TR-3A Black Manta

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The TR-3A Black Manta is reputedly a United States Air Force spyplane. It is allegedly a black program, and its existence is officially denied.

The TR-3A is claimed to be a subsonic stealth spyplane with a flying-wing design of some sort. It was alleged to have been used in the Gulf War to provide laser designation for F-117A Nighthawk fighters (attack bombers), for targeting to use with laser-guided bombs (smart bombs). The TR-3A is supposedly manufactured by Northrop.

Because there is no hard evidence of the involvement of any other stealth aircraft in the Gulf War, another hypothesis has arisen. This holds that whatever vehicle has been identified as the "TR-3" is nothing more than a prototype for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.

On September 4, 2006 the American Chronicle published a picture taken by Mr Keith Saint of England [1] reportedly showing the aircraft in a high bank as seen through light cloud. The article description includes performance claims that are substantially beyond what has been suggested up to this time, possibly due to confusion with another speculated aircraft, the SR-91 Aurora. As might be expected, this picture has not yet been authenticated.

[edit] References

"TR-3A Evolved From Classified Prototypes, Based on Tactical Penatrator Concept" Aviation Week and Space Technology, June 10, 1991. p 20-21
“Triangular Recon Aircraft May be Supporting F-117A” AW&ST, June 10, 1991. p 20. William Scott
"America's New Secret Aircraft" Popular Mechanics, December 1991. p. 32-5. Gregory T. Pope
"Possible Black Aircraft Seen Flying In Formation with F-117As KC-135s." Aviation Week, March 9, 1992. p. 66-67
Popular Science, March 1993
"Stealth Watchers" Wired, Issue 2.02 Feb 1994. Phil Patton (article)

[edit] External links

Federation of American Scientists: Mystery - TR-3A
Electronic Frontier Foundation: Stealth Watchers (Phil Patton) Wired Ventures 1993

[edit] See also

SR-91 Aurora
SR-71 Blackbird
TR-1A Dragonlady
Quartz (spyplane) a cancelled in 1991 CIA spyplane project follow-up to the SR-71
ISINGLASS a cancelled in 1960s USAF atomospheric suborbital skip spyplane
TR-3B Astra a UFOlogist speculated USAF spyplane