Unveiling the Shadows: The Secret Aircraft Projects That ‘Don’t Exist’

In the realm of aviation, there are aircraft that, according to the United States government, simply “don’t exist.” These are the Air Force’s most clandestine or hushed-up black projects, the ones they’d rather you didn’t know about. They range from supersonic fighter jets to experimental engines with unprecedented power, state-of-the-art drones, and even some rather outlandish concepts like Nazi UFOs.

The first of these black projects was the U-2 spy plane, which is still in service today. It provides day and night, high-altitude (70,000 feet, or 21,300 meters) spy missions for those times when satellites just aren’t quick enough. Following the U-2 came the very first stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk. Famously used in the first Gulf War, this aircraft remained a secret for nearly a decade thanks to its radar-deflecting design and impossible flight surfaces. It has since been retired, replaced by another aircraft that we’ll discuss later.

The technology used in the Nighthawk was then applied to the B-2 stealth bomber, which today is most famous for its appearances at football games. Next up is the very famous SR-71 Blackbird. When it was in operation, it was the stuff of science fiction. Built from titanium, it could fly faster than any other aircraft, was impossible to shoot down, and performed missions that the U-2 couldn’t handle. The project was so successful that a drone version and a fighter jet version were proposed. The latter, called the YF-12, would have been capable of the same speeds and able to intercept any Soviet bombers long before they reached the United States or strike deep within Russia itself without being shot down.

Now, let’s turn our attention to those aircraft that have never been publicly revealed and potentially might not even be real. Few people know about the SR-71 Blackbird’s rival secret project, the Convair Kingfish. This was a spy plane that could fly at Mach 3.2 at over 90,000 feet. Convair was also working on designs that could fly faster and higher than the Blackbird, beat anything that the Russians threw at it, and could even be used to deploy then-undeveloped supersonic nuclear weapons. However, Convair was passed over because, unlike Lockheed’s excellent proven ability with the U-2, Convair had blown its budget with its B-58 bomber and lacked a secure research and development facility like the Lockheed Skunk Works.

Next, we have the SR-72, also known as the son of the Blackbird or sometimes, like in the latest Top Gun Maverick film, the Darkstar. This aircraft, potentially already flying over our heads at hypersonic speeds beyond Mach 7, represents the future of spy plane technology. It can cross the hemisphere in one hour, enter any country unnoticed, and be out before their jets can even get into the sky. This future plane doesn’t need a pilot, flies twice as fast as the original SR-71 Blackbird, and further development has rumored that it could be equipped with hypersonic missiles.

But if you thought that the SR-72 was wild, wait till you hear about the Aurora. Beyond Mach 6, flying at 135,000 feet, is a spy plane with a new type of engine. It’s called the pulse wave detonation engine, and it leaves a very unique contrail that you might have seen.

This pulse detonation engine operates on the supersonic detonation of fuel. Because the combustion takes place so rapidly, the charge of fuel and air mix does not have time to expand during this process, so it takes place under almost constant volume, far more efficiently, meaning greater speed, more range, and harder to spot.

Now, let’s get a bit more grounded and talk about the projects that we know are 100% under development. The first is the B-21 Raider, the future face of the American bomber fleet. This next-generation bomber will replace the B-2 and uses similar stealth technologies as part of the Long Range Strike Bomber program. It is to be a very advanced, very long-range, large, heavy payload, stealth intercontinental strategic bomber for the U.S Air Force, able to deliver conventional and thermonuclear weapons.

Finally, there’s the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel and the US Air Force RQ-180 stealth drone. The former was revealed to the world in 2017 in Afghanistan and was shot down by Iran in 2011. The latter has been spotted in Asia flying training missions near China and is quite capable as the next big thing in spy technologies.

In conclusion, the world of aviation is filled with secrets and mysteries. Some aircraft are known to us, while others are shrouded in secrecy. Whether they are real or not, these black projects represent the pinnacle of human ingenuity and technological advancement. They push the boundaries of what is possible and continue to shape the future of aviation.