Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a United States Air Force stealth aircraft developed by Lockheed Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Corporation, under the leadership of Ben Rich and Alan Brown. The F-117 was designed to conduct covert operations and reconnaissance missions for the US Air Force, with its development involving collaboration with NASA, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. The aircraft's unique design and capabilities were influenced by the work of Pyotr Ufimtsev, a Soviet Union scientist who developed the theory of radar absorbent materials.

● Development

The development of the F-117 began in the late 1970s, with the US Air Force issuing a request for proposal to Lockheed Corporation, Northrop Corporation, Rockwell International, and McDonnell Douglas to design a stealth aircraft. The project was led by Ben Rich, who worked closely with Alan Brown and Denys Overholser to develop the aircraft's design and capabilities. The F-117 made its first flight on June 18, 1981, at Groom Lake, a secret US Air Force base in Nevada, with Major Alton Whitley as the test pilot. The aircraft's development involved collaboration with MIT, Stanford University, and California Institute of Technology, and was supported by US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and US Air Force Research Laboratory.

● Design

The F-117's design is characterized by its unique faceted shape, which is designed to reduce its radar cross-section and make it difficult to detect by radar systems. The aircraft is made of aluminum and titanium alloys, with a radar absorbent material coating to reduce its radar reflectivity. The F-117 is powered by two General Electric F404 engines, which provide a total of 11,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft's avionics system was developed by Hughes Aircraft, and includes a Honeywell inertial navigation system and a Westinghouse radar warning receiver. The F-117's design was influenced by the work of Christopher C. Kraft Jr., a NASA engineer who developed the Mission Control Center concept, and Kelly Johnson, a Lockheed Skunk Works engineer who designed the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird.

● Operational History

The F-117 entered service with the US Air Force in 1983, and was first deployed to the Tonopah Test Range in Nevada. The aircraft saw its first combat action in 1989, during the United States invasion of Panama, and was later used in the Gulf War and the Kosovo War. The F-117 was also used in the War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War, and was retired from service in 2008. The aircraft's operational history involved collaboration with the US Navy, US Army, and US Marine Corps, and was supported by the US Air Force Space Command and the US Strategic Command. The F-117's combat record was influenced by the work of Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., a US Army general who led the coalition forces during the Gulf War, and Wesley Clark, a US Army general who led the NATO forces during the Kosovo War.

● Variants

There have been several variants of the F-117, including the YF-117A, which was the prototype version of the aircraft, and the F-117A, which was the production version. The F-117B was a proposed variant that would have been used for reconnaissance missions, but it was never built. The F-117N was a proposed variant that would have been used by the US Navy, but it was also never built. The F-117's variants were influenced by the work of Skunk Works, a division of Lockheed Corporation that developed the U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird, and Boeing Phantom Works, a division of Boeing that developed the Bird of Prey and X-45.

● Specifications

The F-117 has a length of 65 feet 11 inches, a wingspan of 43 feet 4 inches, and a height of 12 feet 9 inches. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 52,500 pounds, and a maximum speed of over Mach 0.92. The F-117 is powered by two General Electric F404 engines, which provide a total of 11,000 pounds of thrust. The aircraft's avionics system includes a Honeywell inertial navigation system and a Westinghouse radar warning receiver. The F-117's specifications were influenced by the work of NASA, US Air Force Research Laboratory, and US Naval Research Laboratory, and were supported by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the US Air Force Space Command.

● Operators

The F-117 was operated by the US Air Force, with the 49th Fighter Wing being the primary operator of the aircraft. The F-117 was also used by the US Air Force Reserve, and was supported by the US Air National Guard. The aircraft's operational history involved collaboration with the US Navy, US Army, and US Marine Corps, and was supported by the US Air Force Space Command and the US Strategic Command. The F-117's operators were influenced by the work of US Air Force Academy, US Naval Academy, and US Military Academy, and were supported by the US Department of Defense and the US Congress. Category:Aircraft