Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk
Name	F-117 Nighthawk
Caption	An F-117A in flight
Type	Stealth aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Corporation
Designer	Skunk Works
First flight	18 June 1981
Introduction	October 1983
Retired	22 April 2008 (USAF)
Status	In limited service
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	64 (5 YF-117A, 59 F-117A)
Developed from	Have Blue

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth aircraft developed by Lockheed Corporation's secretive Skunk Works division. It was the first operational aircraft to be designed around stealth technology, entering service with the United States Air Force in 1983. Its faceted shape and radar-absorbent materials made it nearly invisible to enemy radar, allowing it to conduct precision strikes against high-value targets. The aircraft was used extensively in conflicts such as the Gulf War and the Kosovo War before its official retirement in 2008, though some airframes remain in a limited flight status.

Development and origins

The program originated from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project codenamed Have Blue, which sought to prove the feasibility of a low-observable aircraft. Engineers at Skunk Works, led by Ben Rich, applied theoretical work on radar cross-section reduction by Soviet scientist Pyotr Ufimtsev. The first Have Blue prototype flew in 1977, leading to the development of the larger F-117 Nighthawk, which was designated as a fighter for security reasons despite being a pure attack aircraft. The program was conducted under extreme secrecy at Groom Lake (Area 51), with the aircraft's existence not publicly acknowledged until 1988.

Design characteristics

The aircraft's distinctive faceted shape, composed of flat panels, was designed to deflect radar waves away from receiving antennas. Its skin was coated with radar-absorbent material, and its engines, two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofans, were shielded by serrated inlet covers and wide, flat exhaust nozzles to reduce infrared and radar signature. It lacked an onboard radar, relying instead on a sophisticated infrared and laser targeting system housed in a turret for navigation and weapon delivery. Armament was carried internally in a weapons bay to preserve stealth, typically two GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bombs or BLU-109 bunker busters.

Operational history

The F-117 Nighthawk achieved initial operating capability in 1983 and saw its first combat during the United States invasion of Panama in 1989. Its most prominent use was during the Gulf War, where it conducted the first air strike of the conflict against key targets in Baghdad with near-impunity. It was also deployed during Operation Allied Force over Kosovo and Yugoslavia, where one was shot down by a Serbian Air Defense SA-3 Goa missile in 1999. The aircraft was officially retired from frontline service in 2008 as the United States Air Force shifted to the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, though some have since been used in test and training roles.

Operators

The sole operator of the type was the United States Air Force. Primary units included the 4450th Tactical Group (later the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing and finally the 49th Fighter Wing) based at Tonopah Test Range Airport and Holloman Air Force Base. A small number of aircraft were also assigned to the 410th Flight Test Squadron at Palmdale Air Force Plant 42 for developmental testing. No aircraft were ever exported due to the highly classified nature of its stealth technology.

Aircraft on display

Several retired aircraft are preserved in museums across the United States. Notable examples are on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, and the Blackbird Airpark near Palmdale, California. Others can be found at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Utah, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in Michigan, and the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.

Specifications (F-117A)

* **Crew:** 1 * **Length:** 65 ft 11 in (20.09 m) * **Wingspan:** 43 ft 4 in (13.21 m) * **Height:** 12 ft 5 in (3.78 m) * **Empty weight:** 29,500 lb (13,380 kg) * **Max takeoff weight:** 52,500 lb (23,814 kg) * **Powerplant:** 2 × General Electric F404-F1D2 non-afterburning turbofan engines * **Maximum speed:** 594 kn (684 mph, 1,100 km/h) * **Range:** 930 nmi (1,070 mi, 1,720 km) * **Service ceiling:** 45,000 ft (13,716 m) * **Armament:** Internal weapons bay for up to 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) of ordnance, typically GBU-10 Paveway II, GBU-27 Paveway III, or BLU-109 penetrator bombs.

Category:Stealth aircraft Category:United States attack aircraft 1980–1989 Category:Lockheed aircraft