Warplanes of the USA: Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

(USGOV PD Photo)

410th Flight Test Squadron - F-117 Formation. Identified aircraft are Serial Nos. 81-10784, 81-10783, 84-0811, and 85-0831.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, subsonic twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed at Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational aircraft to be designed with stealth technology. The F-117 was secret for much of the 1980s.

Work on what would become the F-117 began in the 1970s as a means of countering increasingly sophisticated Soviet surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). In 1976, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued Lockheed with a contract to produce the Have Blue technology demonstrator, the test data from which validated the concept. On 1 November 1978, it was decided to proceed with the F-117 development program. A total of five prototypes were produced, the first of which performed its maiden flight in 1981 at Groom Lake, Nevada. The first production F-117 was delivered in 1982, and its initial operating capability was achieved in October 1983. All aircraft were initially based at the Test Range Airport, Nevada.

The aircraft's faceted shape (made from two-dimensional flat surfaces) heavily contributed to its relatively low radar cross-section of about 0.001 m2 (0.0108sq ft). To minimize its infrared signature, it has a non-circular tail pipet hat mixes hot exhaust with cool ambient air and lacks afterburners; it is also restricted to subsonic speeds as breaking the sound barrier would produce an obvious sonic boom that would increase both its acoustic and infrared footprints. While its performance in air combat maneuvering was less than that of most contemporary fighters, it was strictly an attack aircraft despite being commonly referred to as the "Stealth Fighter". For this reason, it is equipped with integrated sophisticated digital navigation and attack systems, with targeting being achieved via a thermal imaging infrared system and a laser rangefinder/laser designator. It is aerodynamically unstable in all three aircraft principal axes and thus requires constant flight corrections via a fly-by-wire (FBW) flight system to maintain controlled flight.

Even in the years following its entry to service, the F-117 was a blackproject, its existence being denied by USAF officials. On 10 November 1988, the F-117 was publicly acknowledged for the first time. Its first combat mission was flown during the American invasion of Panama in 1989. The last of 59 production F-117s were delivered on 3 July 1990. The F-117 was widely publicized for its role in the Gulf War of 1991, having flown approximately 1,300 sorties and scored direct hits on what the US military described as 1,600 high-value targets in Iraq. F-117s also participated in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, during which one was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) in 1999. It was also active during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The USAF retired the F-117 in 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 F-117s have been observed flying since being retired from combat. (Wikipedia)

(Tim Felce - Airwolfhound)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, RIAT 2.

(USAF Photo)

An F-117 Nighthawk engages its target and drops a GBU-27 guided bomb unit during the 'live-fire' weapons testing mission COMBAT HAMMER, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. 18 July 2000. The F-117's split internal bay can carry 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of ordnance. Typical weapons are a pair of GBU-10, GBU-12, or GBU-27 laser-guided bombs, two BLU-109 penetration bombs, or, after 2006, two Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) GPS/INS guided stand-off bombs.

(Andre Wadman Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, 14 July 2007. The single-seat F-117 is powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404 turbofan engines. They were extensively modified to suit a stealthy aircraft, such as to have a cooler operational temperature, and somewhat resembled a turbojet instead. The engine was redesigned to produce a minimum of mass thrust, which eased the task of designing a suitable inlet and nozzle. To obscure the engine from enemy radar, a conductive metal mesh grill was installed in the intake while the exhaust gases were intentionally mixed with cool air to lower the thermal signature.

The aircraft 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 feet (860 m) per minute, and service ceiling is 43,000 to 45,000 feet (13,000 to 14,000 m). The cockpit was quite spacious, with ergonomic displays and controls, but the field of view was somewhat obstructed with a large blind spot to the rear. (Wikipedia)

(Tim Felce - Airwolfhound)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.

(Alain Rioux Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk (Serial No. 82-0805).

(Rob Schieffert Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (Serial No. 83-0808). Fairford, 18 July 2004.

(USAF Photo)

An F-117 Nighthawk engages its target and drops a GBU-27 guided bomb unit during the 'live-fire' weapons testing mission COMBAT HAMMER, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. 18 July 2000.

(USAF Photo)

An F-117 Nighthawk from the 8th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Holloman AFB, NM, flies over the Persian Gulf.

(Andre Wadman Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk.

(USAF Photo)

A U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk lands during Northern Edge 23-1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 10, 2023. NE 23-1 provides an opportunity for joint, multinational and multi-domain operations designed to implement high-end, realistic war fighter training, develop and improve joint interoperability, and enhance the combat readiness of participating forces.

(USN Photo)

A U.S. Air Force F-117A Nighthawk takes off for a flight demonstration during the 2005 Joint Service Open House.

(USAF Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, Persian Gulf 1996.

