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Single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft

F-117 Nighthawk
Top view of angular aircraft banking left while flying over mountain range
F-117 flying over mountains in Nevada in 2002
Role Stealth attack shipping[1]
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation
First flight June xviii, 1981; forty years ago  (1981-06-18)
Introduction October 1983; 38 years agone  (1983-10) [2]
Retired 22 Apr 2008[3]
Condition Used as training aircraft equally of 2022
Master user United States Air Force
Number built 64 (five YF-117As, 59 F-117As)
Developed from Lockheed Have Blue

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth surface–attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the start operational aircraft to be designed effectually stealth technology.

The F-117 was based on the Take Blueish technology demonstrator. The Nighthawk'southward maiden flight took place in 1981 at Groom Lake, Nevada, and the aircraft achieved initial operating adequacy status in 1983. The aircraft was shrouded in secrecy until it was revealed to the public in 1988. Of the 64 F-117s congenital, 59 were product versions, with the other five being prototypes.

The F-117 was widely publicized for its role in the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Although it was commonly referred to as the "Stealth Fighter", it was strictly an attack aircraft. F-117s took part in the conflict in Yugoslavia, where one was shot downward and another damaged by surface-to-air missiles (SAM) in 1999. The U.S. Air Strength retired the F-117 in April 2008, primarily due to the fielding of the F-22 Raptor. Despite the type's official retirement, a portion of the fleet has been kept in airworthy condition, and Nighthawks have been observed flying since 2009.[four]

Evolution [edit]

Background and Have Blue [edit]

In 1964, Pyotr Ufimtsev, a Soviet mathematician, published a seminal paper titled Method of Edge Waves in the Physical Theory of Diffraction in the journal of the Moscow Institute for Radio Engineering, in which he showed that the strength of the radar return from an object is related to its edge configuration, not its size.[5] Ufimtsev was extending theoretical work published by the German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld.[6] [7] [8] Ufimtsev demonstrated that he could calculate the radar cross-department across a wing's surface and along its edge. The obvious and logical conclusion was that even a big aircraft could reduce its radar signature past exploiting this principle. However, the resulting design would make the aircraft aerodynamically unstable, and the state of calculator technology in the early on 1960s could not provide the kinds of flight computers which would later on allow aircraft such every bit the F-117 and B-two Spirit to stay airborne. Past the 1970s, when Lockheed analyst Denys Overholser constitute Ufimtsev's paper, computers and software had advanced significantly, and the stage was set up for the development of a stealth airplane.[9]

Aircraft parked inside an open hangar

F-117A painted in "Grayness Dragon" experimental camouflage scheme

The F-117 was born afterwards the Vietnam War, where increasingly sophisticated Soviet surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) had downed heavy bombers.[x] The heavy losses inflicted past Soviet-made SAMs upon the Israeli air force in the 1973 Yom Kippur war also contributed to a 1974 Defence force Science Lath cess that in example of a conflict in Central Europe, air defenses would likely prevent NATO air strikes on targets in Eastern Europe.[11]

Information technology was a black projection, an ultra-surreptitious program for much of its life; very few people in the Pentagon knew the program even existed.[12] [13] The project began in 1975 with a model chosen the "Hopeless Diamond"[14] [15] (a wordplay on the Hope Diamond because of its appearance). The following year, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued Lockheed Skunk Works a contract to build and test 2 Stealth Strike Fighters, nether the code proper noun "Accept Blue".[xvi] These subscale aircraft incorporated jet engines of the Northrop T-38A, fly-past-wire systems of the F-16, landing gear of the A-ten, and environmental systems of the C-130.[16] Past bringing together existing technology and components, Lockheed built two demonstrators nether budget, at $35 meg for both aircraft, and in tape time.[16]

The maiden flight of the demonstrators occurred on 1 Dec 1977.[17] Although both shipping crashed during the demonstration programme, exam information proved positive. The success of Accept Bluish led the authorities to increase funding for stealth technology. Much of that increase was allocated towards the product of an operational stealth aircraft, the Lockheed F-117A, under the program code proper noun "Senior Trend".[18] [nineteen]

Senior Trend [edit]

The conclusion to produce the F-117A was made on 1 November 1978, and a contract was awarded to Lockheed Avant-garde Evolution Projects, popularly known as the Skunk Works, in Burbank, California.[twenty] The program was led by Ben Rich, with Alan Dark-brown equally manager of the project.[21] Rich called on Bill Schroeder, a Lockheed mathematician, and Overholser, a computer scientist, to exploit Ufimtsev'due south piece of work. The three designed a computer program called "Echo", which made it possible to blueprint an airplane with flat panels, called facets, which were arranged so as to scatter over 99% of a radar'south point energy "painting" the aircraft.[ix] [22] [10]

