How are Stealth Airplanes Made Stealthy?
Stealth airplanes are aircraft with special design features that make them less detectable visually, thermally, audibly, and on radar. They are not invisible by any means, but they are far less identifiable than conventional aircraft. Stealth aircraft are part of a continuous race between stealth technology and detection technology in warfare. Stealth airplanes were initially developed by Lockheed in the Have Blue prototype project. The first two stealth airplanes flew between 1977 and 1979. The design approach of the aircraft was unique in that it centered around the engineering goal of reflecting radar waves away perpendicularly, rather than making the aircraft aerodynamic. Reflecting away radar waves is necessary to avoid bouncing radar waves back for the enemy to detect on the ground. Stealth airplanes are not designed for speed or maneuverability, but rather for stealth. Both early prototypes crashed because of their poor stability. Though usually painted black, this is not the op
