I did research on a thing called plasma stealth technology where a layer of plasma is generated around an aircraft to hide it from radar, but that is not the only use for this type of technology. By creating a layer of plasma around a plane you can have other potential benefits from it. By controlling the plasma with an electromagnetic field it is possible to change the aerodynamics of the aircraft, by changing the density of the plasma in certain areas on the plane, without changing the physical shape of the aircraft. This can allow the plane to move more easily through the air by reducing the drag on it which would increase fuel efficiency, speed, and maneuverability. This can also help planes to be more robust. Say an aircraft takes some damage to a wing or the tail, normally you're SOL but it the plane is generating a cloud of plasma around it it can temporarily fix the damage, by changing the aerdynamics of the damaged portion, and keep right on flying. It is also possible to construct an electrohydrodynamic thruster which ionizes the surrounding atmosphere and turns it into thrust by using an ion accelerator to cause the ions to collide with the air around it. The benefits of this type of propulsion is that you get an almost 100% return on the energy you put into it and it can attain high speeds.
There are a few problems associated with this technology though. For one, it requires an obcenely large amount of energy to generate the plasma cloud and even more to generate the electromagnetic field to control it. Plus most early-warning over-the-horizon radar operates using radio waves which have a very low frequency which bounces off plasma very well, so this type of stealth technology will not always be the best choice when attempting sneaky maneuvers. Airborne and defense radar operates in the microwave band which is at a higher frequency than radio waves and plasma absorbs this high energy pulse very well, thus causing there to be no return signal back to the transmitter and causing the plane to disappear from radar. This can be most useful when attempting to evade surface-to-air missiles which are guided by high frequency radar so it would make flying a fighter jet into a combat zone safer.
Now for the easier to read version.
In my research paper I found that by generating a cloud of plasma around a plane it is possible to hide it from certain types of radar that use high energy pulses. It is also possible to increase the speed, fuel efficiency, and maneuverability of an aircraft by doing this as well. The plasma cloud acts like a wetsuit does in the water by allowing the plane to slip more easily through the air. By changing the drag on the plane it is also possible to temporarily repair damage to a plane mid flight by changing the amount of drag in the damaged area. So if a plane takes a missile in the tail? No problem, it can just keep right on flying. You can also create highly efficient thrusters using ionized gases (plasma). This could potentially change air travel because it would make planes safer and faster with better fuel effiency. Supersonic travel would probably make a comeback at a more affordable price than the one offered by the Concord. Planes could fly farther, faster, with less fuel so the prices would become cheaper. Just think of the possibilities?!?! There are some problems with this since plasma stealth doesn't work against all types of radar, and it takes a LOT of energy to make the plasma cloud and then control it and right now there is no easy answer for getting all of the energy, or the ability to generate it, into an airplane where space and weight are at an extreme premium. Still, it's cool to think about what the future could hold.
Hope I haven't bored you, if you've read this far down I commend you!