The first YF-117A, serial number 79-10780, made its maiden flight from Groom Lake ("Area 51"), Nevada, on xviii June 1981,[23] simply 31 months afterward the full-calibration development decision. The commencement production F-117A was delivered in 1982, and operational capability was accomplished in October 1983.[six] [24] The 4450th Tactical Group stationed at Nellis Air Forcefulness Base, Nevada, were tasked with the operational evolution of the early on F-117, and between 1981 (prior to the arrival of the outset models) and 1989 they used LTV A-7 Corsair IIs for training, to bring all pilots to a common flying training baseline and later as chase planes for F-117A tests.[25]

The F-117 was hugger-mugger for much of the 1980s. Many news manufactures discussed what they called a "F-19" stealth fighter, and the Testor Corporation produced a very inaccurate calibration model. When an F-117 crashed in Sequoia National Forest in July 1986, killing the pilot and starting a burn down, the Air Forcefulness established restricted airspace. Armed guards prohibited entry, including firefighters, and a helicopter gunship circled the site. All F-117 droppings was replaced with remains of a F-101A Voodoo crash stored at Area 51. When some other fatal crash in October 1987 occurred inside Nellis, the military once more provided fiddling information to the printing.[26]

The Air Force denied the beingness of the aircraft until 10 November 1988, when Assistant Secretarial assistant of Defense J. Daniel Howard displayed a grainy photograph at a Pentagon press conference, disproving the many inaccurate rumors about the shape of the "F-19". Later the announcement pilots could fly the F-117 during daytime and no longer needed to be associated with the A-7, flying the T-38 supersonic trainer for travel and grooming instead.[27] In Apr 1990, two F-117 aircraft were flown into Nellis, arriving during daylight and publicly displayed to a oversupply of tens of thousands.[28]

Five Total Calibration Evolution (FSD) aircraft were built, designated "YF-117A".[29] The last of 59 production F-117s were delivered on 3 July 1990.[24] [30]

F-117 flight sit-in

As the Air Force has stated, "Streamlined management by Aeronautical Systems Centre, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, combined breakthrough stealth engineering with concurrent development and production to rapidly field the shipping ... The F-117A program demonstrates that a stealth aircraft can exist designed for reliability and maintainability."[two]

Designation [edit]

The operational aircraft was officially designated "F-117A".[31] Nigh mod U.S. military aircraft use postal service-1962 designations in which the designation "F" is usually an air-to-air fighter, "B" is usually a bomber, "A" is commonly a ground-set on aircraft, etc. (Examples include the F-15, the B-ii and the A-6.) The F-117 is primarily an set on aircraft,[ane] so its "F" designation is inconsistent with the DoD system. This is an inconsistency that has been repeatedly employed past the U.South. Air Forcefulness with several of its attack shipping since the late 1950s, including the Democracy F-105 Thunderchief and General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. A televised documentary quoted project manager Alan Brownish as maxim that Robert J. Dixon, a 4-star Air Strength general who was the head of Tactical Air Command felt that the top-notch USAF fighter pilots required to fly the new aircraft were more than easily attracted to an aircraft with an "F" designation for fighter, every bit opposed to a bomber ("B") or attack ("A") designation.[32] [33]

The designation "F-117" seems to point that it was given an official designation prior to the 1962 U.S. Tri-Service Shipping Designation Arrangement and could be considered numerically to be a part of the earlier "Century series" of fighters. The assumption prior to the revealing of the aircraft to the public was that it would likely receive the F-xix designation every bit that number had non been used. Withal, there were no other aircraft to receive a "100" serial number post-obit the F-111. Soviet fighters obtained by the U.S. via various ways under the Constant Peg plan[34] were given F-series numbers for their evaluation by U.S. pilots, and with the appearance of the Teen Series fighters, most oftentimes Century Serial designations.[35]

Equally with other exotic military machine shipping types flying in the southern Nevada area, such as captured fighters, an arbitrary radio call of "117" was assigned. This same radio call had been used past the enigmatic 4477th Exam and Evaluation Squadron, too known equally the "Crimson Hats" or "Cherry-red Eagles", that often had flown expatriated MiG jet fighters in the area, but there was no relationship to the call and the formal F-19 designation then being considered by the Air Force. Apparently, utilize of the "117" radio phone call became commonplace and when Lockheed released its first flying transmission (i.e., the Air Force "dash ane" manual for the shipping), F-117A was the designation printed on the embrace.[36]

Design [edit]

