Cryptic crossword clue
Mysterious aircraft maintains bearing over lake, detective reveals 7

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word UNFOLDS

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
U
N
F
O
L
D
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "reveals" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case reveals = unfolds.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does UNFOLDS mean?

UNFOLDS verb
  1. To undo a folding.
  2. To turn out; to happen; to develop.
  3. To reveal.
  4. To open (anything covered or closed); to lay open to view or contemplation; to bring out in all the details, or by successive development.
  5. To release from a fold or pen.

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