Take it easy…this is just an artist's rendition! You'll get to see the actual photos soon enough. (Artist concept courtesy of Boeing)
Boeing announced today that the Phantom Ray, a stealthy, unmanned combat aircraft, will soon travel on the back of a NASA 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA). Previously reserved for carrying the Space Shuttle after landings at places other than Kennedy Space Center, the SCA will transport a non-shuttle vehicle for the first time since its launch in 1977.
The Phantom Ray’s first flight is expected to take place in December of this year. Having been rolled out in St. Louis, Missouri, the aircraft needs to be transported to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and they unfortunately cannot drive the 50-foot wide plane across the country.
The date of this flight has not yet been announced, but reports say it will be in the coming months.
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