May 17, 2013 at 10:53 pm
With the introduction (either in prototype or production form) by several nations of aircraft that have stealth characteristics in terms of radar detection, how long will it be until the advent of visual stealth al la James Bonds Aston Martin Vanquish…or “Vanish” as “Q” terms it…comes to pass? The technology to conceal a tank by creating an optical illusion through the use of cameras and special surfaces has already been demostrated but I doubt the technology behind it could cope with an aircraft moving a supersonic or even high subsonic speed. This would however:
1). Offer an advantage to an aircraft during a visual fight…providing heat sources can also be concealed of course.
2). Prove highly useful to ground attack aircraft in such low intensity conflicts as Afghanistan. An insurgent may hear the aircraft but wouldn’t see it until rocket/bomb release, or imagine how effective an invisible AH-64/Mi-28 would prove to be (again so long as heat sources could be concealed)
Just a thought.