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1980-01-03
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F-117A STEALTH FIGHTER
Prime Contractor : Lockheed Aircraft
Wingspan : 43 ft., 4 in.
Length : 65 ft., 11 in.
Height : 12 ft., 5 in.
Weight : 52,500 lbs. (empty weight: 28,500 lbs.)
Engines : Two General Electric F404-GE-F1D2 turbofans
Engine thrust : 10,000 lbs.
Operating altitude : Classified
Top Speed : 0.80 mach
Maximum range : 900 miles
Date of service : 1983
The existence of the F-117A had been rumored since it became operational
in 1983, but it was not revealed officially until November 1988. Until
then, these precision attack aircraft were restricted mainly to night
flying, in order to maintain secrecy. Development and manufacture of
the F-117As began in November 1978, and the first test flight took place
in June 1981.
Developed by Lockeed in the famous "Skunk Works" in Burbank, the F-117A
Stealth fighter was designed to be as invisible to radar as possible, as
well as difficult to see visually. The skin panels of the arrowhead-
shaped airframe, with a leading-edge sweep of about 67.5 degrees, are
divided into many small, perfectly flat surfaces, which reflect at a
variety of angles all signals from probing hostile ground or airborne radars.
Much of the aircraft's external surface is made of composite radar-absorbent
materials and has a dull black finish that reflects little light. The engine
air intakes and exhaust nozzles are above the wings and rear fuselage,
respectively, to shield them from radar seekers below.
The F-117As first operational deployment was to Panama in December 1989,
in support of Operation Just Cause. During the Gulf War, more than
40 of the Stealth fighters undertook 1,270 missions, flying undetected
and unmolested while attacking top-priority targets. According to the
Air Force, the F-117As, hit more than 95 percent of their targets flying
at night and at low altitudes using advanced sensors and precision guided
bombs, often called "smart" bombs.
The armament of the Stealth includes a wide variety of tactical weapons
including laser guided 2,000 lb. munitions and Maverick or HARM missiles.
There are also provisions for the AIM-9 Sidewinder.
F-117As can be carried on board C-5 Galaxy transports with their wings
removed. Two General Electric F404 nonafterburning turbofans give the
aircraft low noise signature and high subsonic performance. Quadruple
redundant fly-by-wire flight controls and a state-of-the-art digital
avionics suite, complemented by a specifically developed automated mission
planning system, are key features of the aircraft.