Closeup view of the nose of a black jet, emphasizing the many angled-surfaces

When the Air Strength first approached Lockheed with the stealth concept, Skunk Works Director Kelly Johnson proposed a rounded design. He believed smoothly blended shapes offered the best combination of speed and stealth. However, his banana, Ben Rich, showed that faceted-angle surfaces would provide a significant reduction in radar signature, and the necessary aerodynamic control could be provided with computer units. A May 1975 Skunk Works written report, "Progress Report No. 2, Loftier Stealth Conceptual Studies", showed the rounded concept that was rejected in favor of the flat-sided approach.[37]

The resulting unusual blueprint surprised and puzzled experienced pilots. A Regal Air Force (RAF) pilot who flew it as an substitution officer stated that when he first saw a photograph of the withal-secret F-117, he "promptly giggled and idea [to himself] 'this clearly tin can't fly'".[38] Early on stealth aircraft were designed with a focus on minimal radar cross-department (RCS) rather than aerodynamic operation. Highly stealthy aircraft like the F-117 Nighthawk are aerodynamically unstable in all three shipping chief axes and require constant flight corrections from a wing-by-wire (FBW) flight system to maintain controlled flying.[39] It is shaped to deflect radar signals and is approximately the size of an F-15 Hawkeye.

The single-seat Nighthawk is powered by 2 non-afterburning Full general Electrical F404 turbofan engines. It is air refuelable and features a V-tail. The maximum speed is 623 mph (1,003 km/h; 541 kn) at high altitude, the max rate of climb is 2,820 anxiety (860 one thousand) per minute, and service ceiling is 43,000 to 45,000 feet (xiii,000 to fourteen,000 thou).[twoscore] The cockpit was quite spacious, with ergonomic displays and controls, merely the field of view was somewhat obstructed with a large blind spot to the rear.[41]

Avionics [edit]

It has quadruple-redundant wing-by-wire flying controls. To lower development costs, avionics, fly-past-wire systems, and other systems and parts derived from the General Dynamics F-sixteen Fighting Falcon, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, McDonnell Douglas F/A-eighteen Hornet, and McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The parts were originally described as spares in budgets for these aircraft, to keep the F-117 project secret.[ citation needed ]

The aircraft is equipped with sophisticated navigation and assault systems integrated into a digital avionics suite. Information technology navigates primarily by GPS and high-accuracy inertial navigation. Missions are coordinated by an automated planning arrangement that tin automatically perform all aspects of an attack mission, including weapons release.[42] Targets are acquired by a thermal imaging infrared system, paired with a light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation rangefinder/laser designator that finds the range and designates targets for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation-guided bombs. The F-117A's split internal bay can comport 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of ordnance. Typical weapons are a pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation-guided bombs, ii BLU-109 penetration bombs, or two Joint Directly Attack Munitions (JDAM) GPS/INS guided stand-off bombs. To maintain its low observability, the aircraft was not fitted with its own radar; non but would an agile radar be detectable through its emissions, but an inactive radar would too human activity as a reflector of radar energy.[43]

Stealth [edit]

The F-117 has a radar cross-section of about 0.001 yard2 (0.0108 sq ft).[44] Among the penalties for stealth are lower engine thrust due to losses in the inlet and outlet, a very low wing aspect ratio, and a high sweep bending (50°) needed to deflect incoming radar waves to the sides.[11] [ failed verification ] With these design considerations and no afterburning, the F-117 is limited to subsonic speeds.

The F-117A carries no radar, which lowers emissions and cross-section, and whether it carries any radar detection equipment remained classified equally of 2008.[11] Its faceted shape (fabricated from 2-dimensional flat surfaces) resulted from the limitations of the 1970s-era reckoner technology used to calculate its radar cross-section. Later on supercomputers made it possible for subsequent aircraft like the B-2 bomber to utilize curved surfaces while maintaining stealth, through the use of far more than computational resources to perform the boosted calculations.[45]

The radar-absorbent flat sheets covering the F-117A weighed virtually one ton, and were held in place by glue, with the gaps betwixt the sheets filled with a kind of putty textile called "butter".[11]

An frazzle plume contributes a significant infrared signature. The F-117 reduces IR signature with a non-circular tail pipe (a slit shape) to minimize the exhaust cross-section and maximize the mixing of hot frazzle with cool ambient air. The F-117 lacks afterburners, considering the hot exhaust would increase the infrared signature, and breaking the sound barrier would produce an obvious sonic boom, too as surface heating of the aircraft skin which also increases the infrared footprint. As a result, its operation in air combat maneuvering required in a dogfight would never lucifer that of a defended fighter aircraft. This was unimportant in the example of this aircraft since it was designed to be a bomber.

Passive (multistatic) radar, bistatic radar[46] and especially multistatic radar systems notice some stealth aircraft improve than conventional monostatic radars, since get-go-generation stealth technology (such equally the F-117) reflects energy abroad from the transmitter's line of sight, finer increasing the radar cross section (RCS) in other directions, which the passive radars monitor.