(USAF Photo)

5 stealth fly over the Tularosa Basin as part of the Silver Stealth celebration 27 October 2006, at Holloman.

(USAF Photo)

U.S. Air Force airmen from the 49th Fighter Wing out of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., shut down an F-117 Nighthawk aircraft following the flyover portion of the aircraft's farewell ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on March 11, 2008. The aircraft is scheduled for retirement in 2008.

(USAF Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Grey Dragon, 17 November 2006.

(USAF Photo)

A U.S. Air Force F-117 Nighthawk lands during Northern Edge 23-1 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 10, 2023. NE 23-1 provides an opportunity for joint, multinational and multi-domain operations designed to implement high-end, realistic war fighter training, develop and improve joint interoperability, and enhance the combat readiness of participating forces

(USAF Photo)

A U.S. Air Force Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk aircraft assigned to the 49th Fighter Wing, taxies with its drag chute deployed after landing on the runway at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on 13 October 2002.

(USAF Photo)

F-117 stealth fighter aircraft of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing stand on the flight line with canopies raised following their return from Saudi Arabia where they took part in Operation Desert Storm.

(USAF Photo)

US Air Force (USAF) Colonel (COL) Steve Miller, Commander, 1st Fighter Wing (FW), Langley Air Force Base (AFB), Virginia (VA), and members of his staff are on hand to greet US Air Force (USAF) F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter aircraft from the 49th Fighter Wing (FW), Holloman AFB, New Mexico (NM), during a scheduled stopover at Langley, as the aircraft are enroute to their home base following a deployment to Iraq, supporting Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.

(USAF Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter aircraft from the 9th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) deploy its parachute to slow down its landing after a completing a training sortie at Kunsan Air Base (AB), Korea (KOR), 24 August 2004.

(USGOV-PD Photo)

F-117A Nighthawks of the 49th Operations Group at Holloman AFB, after the re-designation of the 37th Fighter Wing, 1992.

(USAF Photo)

U.S. Air Force ground crew members do a final inspection of an F-117A Nighthawk aircraft before it departs for Kuwait from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., on Nov. 19, 1997. Six of the stealth fighters will join a large force of approximately 120 U.S. Air Force aircraft in the region proving support to Operation Southern Watch which is the U.S. and coalition enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Southern Iraq. The aircraft are deploying to the Persian Gulf from the 8th Fighter Squadron at Holloman.

(USAF Photo, Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II)

A US Air Force (USAF) F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter aircraft flies over Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada (NV), during the joint service experimentation process dubbed Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02). Sponsored by the US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), the MC02 experiment explores how Effects Based Operations (EBO) can provide an integrated joint context for conducting rapid, decisive operations (RDO). 6 August 2002.

(USAF Photo)

The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is a stealth ground attack aircraft operated solely by the United States Air Force. The F-117A's first flight was in 1981, and it achieved Initial Operational Capability status in October 1983. The F-117A came out of secrecy and was revealed to the world in November 1988. As a product of the Skunk Works and a development of the Have Blue prototype, it became the first operational aircraft initially designed around stealth technology. The F-117A was widely publicized during the Gulf War. The Air Force is on-track to retire the F-117 in April 2008 due mainly to the deployment of the more effective F-22 Raptor.

(Konstantin von Wedelstaedt Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter (Serial No. 86-0840).

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk (Serial No. 86-0839).

(USN Photo)

Wright "B" Flyer replica taxis past a North American F-117A Nighthawk "Stealth Fighter" during the U.S. Air and Trade Show at the Dayton International Airport. The annual air show participated in a celebration of 100 years of flight. 17 July 2003.

(Joe Sullivan Photo)

North American F-117A Nighthawk.

(USGOV-PD Photo)

7th Fighter Squadron F-117A crew chiefs prepare an aircraft for flight at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 2000.

(RAF-YYC Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk at Abbotsford Airport, British Columbia, 14 August 2005.

(Tim Felce -Airwolfhound Photo)

North American F-117A Nigfhthawk, RIAT 2004.

(Pedro Aragão Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, (Serial No. 86-0823).

(USAF Photo)

An F-117 and F-15s prepare to launch from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, during Operation Enduring Freedom. 2003.

(USAF Photo, JO1 Pete Hatzako)

U.S. Air Force security police stand at parade rest around a F-117A aircraft on display at the 1991 Paris Air Show. Two Paveway II laser-guided bombs are in front of the aircraft.

(Liftarn Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, Miramar Airshow, 2009.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth fighter from the 49th Fighter Wing, 9th Fighter Squadron "The Black Sheep," Holloman Air Force Base, 24 May 1997.

