This Futuristic Stealth Aircraft Got Its Name Straight From Star Trek – SlashGear

After failing for several years to secure contracts from the U.S. Air Force to develop and build new fighter jets, aerospace contractor McDonnell-Douglas decided to think outside the box. This resulted in the YF-118G, a plane intended to be cheap to build by incorporating pre-existing parts like its engine and landing gear. McDonnell-Douglas also used computer models and 3D rendering during development to lower production costs. The main draw of the YF-118G that set it apart, however, was its focus on stealth.

The YF-118G’s design helped reduce its size and look significantly on radar. Supposedly, the radar cross section of the YF-118G was tiny as a bug. The YF-118G was also able to hide from infrared thanks to the placement of its engine deep in the fuselage. It was also painted  to make it harder to identify even in broad daylight.

All of these advanced techniques to make the YF-118G nearly invisible, earning it an appropriate name from “Star Trek”: the Bird of Prey. In the sci-fi franchise, Birds-of-Prey were antagonistic warships used by both the Romulan and Klingon Empires that employed futuristic cloaking technology. (The Romulan Bird-of-Prey first appeared in “The Original Series” in 1966 and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey debuted in 1984’s “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.”) The Birds-of-Prey, many of which had actual feather designs painted on their underbellies, would shimmer and literally vanish by engaging their cloaking device. While the YF-118G couldn’t quite achieve the same, its stealth design was certainly worthy of the Bird of Prey name.