What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Thriller/military aviation/cold-war genre.

It was from either the late 80s or early/mid 90s, I read it as a kid and I don't remember it seeming to be the latest publication then.

The protagonist is the one who stole it, and I think he was either a scientist or an "old school" flight engineer who helped create the plane. It was built in a "snake pit"/"skunk works" black book facility, can't remember if the CIA or such was mentioned.

He steals the plane, and somehow kidnaps a girl/young woman he knew? Can't remember if she was a love-interest, or if it was perhaps an estranged daughter. There's a scene where he surprises her in a field with the plane being almost entirely silent (its body was mostly hollow, and it could hover, cockpit had domed panels that made it look like bug-eyes, if I remember correctly). The plane could turn "invisible" with a camera system that was recording all directions and playing the scene on the opposite side of the hull to make it look like you were just looking through a field.

I think the book cover was blue with a wireframe drawing of the plane, in silvery lettering.

Maybe Firefox ?

``Laurie wrote: "Maybe Firefox ?"
Unfortunately, no, I remember reading that one (and many other of the Mitchel Gant books) ;)

This was far less militaristic, the guy stole the plane in the US and was flying it around trying to get it away from someone or something. I honestly can't remember the outcome, I think some foreign power was involved or blackmailing him, but I think the guy was either trying to double-cross everyone, or had some ulterior altruistic motive I am completely blanking on. I can't remember how the book even ended.

I think it was a lesser known writer, definitely not anything from the usual suspects who write these kinds of things (Clancy, Brown, Coonts, Coyle, Bond, Thomas, etc.).

Josh, have you tried looking at Listopia for your book? Would this book be considered a techno thriller?

A long shot - Day of the Cheetah by Dale Brown?

@Laurie, I've spent more time than I care to admit in Listopia with no luck. I think techno-thriller would be a reasonable assumption of the genre. It was around the time Clancy was taking the genre by storm, before he fell into the drivel he ended up writing towards the end. I've even spent time just scrolling through thousands of book covers to recognize it, in various categories.

@Kris Unfortunately no, though I did really like Day of the Cheetah, as well as Hammerheads. Silver Tower was a bit...stodgy, though.

AHAH! I found it via https://www.bookfinder.com/ (thanks to the advanced search). It's The Ransom of Black Stealth One by Dean Ing.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think it kept me slightly OCD to track it down once and for all since I haven't been able to get it out of my head since I posted this.