Boeing's $67 Million Stealth Experiment: The YF-118G 'Bird of Prey'

Boeing spent a whopping $67 million of its own money on a stealth technology demonstrator called the YF-118G 'Bird of Prey'. The aircraft, which flew from 1996 to 1999, was designed to test methods for making aircraft less observable both visually and to radar. Its unusual beak-like nose and tiny wings were part of an experiment in balancing aerodynamic performance with a small radar signature.

The Bird of Prey was not built to dogfight or reach supersonic speeds, but rather to explore stealth technology. It was powered by a commercially available business-jet engine and had a cruising speed of around 300 mph. The aircraft's design relied heavily on existing technology, with parts adapted from other aircraft such as the Beech King Air and Queen Air.

Boeing financed the program as a private venture, using its own money to develop and demonstrate technologies that could later be applied to larger military programs. The result was a 47-foot-long aircraft with a wingspan of about 23 feet and a weight of roughly 7,400 pounds. Although the $67 million cost may seem exorbitant, it was reportedly less than the cost of two Boeing 737s at the time.