All it's missing is an active Stargate...

[Sealurk]

While it may be a few months old, and it's only tenuously linked to Stargate, this caught my eye.

It immediately put me in mind of Stargate SG-1's "Redemption, Part 2". It's amusing to see that another aspect of Stargate, no matter how minor, is actually closer to reality than we might think.

The real aircraft in question is the Phantom Ray, a demonstrator vehicle for a next generation Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, mounted on the back of a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

[maneth]

The Phantom Ray looks pretty sci-fi, I must admit!

[Snowman37]

Meh... it just reminds me of the Space Shuttle. Interestingly, in the SG-1 episode, the plane is inaccurately depicted. There's no strut for the forward half of the space shuttle.

[Skarmory]

wow, Stargate inspired? I'd like to believe.
The Phantom Ray can even be seen to have some similarities to the F-302, I think.

[Snowman37]

wow, Stargate inspired? I'd like to believe.
The Phantom Ray can even be seen to have some similarities to the F-302, I think.

Space Shuttle inspired, not Stargate inspired.

[Supergate106]

The Phantom Ray can even be seen to have some similarities to the F-302, I think.

[SaberBlade]

I've seen that movie. Superman shows up and saves the day.

I think it looks more like a B-2 Spirit, a compact and smaller version, rather than an F-302 but if you tinkered with the wings a bit, looks X-301'ish.

[Snowman37]

Movie? I was talking about real life...

[Camello of Abydos]

This is a rare case where the real one looks cooler. It has a cooler name too!

[Sealurk]

I'm with you there. To me, the F-302 always seemed a bit...clunky. Not as aerodynamic as I'd expect a cutting edge fighter spaceplane to be, what with the blunt, blocky nose and leading edges, that huge hood behind the cockpit etc.

Maybe inertial dampening hides a multitude of aerodynamic sins.

[SF_and_Coffee]

To be fair, in space one doesn't need to observe quite the same aerodynamic considerations as in atmosphere, but still...

And inertial dampening would be paramount.

[Starfist]

Thank you for posting the link Sealurk.
It was an interesting article to read.

It looke odd. The Phanto Ray a top the SCA.
Well they need to find a use for the 747/SCA as the shuttle program ends this year.
I am sure someone out there could 'tweek' the picture and add a Stargate...

The 302 may not be 'aero-dynamic'. But neither is the 'Bumble Bee' and they still fly...