(USAF Photo, Tech. Sgt. James D. Mossman)

Several F-117 Nighthawks belonging to the 8th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Wing, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, are being prepared for a mission on March 15, 1998. The 8th FS is deployed to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, in support of the SWA buildup.

(USAF Photo, Master Sgt. Val Gempis)

Senior Airman Tony Kepo'o prepares to pull the landing gear wheel chock of an F-117 Nighthawk fighter during an end of runway check at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, on Aug. 15, 2004. Kepo'o is a crew chief from the 49th Maintenance Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. About 300 airmen from Holloman are currently deployed here to Kunsan supporting Air Expeditionary Forces operations in the Pacific Region.

(USAF Photo, Staff Sgt. Andy Dunaway)

Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth fighter from the 49th Fighter Wing, 9th Fighter Squadron "Iron Knights," Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

(Lowesvisa Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (Serial No. 88-0843).

(USAF Photo)

A pair of specially painted F-117 Nighthawks fly off from their last refueling by the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing. The F-117s were retired March 11 in a farewell ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 6 March 2008.

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawks preserved in the USA

YF-117A

(Author Photos)

(Terrence Culton Photo)
79-10780 - Scorpion 1 –TR, C/N A.4005. 79-10780, was the first Nighthawk, making its maiden flight from Groom Lake (Area 51), Nevada, on 18 June 1981 It is mounted on a pylon in Freedom Park, near the entrance to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It was put in place on 16 May 1992, the first F-117 to be made a gate guardian.

(ZLEA Photo)

(Clemens Vasters Photos)

(NMUSAF Photos)

(NMUSAF Photo)
79-10781 - Scorpion 2 – National Museum of the United States Air Force atWright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. It was delivered to the museum on 17 July 1991. 79-10781), ED, C/N A.4006 was the second F-117A built and was specially modified for systems testing.  The USAF retired it to the museum in 1991 after its test program was completed.  It is marked as it appeared during tests conducted for the Air Force Systems Command between 1981 and 1991.
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79-10782 - Scorpion 3 – Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It was repainted to resemble the first 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's existence to high-ranking officials at Groom Lake on 14 December 1983, the first semi-public unveiling ofthe aircraft. It was placed on display at Holloman AFB on 5 April 2008.

(USAF Photo)
79-10783 Scorpion 4 – ED, It had been previously on display at the Blackbird Airpark Museum at Air Force Plant 42, Palmdale, California. In June 2012, Scorpion 4 was transported from Blackbird Airpark to Edwards AFB forrestoration work; it is planned for the aircraft to be displayed at the AirForce Flight Test Museum.

F-117A

(Alan Wilson Photo)
80-0785 – Pole-mounted outside the Skunk Works facility at United States Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. Hybrid airframe comprising the wreckage of 80–0785, the first production F-117A, and static test articles 778 and 779. It is mounted on a pedestal and serves as a monument.
81-0794 - Delta Dawn - Museum of Aviation (Warner Robins); aircraft arrived atthe museum on 18 May 2023; it is to be partially restored and put on display.
82-0799 - Midnight Rider – Hill Aerospace Museum; Aircraft arrived at the museumon 5 August 2020; it is to be prepared and painted for display.
82-0803 - Unexpected Guest – TR, displayed outside the Ronald Reagan PresidentialLibrary in Simi Valley, California. It was fixed to a pedestal and becamea monument.
84-0810 - Dark Angel – Delivered from Tonopah Test Range to the Pima Air & Space Museum, on 13 November 2022.
85-0813 - The Toxic Avenger – Delivered to Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California on 29 July 2022 for restoration and then display. Restoration was expected to take about a year and cost around $75,000.

(Rich VanderWoude Photos)

(Louis DePaemelaere Photo)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk (Serial No. 79-0782), painted as (Serial No. 85-0816), shown here at Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
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85-0816 - Lone Wolf - Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, undergoing restoration. It was the first F-117 to drop a bomb during Operation Desert Storm.
85-0817 - Shaba – Arrived at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo on 11 December 2020. On loan from the National Museum of the USAF. Restored and put on display July 2022.
85-0819 - Raven Beauty – Arrived at the Stafford Air & Space Museum July 11,2024 for preservation. It will be available for public display 24 July 2024.
84-0827 – Stripped fuselage listed as "scrap" on a government surplus website in early 2020. Fate unknown.

(ZLEA Photo)
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.
85-0833 - Black Devil – Unveiled at Palm Springs Air Museum on 3 October 2020.

Serbia

F-117A82-0806 - Something Wicked – shot down over Serbia; the remains are displayed at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade close to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 it picked up the nickname "Invisible". The name became ironic after it was shot down over Serbian airspace near Buđanovci, leading to the phrase "we didn't know it was invisible".

(Author Artwork)

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk.

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