The Schweizer RU-38B Twin Condor – A Shadowy Surveillance Aircraft Lost to History
Operated in the early 2000s by the United States Department of Justice, the unusual Schweizer RU-38B was a covert reconnaissance aircraft based on a motor glider. The unique design enabled flight at low airspeeds and low power settings. This produced an extremely low noise signature, making it particularly well-suited for covert missions in which the aircraft needed to remain undetected by subjects on the ground.
The first examples of the RU-38 were powered by piston engines and designated RU-38A. These were tested by the US Air Force and operated briefly by the US Coast Guard. Only two to four total examples of the unusual aircraft were built, and their fate remains unknown.
Topics Related To: AVIATION HISTORY
Beechcraft Targets US Navy with New Jet Trainer
Textron Aviation partners with Leonardo to offer the Beechcraft M-346N to the US Navy as an advanced jet trainer solution.
The Four-Engine Cessna 620 Business Aircraft: Left Behind by the Business Jet
How Cessna nearly entered the business aviation market with a four-engine, propeller-driven, eight-passenger airplane.
Flight Training, Army Style – How the US Army Molds Soldiers into Pilots
How the US Army approaches flight training and develops their flight instructors.