Operational history [edit]

An F-117 conducts a live practice bombing run using GBU-27 laser-guided bombs

During the plan's early years, from 1984 to mid-1992, the F-117A fleet was based at Tonopah Examination Range Airport, Nevada, where it served under the 4450th Tactical Grouping. Because the F-117 was classified during this time, the unit was officially located at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and equipped with A-7 Corsair II aircraft. All military personnel were permanently assigned to Nellis AFB, and virtually personnel and their families lived in Las Vegas. This required commercial air and trucking to send personnel betwixt Las Vegas and Tonopah each week. The 4450th was absorbed past the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing in 1989. In 1992, the entire fleet was transferred to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, under the control of the 49th Fighter Fly. This motility also eliminated the Fundamental Air and American Trans Air contract flights to Tonopah, which flew 22,000 passenger trips on 300 flights from Nellis to Tonopah per month.

The F-117 reached initial operating capability status in 1983.[2] The Nighthawk's pilots chosen themselves "Bandits". Each of the 558 Air Force pilots who accept flown the F-117 has a Brigand number, such as "Bandit 52", that indicates the sequential gild of their first flight in the F-117.[47] Pilots told friends and families that they flew the Northrop F-5 in aggressor squadrons confronting Tactical Air Control.[26]

The F-117 has been used several times in war. Its first mission was during the United States invasion of Panama in 1989.[48] During that invasion two F-117A Nighthawks dropped two bombs on Rio Hato airfield.

During the Gulf State of war in 1991, the F-117 flew approximately 1,300 sorties and scored direct hits on what the U.S. called 1,600 high-value targets in Iraq[2] over 6,905 flight hours.[49] Leaflet drops on Iraqi forces displayed the F-117 destroying ground targets and warned "Escape now and relieve yourselves".[27] Only 229 Coalition tactical aircraft could drop and designate laser-guided bombs of which 36 F-117s represented 15.7%, and merely the USAF had the I-2000 bombs intended for hardened targets. So the F-117 represented 32% of all coalition shipping that could evangelize such bombs.[l] : 73–74 Notably, F-117s were used in the Amiriyah shelter bombing.[51]

Initial claims of the F-117's effectiveness were afterwards found to be overstated.[52] Initial reports of F-117s hitting lxxx% of their targets were later scaled back to "41–60%".[50] : 132 On the first dark, they failed to hit 40% of their assigned air-defence force targets, including the Air Defense Operations Center in Baghdad, and 8 such targets remained functional out of 10 that could exist assessed.[50] : 136–137 In their Desert Tempest white paper, the USAF stated that "the F-117 was the simply airplane that the planners dared risk over downtown Baghdad" and that this area was particularly well dedicated. (Dozens of F-16s were routinely tasked to set on Baghdad in the start few days of the war.)[l] : 137–138 In fact, almost of the air defenses were on the outskirts of the city and many other aircraft hitting targets in the downtown area, with minimal casualties when they attacked at night like the F-117.[50] This meant they avoided the optically aimed anti-aircraft cannon and infrared SAMs which were the biggest threat to Coalition aircraft.[50] : 105

The aircraft was operated in hush-hush from Tonopah for almost a decade, but after the Gulf War the aircraft moved to Holloman in 1992—withal, its integration with the USAF'due south non-stealth "fe jets" occurred slowly. Every bit one senior F-117A pilot afterward said: Because of ongoing secrecy others continued to see the aircraft every bit "none of their business, a stand-lone system".[11] The F-117A and the men and women of the 49th Fighter Fly were deployed to Southwest asia on multiple occasions. On their first deployment, with the aid of aeriform refueling, pilots flew not-terminate from Holloman to Kuwait, a flight of approximately 18.v hours.[53]

Gainsay over Yugoslavia [edit]

One F-117 (AF ser. no. 82-0806) was lost to enemy action. It was downed during a Operation Allied Force mission against the Army of Yugoslavia on 27 March 1999.[54] The aircraft was caused by a fire control radar at a distance of 8.1 mi (13 km) and an altitude of 5.0 mi (8 km). SA-3s were then launched by a Yugoslav version of the Soviet Isayev Due south-125 "Neva" (NATO proper noun SA-iii "Goa") anti-aircraft missile system.[54] [55] [56] The launcher was run by the tertiary Battalion of the 250th Air Defence force Missile Brigade nether the command of Colonel Zoltán Dani.[57]

After the explosion, the shipping became uncontrollable, forcing the pilot to eject.[54] The pilot was recovered six hours later by a United States Air Force Pararescue team.[54] [58] The stealth engineering science from the downed F-117 may have been acquired by Russia and China,[59] just the United states did not attempt to destroy the wreckage considering senior Pentagon officials argued that its technology was already dated and no longer important to protect.[26]

American sources state that a second F-117 was targeted and damaged during the campaign, allegedly on xxx April 1999.[60] [61] The aircraft returned to Spangdahlem base of operations,[61] but it supposedly never flew again.[62] [63] However, the USAF continued to employ the F-117 during Allied Force.[64]

Afterward service and retirement [edit]

A pair of F-117A Nighthawks

The F-117 was after used in the Operation Indelible Liberty in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Liberty in 2003. It was only operated by the U.S. Air Force.

