The B-2, "Stealth Bomber" is based on the flying wing design, but it has absolutely no vertical control surfaces at all. Covered in "teflon" paint to absorb radar waves, each B-2 costs around $2 billion taxpayer dollars per copy -- and they don't even fly at supersonic speeds.

The flying wing was originally devised in order to maximize lift for heavy payloads. Engineers were surprised by the wing's small radar signature. So stealth was an unintended, benficial effect of the design.

Little known trivia: B-2 aircraft are rumored to have "after-coolers" on the aircraft's engines (which are "inboard," contained within the hull). These after-coolers mask the heat signature of engine exhaust in order to increase the plane's "stealthiness."

All B-2's are assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri. Although the aircraft have been in service for more than 10 years, when they take off or land during the day, traffic along Highway 50 and other local roads nearly comes to a standstill as people pull over and get out of their cars to see the strange, "alien-like" planes in flight.