Stealth Pioneer: Boeing's Secret Bird of Prey Takes Flight

The Boeing Bird of Prey was a secret stealth jet project that took off in 1996 from a classified airfield in Nevada. Developed by McDonnell Douglas's Phantom Works division, which later became part of Boeing, the aircraft was designed to test new manufacturing methods and stealth technologies.

Funded privately for around $67 million over six years, the Bird of Prey had its first flight in autumn 1996 and completed a total of 38 test flights. It was named after the Klingon warship from Star Trek, and its creators aimed to prove that stealth technology could be achieved without sharp facets.

However, the Bird of Prey's lasting legacy wasn't its radar signature but rather its innovative manufacturing techniques. The project pioneered large single-piece composite structures, cheap disposable tooling, and designing assembly in a three-dimensional virtual-reality model before cutting metal. These methods have since become industry standard.