Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel

Have you ever seen a plane that looks like a giant, flat boomerang? That's kind of what the RQ-170 Sentinel looks like! It's a special kind of airplane called an unmanned aerial vehicle, which means it flies all by itself without a pilot inside.

It's also known by its cool nickname, the Wraith, because it's designed to be super sneaky. It's used by the United States Air Force to do important jobs way up in the sky.

This amazing flying machine was first seen around 2007. It was developed by a company called Lockheed Martin, which makes lots of cool aircraft. Soon after it was created, it started flying missions in places like Afghanistan and South Korea.

It's so secret that the Air Force doesn't tell us much about it! But, in 2011, a picture of one was shown after it was found in Iran, giving us a peek at this mysterious flyer.

The RQ-170 Sentinel is super special because it's a 'stealth' aircraft. This means it's designed to be very hard for radar to detect, like a ghost in the sky! It has a unique 'flying wing' shape, which helps it fly quietly and efficiently.

It's powered by a single engine, making it a powerful yet streamlined machine. This stealthiness is why it's used for important missions where being unseen is key.

The Wraith is like a high-tech spy in the sky. Its main job is aerial reconnaissance, which means it's used to gather information and take pictures from very high up. Think of it like a super-powered camera that can fly for a long time and go to places that might be dangerous for human pilots. This information helps people make important decisions and keep things safe.