The loss in Serbia acquired the USAF to create a subsection of their existing weapons school to improve tactics. More training was done with other units, and the F-117A began to participate in Red Flag exercises. Though advanced for its time, the F-117'south stealthy faceted airframe required a large corporeality of maintenance and was eventually superseded by streamlined shapes produced with computer-aided blueprint. Other weapon systems began to take on the F-117's roles, such every bit the F-22 Raptor gaining the ability to drib guided bombs.[65] By 2005, the aircraft was used only for certain missions, such every bit if a pilot needed to verify that the right target had been hit, or when minimal collateral damage was vital.[11]

The USAF had once planned to retire the F-117 in 2011, just Program Budget Decision 720 (PBD 720), dated 28 December 2005, proposed retiring it by October 2008 to gratuitous up an estimated $1.07 billion[66] to purchase more than F-22s.[47] PBD 720 chosen for 10 F-117s to be retired in FY2007 and the remaining 42 in FY2008, stating that other USAF planes and missiles could stealthily deliver precision ordnance, including the B-2 Spirit, F-22 and JASSM.[67] The planned introduction of the multi-office F-35 Lightning 2 too contributed to the retirement decision.[68]

In belatedly 2006, the USAF closed the F-117 formal training unit (FTU),[69] and announced the retirement of the F-117.[70] The first half-dozen aircraft to exist retired took their last flight on 12 March 2007 after a ceremony at Holloman AFB to commemorate the aircraft's career. Brigadier General David 50. Goldfein, commander of the 49th Fighter Wing, said at the ceremony, "With the launch of these bang-up aircraft today, the circumvolve comes to a close—their service to our nation'due south defense fulfilled, their mission accomplished and a job well washed. We ship them today to their final resting identify—a habitation they are intimately familiar with—their first, and only, domicile outside of Holloman."[71]

Different virtually other USAF aircraft that are retired to Davis-Monthan AFB for scrapping, or dispersal to museums, most of the F-117s were placed in "Type thousand" storage[72] in their original hangars at the Tonopah Examination Range Airport.[54] At Tonopah, their wings were removed and the aircraft are stored in their original climate-controlled hangars.[71] The decommissioning occurred in eight phases, with the operational aircraft retired to Tonopah in seven waves from thirteen March 2007 until the final wave's arrival on 22 April 2008.[3] [54] Four aircraft were kept flying beyond April by the 410th Flying Exam Squadron at Palmdale for flying test. Past Baronial, two were remaining. The last F-117 (AF Serial No. 86-0831) left Palmdale to fly to Tonopah on 11 August 2008.[54] [73] With the terminal aircraft retired, the 410th was inactivated in a ceremony on ane August 2008.[74]

5 aircraft were placed in museums, including the first four YF-117As and some remains of the F-117 shot down over Serbia. Through 2009, one F-117 had been scrapped; AF Serial No. 79-0784 was scrapped at the Palmdale test facility on 26 April 2008. It was the terminal F-117 at Palmdale and was scrapped to test an effective method for destroying F-117 airframes.[54]

Congress had ordered that all F-117s mothballed from 30 September 2006 onwards were to be maintained "in a condition that would allow think of that aircraft to time to come service" equally part of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act. Past April 2016, lawmakers appeared prepare to "remove the requirement that certain F-117 aircraft exist maintained in a condition that would allow recall of those aircraft to future service", which would move them from storage to the aerospace maintenance and regeneration m in Arizona to exist scavenged for hard-to-find parts, or completely disassembled.[75] On eleven September 2017, information technology was reported that in accordance with the National Defense force Authority Act for Fiscal Yr 2017, signed into law on 23 December 2016, "the Air Force will remove 4 F-117s every year to fully divest them—a process known as demilitarizing aircraft".[76]

Post-retirement sightings [edit]

Although officially retired, the F-117 fleet remained intact as of 2009, with photos showing the aircraft carefully mothballed.[54] As of 2016, the retired fleet comprised over 50 airframes, with some of the aircraft beingness flown periodically.[77] F-117s were spotted flying periodically from 2014 to 2019.[78] [79] [80] [81] [82] In March 2019, it was reported that iv F-117s had been secretly deployed to the Middle East in 2016 and that one had to brand an emergency landing at Ali Al Salem (OKAS), Kuwait former late that year.[83] [ verification needed ]

