620 ‘Flying Dorito’ Stealth Bomber: The U.S. Navy’s Avenger II Was a Great Idea That Was Destined to ‘Crash Land’

620 ‘Flying Dorito’ Stealth Bomber: The U.S. Navy’s Avenger II Was a Great Idea That Was Destined to ‘Crash Land’

The A-12 Avenger II, The Navy’s Flying Dorito, Never Had a Chance to Shine  The US Navy made history about ten years ago by launching the stealthy X-47B demonstrator drone from the deck of an aircraft carrier.  But the Navy had long-sought-after technological capability intended to usher in a new era of carrier air attack. In 1983, the Air Force unveiled the first stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk. The Navy wanted its own stealth attack airc…