. The Air Force museum adds that the same design techniques were used on Boeing's X-32 Joint Strike Fighter demonstrators. Boeing gave the reason for the reveal as the fact that the technologies had become industry standards. [1] [2]
Boeing unveiled the aircraft on 18 October 2002. The release quoted Jim Albaugh, then president and CEO of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, and George Muellner, senior vice president of Air Force Systems for the same division. [1]
Boeing donated the aircraft to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in 2002, and it went on display near Dayton, Ohio, on 16 July 2003. It was the only one built, so the museum's aircraft is the whole fleet. [2] [3]
The Boeing Bird of Prey has a top speed of 260 kn (299 mph / 482 km/h).
A total of 1 were built.
No, the Boeing Bird of Prey has been retired. It retired in 1999.
The Boeing Bird of Prey first flew on September 11th 1996.
The only Bird of Prey built survives, on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
The operator was Boeing.
The Bird of Prey last flew in 1999, so it cannot appear on Flightradar24. The only aircraft built is displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 260 kn (299 mph / 482 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | Not publicly disclosed |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | Not publicly disclosed |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | 20,000 ft |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Wingspan | 22 ft 8 in |
| Length | 46 ft 8 in |
| Height | 9 ft 3 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | MTOW: 7,400 lb |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 1 x Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C turbofan, 3,190 lbf (14.2 kN) |
| Crew | 1 (pilot) |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | None - technology demonstrator with no payload |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Boeing (Phantom Works) |
| Origin | United States |
| First Flight | September 11th 1996 |
| Service Entry | Never entered service |
| Retired | 1999 |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Unit Cost | $135M in 2026 dollars (CPI-adjusted, 1992-1999 programme cost) |
2 notable events involving the Bird of Prey, 2002 to 2003. Curated rather than exhaustive.
Boeing revealed the Bird of Prey after ten years of secrecy, saying its technologies had become industry standards.
The aircraft went on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio.
| Bird of Prey | The only aircraft built, a single-seat, single-engine demonstrator with a tailless blended-wing shape. It carried no weapons or payload and flew 38 times between 1996 and 1999. The $67 million programme cost covered the whole project, so it is also the unit cost. It is sometimes listed under the designation YF-118G, and it is now on display in Ohio. |
The only Bird of Prey built survives, on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
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