This is my vision for the Batwing done Nolan style, and I believe there's a very strong chance of seeing at least a few elements of the ideas I'm about to put forth realized in Batman 3. I think almost all of us are looking forward to seeing a new Batwing in the third installment of Christopher Nolan's franchise. And as has been tradition for the books and the movies, Batman inevitably ends up with a new incarnation of his aerial toy sooner or later.
I find myself extremely curious as to how DC/Warner Bros. are going to introduce a version that modernizes the classic and makes as memorable an entrance as the Tumbler did in Batman Begins. Without making it something as garish as Burton's, or the ridiculous follow up versions. Burton's Batwing was a novel and memorable attempt, but as we're all aware, the "Nolanverse" in its totalianaristic realism doesn't allow for anything quite so "imaginitive". Anyway, as stunning a concept as it was in its time, by today's standards, Burton's Batwing seems a bit corny.
I got this idea while reading an article in Popular Science quite a few months ago, and have been mulling it over ever since. Seems there are tentative plans for a new pilot-less version of the B2 Stealth Bomber, and in that article it referred to the original design specification as a "Batwing" - so this may not be too far off.
Nolan and Nathan Crowley actually incorporated elements of the Stealth jets into the Tumbler.
I'm pretty sure there would be no problem with Lucius Fox cleverly and secretly procuring a "mothballed" or surplus B2 Stealth Bomber, through government contacts, and modifying it to Bruce Wayne's/Batman's custom specs. As it needs to serve not only his technological needs, but also function as symbolism, I think a very clever way of accomplishing this would be to outfit the new Batwing with active camouflage that is capable of displaying the bat symbol during night and day.
The cost of each aircraft averaged US$737 million in 1997 dollars. Total procurement costs averaged US$929 million per aircraft, which includes spare parts, equipment, retrofitting, and software support. The total program cost, which includes development, engineering and testing, averaged US$2.1 billion per aircraft (in 1997 dollars). We don't exactly know what Nolan's "Waynecorp." is valued at, but if it's anywhere on the level of the upper fortune 500, it seems feasible several billion dollars could be rounded up and "invested". What makes it even more possible is that it's a twenty year old+ program (considering black budget time), making its public notoriety much less than that of even a F-22 Raptor (which are all over movies recently and most prominently of course - Transformers).
This fact would make it more easily prone to having the government "lose one". It is a sleek and elegant design and would fit directly in with the general motif of the Nolanverse... probably better than any other existing aircraft out there. Again it is already technically a "Batwing".
-2 internal bays for 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) of ordinance. (including a refurbished Tumbler w/ Batpod)
-silent running and stealth in all wavelengths -adaptive active camouflage allowing display of bat symbol
-non lethal weapons
-thrust vectoring (allowing for vertical takeoffs/landings and hovering)
-capable of remote operation and self destruction, just like the Tumbler
Some of these design elements will supposedly actually be incorporated into the tentative version of the real aircraft, aside from of course the bat related stuff.
If you want to get deep into the symbolism and psychodrama metaphor of it all (Which Nolan likes to do), these aircraft are really potential agents of the apocalypse - which brings into resolve the question of the greater good. If Batman were to acquire one, and modify it with The Tumbler and non-lethal weapons, it could possibly serve a little more benevolent purpose. Each individual aircraft in service goes under the codename: Spirit of "whatever city", so Batman's would of course become
The "Spirit of Gotham". If the military were to allow its use, I feel it would, at the very least, give the program alot of publicity and serve to already boost its uber justice seeking and crime fighting image - Food for thought. Considering how generous the US Government's been with Transformers, I mean come on, even though he's a vigilante and his procurement of the jet would technically be illegal, everybody loves Batman and his Batwing - even the military!
One last thing: It is well known that Batman's suit redesign was actually made a plot point in The Dark Knight; this take on the Batwing would open up some unique and dramatic possibilities for a similar opportunity.