The Mystery of the Miniature Stealth Fighter Jet

A few weeks ago Telstar Logistics took our junior executive-in-training to visit the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California.  While we were there, we noticed an odd machine tucked away in a remote part of the museum grounds.  It looked a lot like a miniature version of a F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. Hmmmmmm...

The aircraft was scaled perfectly for use by a child, but it was no mere plaything -- the attention to detail was extraordinary, and we couldn't help but notice that the landing gear struts looked fully functional. What was it? A remotely piloted test vehicle?  A radar cross-section test platform?  A prototype from the Lockheed ShrunkWorks? An escaped carnival ride? To provide some sense of scale, here's another photo of the mysterious plane, as it looked while our junior executive performed her own investigation:

Upon returning to our headquarters, some online sleuthing identified the likely creator of the unlikely machine: one Mr. Henry Rosales.  We immediately fired off an electronic mail message to the gentleman, and soon received a reply.  Bingo!  Mr. Rosales wrote:

"Yes it looks like you did see the stealth at the Hiller museum. I've wondered where it ended up. I built it in 1991 and used it at air shows to sell pictures of kids in it for five bucks a pop. I then donated it in 1994 to some FAA people who had been borrowing it occasionally to take to schools. Around 1995 they told me they had donated it to a museum and asked if I could help remove the landing gear. I was unable and lost track of its location. Thanks to your inquiry I can now tell people where it is because I get a lot of questions about it even today as I work for Lockheed Martin.

It had noise, lights, and a joystick which operated the nosewheel steering, the steering also ran to the back where I had a tiller for "parental guidance" as on more than one occasion the kid in front would head for cars or pedestrians. It was featured in Air and Space magazine back around 1992."

Sounds impressive, but we also found corroborating evidence in the form of a short video that shows Henry Rosales's mini stealth fighter in action.  Check out what happens when an aerospace employee sets out to build the coolest kiddie toy on the block:

Comments

[Ryan]

Wow. Can you pass me his e-mail?

[Rich]

Henry.. Rollins? I think you mean "Rosales" there and I think I know what you were listening to when you wrote it! (Last paragraph.)

[Telstar Logistics]

Doh! Fixed. Thanks!

[Douglas2]

want one that flies?
http://www.wainfan.com/facet.htm#FMNASA

[Radio Controlled Helicopters]

Does that come with 6-channel?

[postcard printing]

Fighter jets remind me of how easily the U.S's top Predator has less encryption allowing it to be tracked down easily - this is a security threat, I believe.