$67 Million Stealth Bird: Boeing YF-118G Takes Flight

The Boeing YF-118G 'Bird of Prey' was a technology demonstrator designed to showcase low-observable aircraft capabilities, built at a cost of $67 million.

Developed secretly in the 1990s, the Bird of Prey flew 38 times between late 1996 and 1999, reaching speeds of up to 300 miles per hour.

The single Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5C turbofan engine produced about 3,190 pounds of thrust, with a ceiling near 20,000 feet. The plane's unique design featured 'gapless' control surfaces and a tailless configuration, which eliminated major radar returns.

Despite its unconventional appearance, the Bird of Prey was not designed for combat but rather to test new stealth shaping and manufacturing methods that would be applied to future frontline service.