The forward flaps on Starhip act similarly to a tailplane, reducing the fuel needed for reentry and allowing landing at destinations outside Earth. The forward flaps face intense heat exposure ...
The tailplane was trial assembled with some skins already re-fitted. The wings were still a major job, being cleaned up and put back together and the center section was partly dismantled.
But the sacrifice of a traditional tailplane produces a significantly reduced radar cross-section. The aircraft believed to potentially be the H-20 stealth bomber was flying higher, and its ...