As I mentioned in my B1 picture write-up of yesterday airborne stealth aircraft employ a combination of both electronic and artificial methods to avoid detection. For aircraft designed to operate primarily at night the artificial method used requires that the vehicle is painted near matt black in colour and operates under the cover of darkness. The B1 has been equipped with a wide range of electronic counter measures and its changeable print scheme to help it operate stealthily during the day. But what about stealth fighters for daylight operations, what means are being used to aid these airborne vehicles (and their pilots) which are required to operate stealthily during day light hours, when the protection afforded them by the darkness of the night does not exist? Whilst these vehicles are still able to employ a wide range of electronic means to avoid detection a whole new approach has had to found in an attempt “mask” these vehicles from prying eyes which are both human and electronic in nature. One method currently being employed requires that the aircraft are constructed in a “flatter” aerodynamic shape from previous designs and this combined with advanced electronic control systems and advanced engine designs allows these future stealth aircraft to not only hide as much as possible from an enemy, but to also “out-fly” any enemy, which they may encounter, be this in the form of either enemy missiles launched from the ground to intercept them or missiles launched from any enemy aircraft they may encounter. Some daylight fighters are being designed with internal missile bays as an aid to the flatter aerodynamic shape with the bays only being opened shortly before a missile is launched. Shown here is the Lockheed F-22 fighter which won the completion against the Northrop/McDonald Douglas YF-23 fighter to become the next generation of USAF daylight stealth fighter. The links below will take you to information on both the YF now F-22 fighter and the YF-23:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_YF-22 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_YF-23