http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-05/iran-unveils-new-stealth-drone-isntFrom the same brilliant scientists who brought us a working time machine, and a flying saucer.
Iran Unveils Absurd New Stealth Drone
Weirdly, it bears a striking resemblance to non-stealth drones.
By Kelsey D. AthertonPosted 05.13.2013 at 12:15 pm5 Comments
Iran's Hamaseh Drone Fars News Agency
Last week Iran unveiled the brand-new Hamaseh Stealth and Combat Drone. You can see it above.
Note the non-retractable landing gear and externally carried missiles. However stealthy the Hamaseh's bulbous head may appear, exposed landing gear, missiles, and a push propeller are the opposite of stealth. Why? Because they stick out from the drone in a way that catches radio waves and makes them visible to radar.
For contrast, here is the U.S. Navy's state-of-the-art X-47B stealth drone in flight. With the landing gear retracted into a smooth belly, there are hardly any broad perpendicular edges for enemy radar to detect. There is no tail, which which would catch radar as well, and it's propelled by an integrated jet engine, not an exterior propeller. The X-47B carries weapons in two internal bays. All of these features lead to a smooth design and a minimal radar profile.