In February 2019, an F-117 was observed flying through the R-2508 Special Use Airspace Complex in the vicinity of Edwards Air Forcefulness Base of operations, escorted by two F-sixteen Fighting Falcons that may have been providing summit encompass. Closer photographs of the aircraft revealed that the tail code had been scrubbed in an try to remove the paint. The partially-intact code identified it as a one-time aircraft of the 49th Operations Group.[81] An F-117 was as well photographed in 2019 carrying unit markings previously unassociated with the shipping—a band on the tail bearing the name Dark Knights, suggesting either an official or unofficial squadron is maintaining the Nighthawks.[84] In July 2019, one Nighthawk in a hybrid assailant paint scheme was spotted flying in a higher place Death Valley, trailing behind a KC-135R Stratotanker.[85]

In March 2020, a spectator recorded an F-117 flying through the "Star Wars Canyon" in Expiry Valley, California.[iv] On 20 May 2020, ii more F-117s were sighted in a common aerial refueling area of Southern California abaft a NKC-135R Stratotanker from Edwards AFB, California.[82] In Oct 2020, at least two F-117s arrived at MCAS Miramar, featuring a tail lawmaking of TR which the Nighthawks based at Tonopah Range had previously used.[86] [87]

On 13 September 2021, a pair of F-117s landed at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California. They were scheduled to train with the California Air National Guard F-15C/D Eagles of the 144th Fighter Wing over the next few days.[88] One aircraft had ruby letters on its tail, and the other had white letters. One of the two was observed to not exist fitted with radar reflectors.[89]

In Jan 2022, 2 F-117s were observed in flight in the Saline Armed services Operating Area. 1 had portions of its exterior covered in a "mirror-like coating" believed to be an experimental treatment to reduce the aircraft's infrared signature.[xc]

Variants [edit]

F-117N "Seahawk" [edit]

The The states Navy tested the F-117 in 1984 simply determined it was unsuitable for carrier utilise.[27] In the early 1990s, Lockheed proposed an upgraded carrier-capable F-117 variant dubbed the "Seahawk" to the Navy as an culling to the canceled A/F-10 program. The unsolicited proposal was received poorly by the Department of Defense, which lacked involvement in the unmarried mission capabilities on offer, especially as it would take money away from the Articulation Advanced Strike Technology program, which evolved into the Joint Strike Fighter. The F-117N would have differed from the country-based F-117 in several ways, such as the use of "elevators, a bubble awning, a less sharply swept fly and reconfigured tail".[91] [92] It would besides be re-engined with General Electric F414 turbofans in place of the General Electric F404s. The aircraft would be optionally fitted with hardpoints, assuasive for an boosted eight,000 lb (3,600 kg) of payload, and a new ground-attack radar with air-to-air capability. In that role, the F-117N could bear AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.[91] [93]

F-117B [edit]

After being rebuffed by the Navy, Lockheed submitted an updated proposal that included afterburning capability and a larger emphasis on the F-117N as a multi-mission aircraft, rather than just an set on shipping.[93] To boost involvement, Lockheed also proposed an F-117B country-based variant that shared virtually of the F-117N capabilities. This variant was proposed to the USAF and RAF.[94] Two RAF pilots formally evaluated the aircraft in 1986 as a reward for British help with the American bombing of Libya that yr, RAF exchange officers began flying the F-117 in 1987,[27] and the British declined an offer during the Reagan administration to purchase the aircraft.[95] This renewed F-117N proposal was likewise known every bit the A/F-117X.[96] Neither the F-117N nor the F-117B were ordered.

Operators [edit]

U.s.a.
  • The states Air Strength[97]
    • 4450th Tactical Group – Tonopah Examination Range, Nevada
      • 4450th Tactical Squadron (1981–1989)
      • 4451st Tactical Squadron (1981–1989)
      • 4453rd Test and Evaluation Squadron (1985–1989)
    • 37th Tactical Fighter Wing/Fighter Wing – Tonopah Exam Range
      • 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1989–1992)
      • 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron (1989–1992)
      • 417th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (1989–1992)
    • 49th Fighter Wing – Holloman AFB, New Mexico
      • 7th Fighter Squadron (1992–2006)
      • 8th Fighter Squadron (1992–2008)
      • 9th Fighter Squadron (1993–2008)
    • 412th Test Wing – Edwards AFB, California
      • 410th Flight Test Squadron (1993–2008)

Aircraft on display [edit]

Us [edit]

