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.
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