The latest images of the secret US Air Force base reveal a strange, dagger-shaped object lying close to the ground. But it is not easy to lift the veil of secrecy that has been carefully hidden around Area 51 during its six decades of existence.

Private pilot Gabriel Zeifman, who often takes aerial photos of Area 51 – the famous secret flight test center of the US Air Force in Nevada, has shared the latest series of images of this base. 

Zeifman’s images are very similar to previous ones, but show a particularly good view of an elongated hangar-like structure, known as an open and hidden shelter, and There seemed to be some strangely shaped object in there.

The hangar is 36 meters wide and 97 meters long and is located along a taxiway connecting the base’s main ramp area with the long closed runways. This taxiway extends to the new operational runway to the East. Around 2005, the north and south of the taxiway was expanded, tripling the length of the hangar cover. The next year, wall-like structures were added to both sides of the expanded facility. This wall structure would block visibility into the hangar not only from the main runways, but also from the prying eyes of curious onlookers on the summit of Mount Tikaboo several dozen miles away.

In 2007, an extended turntable was added to the south end of the hangar, so an aircraft could enter the hangar, then exit, turn around, and return to the taxiway.

This structure isn’t really just a hangar in the traditional sense. A place to avoid reconnaissance activities, helping to hide flight tests from prying eyes, especially from airborne satellites. It serves as a location closer to the runway, where personnel can carry out final checks and troubleshooting, as well as arm any explosives, while the aircraft remains hidden. 

For tactical aircraft, these types of inspections are traditionally performed at the end of the runway at air force bases, which are completely exposed. Likewise, when a test aircraft lands, the shelter provides a place to quickly get it out of sight. 

The facility can also be used to quickly return aircraft for another sortie. 

By 2007, a row of four antenna masts, often associated with drone operations, was also built along the east side of the bunker, suggesting it may have been used. There were other similar patches seen around Area 51.

Looking at the latest images inside the open and hidden shelter, it is not yet certain what this object is. To the naked eye, it looks like a dagger-shaped object placed very low. This object has a protruding part at the back, looking like an airplane cockpit. Therefore, this object could be a high-speed or stealth test aircraft, located very close to the ground.

With the above speculation, it is possible that this object is a damaged plane due to a malfunction and loss of landing gear. This may be a reason to store it in a bunker until it can be safely moved elsewhere, jettisoned, or returned to flight. However, this is just a hypothesis and it could very well be something completely different, such as part of a radar dish. The images are not of high enough resolution to make accurate conclusions.

Based on the very limited photographic evidence provided, the aircraft with the same shape as the above object is a Martin Marietta X-24B turbolift. The aircraft program grew out of a major effort by the United States Air Force and NASA focused on exploring the concept of a supersonic lift fuselage. The X-24B began flying in the mid-1970s, after which a further initiative to build a supersonic experimental aircraft based on lessons learned from the program emerged. Weapons and aircraft manufacturing company Lockheed is planning to do that through the X-24C – a more powerful version of the X-24B. The X-24C will be significantly larger than its predecessor and designed to achieve supersonic speeds at high altitudes using jet engines.

Private pilot Gabriel Zeifman, who often takes aerial photos of Area 51 – the famous secret flight test center of the US Air Force in Nevada, has shared the latest series of images of this base. 

Zeifman’s images are very similar to previous ones, but show a particularly good view of an elongated hangar-like structure, known as an open and hidden shelter, and There seemed to be some strangely shaped object in there.

The hangar is 36 meters wide and 97 meters long and is located along a taxiway connecting the base’s main ramp area with the long closed runways. This taxiway extends to the new operational runway to the East. Around 2005, the north and south of the taxiway was expanded, tripling the length of the hangar cover. The next year, wall-like structures were added to both sides of the expanded facility. This wall structure would block visibility into the hangar not only from the main runways, but also from the prying eyes of curious onlookers on the summit of Mount Tikaboo several dozen miles away.

In 2007, an extended turntable was added to the south end of the hangar, so an aircraft could enter the hangar, then exit, turn around, and return to the taxiway.

This structure isn’t really just a hangar in the traditional sense. A place to avoid reconnaissance activities, helping to hide flight tests from prying eyes, especially from airborne satellites. It serves as a location closer to the runway, where personnel can carry out final checks and troubleshooting, as well as arm any explosives, while the aircraft remains hidden. 

For tactical aircraft, these types of inspections are traditionally performed at the end of the runway at air force bases, which are completely exposed. Likewise, when a test aircraft lands, the shelter provides a place to quickly get it out of sight. 

The facility can also be used to quickly return aircraft for another sortie. 

By 2007, a row of four antenna masts, often associated with drone operations, was also built along the east side of the bunker, suggesting it may have been used. There were other similar patches seen around Area 51.

Looking at the latest images inside the open and hidden shelter, it is not yet certain what this object is. To the naked eye, it looks like a dagger-shaped object placed very low. This object has a protruding part at the back, looking like an airplane cockpit. Therefore, this object could be a high-speed or stealth test aircraft, located very close to the ground.

With the above speculation, it is possible that this object is a damaged plane due to a malfunction and loss of landing gear. This may be a reason to store it in a bunker until it can be safely moved elsewhere, jettisoned, or returned to flight. However, this is just a hypothesis and it could very well be something completely different, such as part of a radar dish. The images are not of high enough resolution to make accurate conclusions.

Based on the very limited photographic evidence provided, the aircraft with the same shape as the above object is a Martin Marietta X-24B turbolift. The aircraft program grew out of a major effort by the United States Air Force and NASA focused on exploring the concept of a supersonic lift fuselage. The X-24B began flying in the mid-1970s, after which a further initiative to build a supersonic experimental aircraft based on lessons learned from the program emerged. Weapons and aircraft manufacturing company Lockheed is planning to do that through the X-24C – a more powerful version of the X-24B. The X-24C will be significantly larger than its predecessor and designed to achieve supersonic speeds at high altitudes using jet engines.

   

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There are unsubstantiated claims that the program evolved into a top-secret program, codenamed Copper Coast, that flew secretly out of Area 51 in the 1980s. It is safe to say that research Advanced research into hypersonic flight never completely stopped, and there may have been many high-speed flight test programs using exotic test vehicles that occurred at the base over the decades.

Speaking of high-speed experimental aircraft that could exist today, Skunk Works is looking to test a supersonic aircraft using combined cycle engine technology. This aircraft also has an elongated, dagger-like shape, similar to the object mentioned above. Again, it cannot be concluded that one of the above mentioned aircraft is the object seen in the photo.

Unsurprisingly, aircraft exist inside most of the covered hangars at Area 51. This is indicative of the lack of space for both ongoing and planned projects. Accomplished. Typically, experimental aircraft are only built to fly for a very limited time, and burying old projects in the ground around Area 51 is thought to be a safe way to create more space for the facility Flying is in high demand.

A confusing part of this story is that the shelter is hidden and opens and closes through a set of overhead doors at each end, not through doors that swing outward, as some have mistaken for wall-like screens. on either side of the base. It is difficult to explain why it remained open, although it may indicate that it was in use when the image was taken. However, it is highly unlikely that the facility was used for flight testing on or just before Christmas Day, as activities on the base typically end before major holidays. 

So, like so many other things related to Area 51, this object remains a mystery and a plane that matches the strange description of what was seen may never be found. in the photos above or whether the aircraft type ever existed or not. It is one of the defining features of Area 51 and a veil of secrecy has been carefully shrouded around the base in its six decades of existence.