YF-117A
  • 79-10780 Scorpion 1 – on pedestal brandish on Nellis Boulevard, at the entrance to Nellis Air Force Base of operations, Nevada ( 36°13′38.00″N 115°iii′33.28″W  /  36.2272222°Northward 115.0592444°W  / 36.2272222; -115.0592444 ). It was put in place on 16 May 1992, the showtime F-117 to exist made a gate guardian.[98]
  • 79-10781 Scorpion 2 – National Museum of the U.s.a. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. It was delivered to the museum on 17 July 1991.[99]
  • 79-10782 Scorpion 3 – Holloman Air Forcefulness Base, New Mexico. It was repainted to resemble the showtime F-117A used to drop weapons in combat. This aircraft was used for acoustics and navigation system testing. While wearing a flag painted on its bottom surface, this aircraft revealed the type'south being to loftier-ranking officials at Groom Lake on 14 December 1983, the kickoff semi-public unveiling of the aircraft. It was placed on display at Holloman AFB on five Apr 2008.[ citation needed ]
  • 79-10783 Scorpion four – Information technology had been previously on display at the Blackbird Airpark Museum at Air Forcefulness Plant 42, Palmdale, California. In June 2012, Scorpion 4 was transported from Blackbird Airpark to Edwards AFB for restoration work; information technology is planned for the shipping to be displayed at the Air Force Flying Test Center Museum.[100]
F-117A

82-0817 'Shaba' under restoration

  • eighty-0785 – Pole-mounted outside the Skunk Works facility at U.s.a. Air Strength Constitute 42 in Palmdale, California. Hybrid airframe comprising the wreckage of lxxx–0785, the first production F-117A, and static test manufactures 778 and 779.[101]
  • 82-0799 Midnight Rider – Hill Aerospace Museum; Aircraft arrived at the museum on 5 August 2020; it is to be prepared and painted for display.[102]
  • 82-0803 Unexpected Guest – Displayed exterior the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.[103]
  • 85-0817 Shaba [104] – Arrived at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo on xi December 2020 to be partially restored and put on display.[ citation needed ]
  • 85-0819 Raven Beauty – Scheduled to be transported to the Stafford Air & Infinite Museum in early on 2020 for preservation.[ citation needed ]
  • 84-0827 – Stripped fuselage listed as "scrap" on a authorities surplus website in early 2020. Fate unknown.[105]
  • 85-0831 – Located at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, where it is scheduled for restoration and display. It served as a test aircraft at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California from 1987 to 2008.[106]
  • 85-0833 Black Devil – Unveiled at Palm Springs Air Museum on 3 October 2020. Under restoration and scheduled for public brandish in Jump 2021.[107]

Serbia [edit]

F-117A
  • 82-0806 Something Wicked – shot down over Serbia; the remains are displayed at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade close to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.[108]

Nicknames [edit]

The aircraft's official name is "Night Hawk",[109] withal the culling grade "Nighthawk" is oft used.

Equally information technology prioritized stealth over aerodynamics, it earned the nickname "Wobblin' Goblin" due to its alleged instability at low speeds. Withal, F-117 pilots accept stated the nickname is undeserved.[110] "Wobblin' (or Wobbly) Goblin" is probable a holdover from the early on Have Blue / Senior Trend (FSD) days of the project when instability was a problem. In the USAF, "Goblin" (without wobbly) persists equally a nickname because of the aircraft's appearance. During Operation Desert Tempest, Saudis dubbed the aircraft "Shaba", which is Arabic for "Ghost".[111] [ additional citation(s) needed ] Some pilots also chosen the airplane the "Stinkbug".[112]

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 it picked upward the nickname "Invisible" (Serbian cyrillic "Невидљиви", latin "Nevidljivi") and it gained popularity after it was shot down over Serbian airspace near Buđanovci. The F-117 downing became a spot of Serbian pride with a phrase "We didn't know it was invisible" was coined.[ citation needed ]

Specifications (F-117A) [edit]

Schematic diagram and size comparison of Lockheed F-117A

Data from U.S. Air Force National Museum, for the F-117A.[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 65 ft eleven in (twenty.09 one thousand)
  • Wingspan: 43 ft 4 in (thirteen.21 m)
  • Height: 12 ft five in (3.78 k)
  • Fly surface area: 780 sq ft (72 mtwo) [113]
  • Airfoil: Lozenge section, 3 flats Upper, ii flats Lower[114]
  • Empty weight: 29,500 lb (13,381 kg) [113]
  • Max takeoff weight: 52,500 lb (23,814 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × General Electric F404-F1D2 turbofan engines, 9,040 lbf (twoscore.2 kN) thrust each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 594 kn (684 mph, 1,100 km/h)
  • Maximum speed: Mach 0.92
  • Range: 930 nmi (ane,070 mi, 1,720 km) ;[ commendation needed ]
  • Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (xiv,000 m)
  • Wing loading: 67.3 lb/sq ft (329 kg/thou2) calculated from[113]
  • Thrust/weight: 0.40

