NORTHROP TACIT BLUE

The Northrop Tacit Blue was a US-made experimental aircraft from the Cold War period. The drive was provided by two turbofan engines Allied-Signal (Garrett) ATF3-6. The first flight of this machine took place in February 1982 - the machine never entered mass production. It also did not have any on-board weapons. Originally, Northrop Tacit Blue was developed as part of the Pave Mover program to create a battlefield surveillance aircraft and a radar flying machine. As part of this program, the E-8 Joint STARS aircraft entered the line. However, Northrop used the Tacit Blue machine for tests and experiments with stealth technology, which research was largely used in the construction of the B-2 Spirit, and later also the Lockheed F-22 Raptor. Its last Northrop Tacit Blue flight was on February 14, 1985. It is currently on display at the Aviation Museum in Riverside.