There are no F-15SE Silent Eagles

There's just one tiny problem with the recent test flight of the Boeing Silent Eagle aircraft.

There are no Boeing Silent Eagle aircraft. The first one has not been built.

What has flown is this:

Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle Demonstrator Makes 1st Flight

Silent Eagle flight demonstrator aircraft F-15E1 completed a successful first flight on July 8 from Lambert St. Louis International Airport.

The F-15E1 is, as the designation suggests, a slightly modified Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle that has been wired to operate the Conformal Weapons Bay which is being built for the Silent Eagle.

Once the F-15E1 tests are complete the very first F-15SE Silent Eagle can be built with the final version of the Conformal Weapons Bay. Because this will be a somewhat stealthy aircraft the fit between the Silent Eagle and the Conformal Weapons Bay must be exact. This is why the CWB is being built (and flown) first and then the final aircraft will be built to match it.

Naturally the media is already at play with this.

Israel Eyes Boeing's Stealthy F-15E

The Israeli Defense Ministry is talking with the Pentagon about buying Boeing's F-15E1 because of delays in developing Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel's first choice for its next major fighter purchase, The Jerusalem Post reported Monday.

-HJC