VAM "Firefly"

Between 1981 and 1987, the German company Messerschmitt-Belkov-Blom undertook research work in reducing the visibility of fighters.

The program was called "Firefly" ( Lampyridae ).

It was built two demonstrator aircraft unobtrusive in scale 3 / 4, according to the German experts apparatus was less noticeable than the U.S. strike aircraft F-117 .

In 1985, the low-speed wind tunnel model was purged in a scale of 1: 3.5, later in the transonic tunnel model in scale 1: 20. Despite the complicated configuration of the device shown good aerodynamic properties.

In 1987 it was carried out 15 tests built demonstrator length of 12 meters in a wind tunnel.

Before the designers task was to create a fighter is able to avoid the melee, which should have a beneficial impact on its price.

On the project spent about 9 million marks (4.5 million $ ).

One of the constructed samples passed the test in aerodynamic tunnel, the second investigated for stealth.