X-49 Night Raven

The X-49 Night Raven was an experimental demonstrator aircraft created by General Resource.

Description
The Night Raven was the product of "Darkness of Enigma", a secret General Resource project that studied information on next-generation aircraft and advanced pilot-vehicle neural connection. DOE lasted from 2028 to 2033, and led to the development of an evolved version of the Electro-Neuron-Synapse-Interface system that was standard issue for aircraft of the era.

A young Rena Hirose was recruited by the company on Abyssal Dision's suggestion, and was used as a test subject for DOE technologies. However, an interview to Rena in 2031 unveiled the Enigma plan to the public eye, and General Resource came under criticism over company ethics. In order to subvert the internal crisis that followed, the chief members of GR ordered the killing of all personnel involved in Enigma, including project leader Yoko Martha Inoue.

Following the cancellation of the project, several engineers involved in DOE abandoned General and joined Neucom Incorporated, bringing some of the data they obtained from GR. Their research was later used to produce the XR-900 Geopelia, a similar-looking combat drone.

The aircraft's specifications are as follows:
 * Width: 30.11m
 * Length: 17.20m
 * Height: 3.82m
 * Weight: 39940 kg
 * Max Speed
 * Japanese Release: 5,068 km/h
 * International Release: 4,693 km/h

Strangereal
In the early days of the armed confrontations between General Resource and Neucom, Rena Hirose and Nemo followed an A/F-117X scout plane to a General Resource Defense Force base at the Hatties Ravine near the Amber Mountains, where a DOE research facility was erected. After entering the ravine, Rena suffered flashbacks of her involvement with the project, and commented on her faint memories of the Night Raven.

On all branches of the simulation, Ouroboros would seize the Night Raven during their uprising, which would be given to a brainwashed Rena on Abyssal Dision's orders. Towards the end of the war, it would be responsible for the destruction of Megafloat, after which she would escape with Dision. Regardless of Nemo's decisions, the X-49 would be destroyed or otherwise disabled in all routes.

Infinity universe
The X-49 was the product of the Darkness of Enigma project, just like the Strangereal version. It was developed by General Resource, and the plans were sold to Wernher and Noah Enterprises for its use among UNF mercenaries.

Game Analysis
Ace Combat Infinity====Ace Combat Infinity=== "A next-generation aircraft which is the result of "DOE" (Darkness of Enigma), a secret project conducted by General Resource. It features a box wing configuration, a new type of engine and a high output laser weapon. As its nickname (Night Raven) suggests, its appearance on the battlefield is an omen of ill fortune for the enemy. *The in-game screen display for this aircraft is based on the design from "Ace Combat 3. [sic]"

- Hangar

How to Unlock
 * The X-49 can be obtained through the Aircraft Tree.

Special Function
 * Just like the R-101 Delphinus #1, when flying this aircraft, the player's HUD will look similar to the one from Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere in all three camera views. The sound effects for locking on and firing a missile are replaced by those from Ace Combat 3. The "Destroyed" display is also replaced by "Bingo" or "Bullseye", complete with the female voice-acted line from Ace Combat 3 for each.
 * The custom HUD can be disabled through the in-mission Pause menu.

Colors
 * Default: Black body

Gallery

Trivia

 * The X-49 Night Raven bears resemblance to Ace Combat: Joint Assault's Spiridus due to its unusual wing design.
 * The XR-900 Geopelia and the X-49 Night Raven are extremely comparable in both appearance and statistics. In the Japanese version of Ace Combat 3, both aircraft are listed with the same maximum speed of 5,068 km/h.
 * In Ace Combat 3, once the aircraft surpasses 3,920 km/h, it will start vibrating violently (but not enough to shake it apart), probably a warning for Nemo to slow down, as in the Su-43, RF-12A2 Blackbird II, XR-900 and UI-4054. This could also possibly indicate that the plane is approaching hypersonic speed (Mach 5+).
 * In the export version of Ace Combat 3, the X-49 is manned by a rogue artificial intelligence.