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In June of 2020, a strange-looking aircraft covered in mirrors was spotted
flying over the Mojave Desert. Reflecting light, the aircraft was accompanied by two more aircraft,
and they were performing a long series of unknown tests.
The mysterious vehicle was Scaled Composite's Model 401, a small jet-engined aircraft
with composite materials and a 38-foot wingspan.
From its very first flight in 2017, several experts have pondered the true
reasons behind the development of such an unusual apparatus.
But as it turned out, the unique vehicle was not designed from scratch and appears
to be a direct descendant of one of the most innovative aerospace designs of the 1980s…
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Mystery Aircraft
American aerospace company Scaled Composites, based in Mojave, California,
is known around the world for its unconventional designs and use of non-metal composite materials.
Amongst Scaled Composite's illustrious list of creations is SpaceShipOne
and the Stratolaunch mega plane, the aircraft that continues to hold
the claim as the world's largest aircraft by wingspan since 2019.
However, two years before, and amidst the fanfare behind the Stratolauncher,
Scale quietly began production on another major experimental aircraft.
Flown for the first time in October of 2017, the mysterious aircraft, designated Model 401 Sierra
project, is still so secretive that details on the specifics of its purpose or background are scarce.
According to a Scaled Composites press release, the model’s development took
only 24 months from the initial concept to the prototype’s first flight in October of 2017.
A short video on their website depicts the taking off and landing of a small single-engine jet
with a single-seat cockpit under a bubble canopy and a wingspan of only 38 feet.
The aircraft, made from composite materials, uses a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5D
engine, producing 3,045 pounds of thrust and allowing the experimental aircraft to
be aloft for up to three hours, fly up to 30,000 feet, and reach a speed of Mach 0.6.
Still, most of the fine details are the subject of speculation,
and no customer has yet been identified behind the creation of the project.
According to Scaled Composite, the purpose of the aircraft is: [QUOTE]
"To demonstrate advanced, low-cost manufacturing techniques and to provide aircraft for research
flight services to industry partners and the United States government."
Sons of a Legend
In April of 2018, a coincidental discovery led to more clarity regarding
the 401 aircraft and also confirmed the existence of two model demonstrators.
During an experimental aircraft fly-in at Mojave Air and Space Port,
aeronautics author Scott Lowe was inspecting a 30-year-old Scaled Composite aircraft named ARES
when he was shocked by a small sticker glued on the plane.
Located just below a chemtrail tank inscription was a "world's greatest dad" sticker,
with the aircraft's silhouette accompanied by two other outlines of a plane he recognized:
the Model 401 demonstrator aircraft.
A series of candid photographs taken at Mojave Air And Space Port
also seemed to confirm the rumors, as one of the people working on the jet
wore a shirt with a large slogan that read Son of ARES on top and Phobos Deimos on the bottom,
referencing the names of the God of War's sons according to Greek mythology.
ARES
Scaled Composites developed the Agile Responsive Effective Support or ARES
in response to a US Army request for a Low-Cost Battlefield Attack Aircraft.
A full-scale proof of concept demonstrator, the aircraft was designed to be capable
of flying low altitude anti-tank battlefield support with long endurance.
Designed in the 1980s by Scaled Composites, the engineering team
included legendary aircraft designer and the company founder, Burt Rutan.
The aircraft first flew in the following decade and was a bizarre yet innovative vehicle
complete with twin tail booms, canard foreplanes, and sculpted, refined lines.
It was essentially a flying machine gun, carrying a GAU-12
25-millimeter cannon on one side and a semi-recessed air inlet on the other.
What’s more, its developers claimed that ARES could be rearranged to carry
a wide variety of additional armaments, including rockets and guided munitions.
Also, a Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D turbofan provided enough thrust to make the jet fly up
to 460 miles per hour. This engine was also the derivative father of the Model 401's.
While it is believed that ARES was never considered by the Department
of Defense to go into production, the flying machine gun performed well during testing.
Then, near the end of the millennium, ARES was put in storage,
where it remained for almost a decade until it was repaired to work as a flying testbed. And
although the aircraft still exists, the pint-sized jet has undergone several extreme modifications.
Mystery Tests
Only 18 months after its initial flight in April of 2019, Scaled Composites Model
401 flew from the company's headquarters in Mojave, California, to the Naval Air Station
Patuxent River in Maryland, the United States Navy's premier aerospace testbed.
This cross-country flight proved that the aircraft had matured enough to
begin its testing phase in the prestigious base.
On the day of the flight, Project Engineer Aaron Casebeer stated: [QUOTE] "Scaled is at the
forefront of experimental aircraft development, and I am fortunate enough to have a front row
seat [...] We had a great flight and we are looking forward to the future test program."
Since then, the two model aircraft have taken part in many strange tests in different testbeds
that only add to the mystery of the Sons of ARES project.
In June of 2020, the aircraft flew over and near the United States Navy Naval Air Weapons
Station China Lake range complex in the Mojave desert, joined by a NASA-owned F-15D Eagle
carrying a large pod and a Scaled Composites Proteus endurance aircraft, Model 401.
According to plane trackers and local observers, the Sons of ARES aircraft
flew together on separate flights, with a KC-10 nearby to provide fuel for the NASA aircraft.
Not a week later, one of the mysterious Model 401
Son of ARES jets was spotted flying while covered in reflective mirror material.
While the photos do not reveal if the aircraft is covered in mirrors on both sides,
the materials only made the already alien-looking plane more exotic.
Experts have tried to deduce the reason behind the mirrors,
and one of them points to supporting the laster testing.
Still, it could be possible that the aforementioned pod hanging under the
accompanying aircraft might be a camera to record
the reflection of secretive laser systems with mirrors.
Flying With Dad
In December of 2020, the ARES jet, now over 30 years old,
was spotted flying alongside its successors, the Phobos Deimos 401 Models.
In addition to sporting a reflective metallic-like surface coating,
the ARES jet also had other modifications, including antennas on its lower fuselage
and a Radio Direction Finder antenna on its spine.
These modifications, as well as the coating, may confirm that the 401 aircraft are involved in
testing exercises related to aircraft signatures against a secret sensor system. More importantly,
there’s a chance ARES could even become a grandfather.
In September of 2021, Northrop Grumman, the owner of Scaled Composites,
unveiled their newest aircraft design: Model 437.
An unmanned aircraft derived from the stealthy Model 401,
the aircraft is intended to work in teams with manned platforms.
This design seems to prove that whatever the technology on the Model 401 is, it is proving
to be highly effective with the Scaled Composites team. And when the customer behind the aircraft
is revealed, it will undoubtedly provide plenty of answers about the technological breakthrough.
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