Lockheed Martin RQ-3 Dark Star 1:164 scale

Lockheed Martin RQ-3 Dark Star in 1:164 scale.

From Wiki:

"The RQ-3 DarkStar (known as Tier III- or "Tier three minus" during development) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Its first flight was on March 29, 1996. The Department of Defense terminated DarkStar in January 1999, after determining the UAV was not aerodynamically stable and was not meeting cost and performance objectives.

Design and development

The RQ-3 DarkStar was designed as a "high-altitude endurance UAV", and incorporated stealth aircraft technology to make it difficult to detect, which allowed it to operate within heavily defended airspace, unlike the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, which is unable to operate except under conditions of air supremacy. The DarkStar was fully autonomous: it could take off, fly to its target, operate its sensors, transmit information, return and land without human intervention. Human operators, however, could change the DarkStar's flight plan and sensor orientation through radio or satellite relay. The RQ-3 carried either an optical sensor or radar, and could send digital information to a satellite while still in flight. It used a single airbreathing jet engine of unknown type for propulsion. One source claims it used a Williams-Rolls-Royce FJ44-1A turbofan engine.

The first prototype made its first flight on March 29, 1996, but its second flight, on April 22, 1996, ended in a crash shortly after takeoff. A modified, more stable design (the RQ-3A) first flew on June 29, 1998, and made a total of five flights before the program was canceled just prior to the sixth and final flight planned for the airworthiness test phase. Two additional RQ-3As were built, but never made any flights before program cancellation.

The "R" is the Department of Defense designation for reconnaissance; "Q" means unmanned aircraft system. The "3" refers to it being the third of a series of purpose-built unmanned reconnaissance aircraft systems.

Although the RQ-3 was terminated on January 28, 1999, a July 2003 Aviation Week and Space Technology article reported in April 2003 that a derivative of the RQ-3 had been used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. There has been no independent confirmation."

Fuselage was built by Lockheed Martin, and the wings by Boeing.  A Dark Star (#3) is on display in Seattle's Museum of Flight in their Great Gallery, on loan from the National Museum of the USAF.

This model was converted from a 3D model by Halcyon66 on GrabCad.  Scaled to 1:164 scale, settings tweaked and supports added for easier printing.  1 piece print. 

Printed in PLA Basic White and colored with acrylic markers by my in-house 12yo aviation enthusiast.

If you liked this print, please check out my other scale prints. Feedback, thumbs up, and/or boosts would be very appreciated! Thank you!