‘Secret’ Airplane Stops At FBO

One of Scaled Composites' (formerly) most secretive projects was on full display at a Kentucky FBO over the weekend, on its way to NAS Paxutent River from Mojave. The stealthy model 401, one of two that are flying, stopped for fuel at Bowling Green in the middle of a clear day and the pilot wasn't shy about the striking plane having its picture taken. Even the customer for the aircraft hadn't been made public but the flight tracking services that plotted its route to Pax River are a dead giveaway.

The 401 has a dorsal air inlet, trapezoidal "Lambda" wings, chined edges and a big V-tail and was an attention getter at Bowling Green. What, exactly, the Navy plans to do with the plane is, of course, classified. The best guess, according to thedrive.com, is that it will be some sort of optionally manned surrogate for testing combat drones. The aircraft flew at a leisurely 230 knots for just under two hours to get from Bowling Green to the Navy base.