Armament

  • ii × internal weapons trophy with ane hardpoint each (full of two weapons) equipped to carry:
    • Bombs:
      • GBU-10 Paveway II light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation-guided bomb with 2,000 lb (910 kg) Mk84 smash/fragmentation or BLU-109 or BLU-116 Penetrator warhead
      • GBU-12 Paveway 2 laser-guided bomb with 500 lb (230 kg) Mk82 blast/fragmentation warhead
      • GBU-27 Paveway Three laser-guided bomb with two,000 lb (910 kg) Mk84 blast-fragmentation or BLU-109 or BLU-116 Penetrator warhead
      • GBU-31 JDAM INS/GPS guided munition with ii,000 lb (910 kg) Mk84 smash-frag or BLU-109 Penetrator warhead
      • B61 nuclear bomb[115]

Notable appearances in media [edit]

The Omaha Nighthawks professional person American football team used the F-117 Nighthawk every bit its logo.[116] The experimental Remora F-117X was featured in the 1996 moving picture Executive Decision.[117]

Run into as well [edit]

  • Sea Shadow
  • Wainfan Facetmobile

Related development

  • Lockheed Have Blue

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

  • BAE Replica
  • MBB Lampyridae

Related lists

  • List of Lockheed aircraft
  • List of armed services aircraft of the United States

References [edit]

Notes [edit]

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Bibliography [edit]

  • Donald, David, ed. (2003). Blackness Jets: The Evolution and Performance of America's Most Underground Warplanes. Norwalk, CT: AIRtime Publishing Inc. ISBN978-1-880588-67-three.
  • Eden, Paul, ed. (2004). The Encyclopedia of Modern War machine Aircraft. London: Amber Books. ISBN978-1-904687-84-9. {{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Goodall, James C. (1992). "The Lockheed F-117A Stealth Fighter". America's Stealth Fighters and Bombers: B-2, F-117, YF-22 and YF-23. St. Paul, MN: Motorbooks International. ISBN978-0-87938-609-2.
  • Miller, Jay (1990). Lockheed F-117 Stealth Fighter. Arlington, TX: Aerofax Actress. ISBN978-0-942548-48-8.
  • Rich, Ben (1994). Skunk Works. New York: Back Bay Books. ISBN978-0-316-74330-3.
  • Richardson, Doug (2001). Stealth Warplanes. New York: Salamander Books Ltd. ISBN978-0-7603-1051-9.

Farther reading [edit]

  • Aronstein, David C. and Albert C. Piccirillo (1997). Have Blueish and the F-117A. Reston, VA: AIAA. ISBN978-ane-56347-245-9.
  • Fisk, Robert (2005). The Great State of war for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle Eastward. New York: Alfred Knopf. ISBN978-1-84115-007-9.
  • Grant, R.G. and John R. Dailey (2007). Flight: 100 Years of Aviation. Harlow, Essex: DK Adult. ISBN978-0-7566-1902-2.
  • Jenkins, Dennis R. and Tony R. Landis (2008). Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Forcefulness Jet Fighters. North Co-operative, Minnesota: Specialty Press. ISBN978-ane-58007-111-half-dozen.
  • Sun, Andt (1990). F-117A Stealth Fighter. Hong Kong: Concord Publications Co. ISBN978-962-361-017-9.
  • Winchester, Jim, ed. (2004). "Lockheed F-117". Mod Military Shipping (Aviation Factfile) . Rochester, Kent, UK: Grange Books plc. ISBN978-1-84013-640-ane.
  • The World'due south Swell Stealth and Reconnaissance Shipping. New York: Smithmark Publishing. 1991. ISBN978-0-8317-9558-0.

External links [edit]

  • Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk. National Museum of the United States Air Force
  • The 49th Fighter Fly at Holloman Air Force Base
  • F-117A.com – The "Black Jet" website (a comprehensive site)
  • F-117 article and Stealth article on Centennial of Flight web site
  • F-117A Nighthawk folio on AirAttack.com
  • F-117A Nighthawk page on FAS.org
  • "Filling the Stealth Gap", in Air and Space Power Journal Autumn 2006 Archived 28 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  • The Appearance, Evolution, and New Horizons of United States Stealth Aircraft
  • "The Secrets of Stealth" on Discovery Military machine Channel
  • Austrian Radar Plots on acig.org
  • CNN – NATO air attack shifts, aims at violence inside Kosovo – 27 March 1999
  • Google Maps directory of all surviving F-117s on public display
  • (in German) Austrian article virtually interception of F-117
  • Russians admit testing F-117 lost in Yugoslavia, 2001 Flight Global commodity

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-117_Nighthawk

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