U4002-01 NERV EU Extreme Heavy Lift Cargo Aircraft (Dedicated Eva Aerial Transport)

Debuting in Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, the U4002-01 is Euro-NERV's dedicated air transport for Evangelion units. The aircraft is a tailless flying wing finished in muted grays and blues, its serrated rear flap line recalling the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Orange and white service markings cover the belly, the letters EU NERV stand out in white beneath the wings, and the NERV name repeats along the sides of its cargo housings.

Contrails trailing behind the airframe point to jet propulsion, and the freighter holds formation without difficulty alongside its fighter escort. Under the operation designated Task 02, it carries Evangelion Production Model-02 out of Europe to Hakone with a flight of Sukhoi Su-34 Fullbacks riding guard, releasing the Eva mid-air as the Seventh Angel attacks.

Euro-NERV is the only documented operator, its status after the film left unknown. Behind the scenes, the craft came from mechanical designer Michiaki Sato, whose aviation work also appears in Area 88, RahXephon and Mars Daybreak. The EVA Special Long-Distance Transport Aircraft serves a comparable role elsewhere in the franchise.