Photos released by the Project Fear YouTube channel and analyzed by military aviation specialist Aviationist on 4/6 show an aircraft with a shape unlike any previously public US design.

The aircraft features a cranked-kite main wing, large canards, and lacks horizontal tail fins, likely equipped with two engines. A thermal camera captured the image near Area 51, a top-secret US base in Nevada.

The mysterious aircraft at Area 51 in a photo released on 3/6. *Photo: Project Fear*

The image has sparked much speculation, with some suggesting it might be a fake. Project Fear announced it would release the full video later.

Anders Otteson, owner of the Uncanny Expeditions YouTube channel with over 194,000 subscribers, believes the image is authentic. Otteson stated he met the Project Fear team to show them observation points around Area 51, after introducing the thermal camera he uses to scan the night sky.

"We didn't see anything noteworthy last week. A few days ago, they asked me to look at something the thermal camera captured. As soon as they sent the video, I knew I was seeing something very interesting that had never been recorded before," Otteson said.

Stefano D'Urso, an editor at Aviationist, suggests one theory is that the aircraft is related to the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project and the US sixth-generation F-47 fighter. Boeing is currently developing the F-47 fighter after being selected to lead the NGAD project.

"This theory is based on similarities between the aircraft and two simulated graphic images the US Air Force previously released, which showed an aircraft with a pointed nose and canards," D'Urso said.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the Pentagon previously revealed that contractors Boeing and Lockheed Martin had separately built two X-plane test aircraft for the NGAD program. Each had accumulated hundreds of flight hours.

"The current status and location of these X-planes remain undisclosed; however, it is possible they continue to operate and are stored at Area 51," D'Urso noted.

Simulated image of the F-47 fighter. *Graphic: USAF*

US military news site War Zone also suggested that the aircraft in the photo could be an X-plane built for the NGAD program.

Area 51 has long captivated aviation enthusiasts as a site for advanced US weapons development programs. Conspiracy theorists also claim the base is where the government hides alien bodies and spacecraft.

Another possibility suggests the aircraft is mimicking China's J-20 fighter for training and testing purposes. D'Urso noted that while the shapes of the two aircraft share some similarities, there are also significant differences, such as the wing shape when viewed from above and the tail section.

Pham Giang (According to Aviationist, War Zone)