# F-117: A long, storied history that is about to end



## v2 (Oct 31, 2006)

10/28/2006 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- After 25 years of storied service, the F-117 Nighthawk, the Air Force's first stealth fighter, is about to retire. The technology that once made it a unique weapon system has now caught up to it and newer fighter aircraft are now joining the fleet. Still, the Nighthawk was the first of its kind, a fact anyone who has spent time around the aircraft is quick to point out. 

Many of these people were gathered here Oct. 29 to commemorate 25 years of Nighthawk history at the Silver Stealth ceremony. Members of the F-117 community, past and present, were on hand to pay homage to the aircraft's illustrious history, a history that contains as many secrets as it does legends.

More info and pics:http://www.af.mil/news/story_media.a...ryID=123030185


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## davparlr (Nov 7, 2006)

v2 said:


> 10/28/2006 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- After 25 years of storied service, the F-117 Nighthawk, the Air Force's first stealth fighter, is about to retire. The technology that once made it a unique weapon system has now caught up to it and newer fighter aircraft are now joining the fleet. Still, the Nighthawk was the first of its kind, a fact anyone who has spent time around the aircraft is quick to point out.
> 
> Many of these people were gathered here Oct. 29 to commemorate 25 years of Nighthawk history at the Silver Stealth ceremony. Members of the F-117 community, past and present, were on hand to pay homage to the aircraft's illustrious history, a history that contains as many secrets as it does legends.
> 
> More info and pics:http://www.af.mil/news/story_media.a...ryID=123030185




Often being the first is not the best position to be in. Just like the USS Monitor and the HMS Dreadnought, which were revolutionary but overshadowed quickly by technology, the F-117 was too limited and inflexible in what it could do and RCS technology quickly made the F-117 stealth techniques obsolete. The plane is revolutionary and historic and lived up to its promise with devastating accuracy and will always be the representive of stealth. The F-35, with similar stealth and much greater capability will perform its tasks.


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## the lancaster kicks ass (Nov 8, 2006)

like the Dreadnaught and Warrior though the F-117 will always be remembered as the first!


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## Hunter368 (Nov 8, 2006)

It was a great plane.


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## Matt308 (Nov 8, 2006)

And that second pic is a mean view!


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## Gnomey (Nov 8, 2006)

Sure is! Revolutionairy at the time and there aren't many that are better but with the F-35 and F-22 coming online it is probably time for it to be replaced unfortunately...


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## evangilder (Nov 17, 2006)

That second pic is by Tyson Rininger. He is quite a good shooter. Hell of a good _attack_ airplane. I don't know how it ever got the F designation. I am glad that I got a chance to get some good shots of it. I think I will get a few more before they are completely gone.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Nov 19, 2006)

Great pics. She definatly was a cool looking aircraft.


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## HealzDevo (Nov 19, 2006)

I think it could launch an AAM from the weapons-bay. I think that is why it got the F- designation. I think it was intended to have a dual-purpose of attacking high priority air-defence targets as well as being able to sneak in and take out enemy AWACs capability. When the aircraft flew in the 1980s it was still possible that the Cold War could turn into a Hot War. I have heard that the B-2 Spirit can also launch AAMs from the weapons-bay too. I know that the B-2s and F-117s are intended to neutralize any ground-based threats from vehicle-launched ICBMs... I think though that being able to launch an AAM is a matter of having the right electronics and I know that the electronics of the F-117 and B-2 are intended to be able to launch a large variety of weapons...


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 20, 2006)

HealzDevo said:


> I think it could launch an AAM from the weapons-bay. I think that is why it got the F- designation. I think it was intended to have a dual-purpose of attacking high priority air-defence targets as well as being able to sneak in and take out enemy AWACs capability. When the aircraft flew in the 1980s it was still possible that the Cold War could turn into a Hot War. I have heard that the B-2 Spirit can also launch AAMs from the weapons-bay too. I know that the B-2s and F-117s are intended to neutralize any ground-based threats from vehicle-launched ICBMs... I think though that being able to launch an AAM is a matter of having the right electronics and I know that the electronics of the F-117 and B-2 are intended to be able to launch a large variety of weapons...




The F-117 was designed as a "bomber" from the beginning, there was never any serious thought in giving the aircraft air-to-air capability - I worked on the program briefly in the early 80s.

After the first F-117s were rolling down the line, Lockheed really wanted the "ASB" or "ATB" contract. They were teamed with Rockwell, as we know a team of Northrop, Boeing and LTV got the program and thus the B-2 was born.

It is folklore that the F-117 got it's designation as the result of an error made when the first -1 (flight manual) was produced. It seems the office that released the document had a chronological file and the document number for the F-117 was "F-117." A week later a presentation was made to the USAF and F-117 was the title. Again this is Lockheed folklore and I'm sure someday we'll hear the real story.

When I was on the program it was just known as "the article."


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## Matt308 (Nov 20, 2006)

If I recall correctly the F designation was originated in the Have Blue program and it stuck.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 20, 2006)

Matt308 said:


> If I recall correctly the F designation was originated in the Have Blue program and it stuck.



Possibly....


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## Matt308 (Nov 20, 2006)

Hey I get one with FBJ!!! And I made that sh!t up.

Just kidding.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 21, 2006)

Matt308 said:


> Hey I get one with FBJ!!! And I made that sh!t up.
> 
> Just kidding.



Ex-lax in your coffee!


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## evangilder (Nov 21, 2006)

Funny you guys called it "the article". The first time I saw one, it was an "aerial asset". I guess if it was the south it would be "that dad-gum thang over dere".


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 21, 2006)

YEP!  Actually I heard the term "aerial asset." I guess it went from "article" to "aerial asset" after it flew!!!


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## davparlr (Nov 21, 2006)

The story I heard was that at the time fighters were the latest political fad and attack aircraft got lower funding so the AF decided on the "F" to aid in procurement.


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## HealzDevo (Nov 26, 2006)

Could be, but I really did think that there was something in the avionics that meant it could launch ATA missiles if necessary. I mean there are certain air targets you might want to get secretly... Such as Soviet Air Command Assets at the time the F-117 was procured and first flown...


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 26, 2006)

HealzDevo said:


> Could be, but I really did think that there was something in the avionics that meant it could launch ATA missiles if necessary.



Absolutely not - if there was they (The USAF) never let any one from the factory in on it, and tech reps would of had to know that to do the required PDMs and avionics upgrades that were being done up to 3 years ago...


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## HealzDevo (Nov 26, 2006)

Okay, I can remember reading that somewhere but it sounds to be just misinformation although what is the difference between launching a ATG missile and an ATA besides the accuracy required for the ATA?


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 26, 2006)

HealzDevo said:


> Okay, I can remember reading that somewhere but it sounds to be just misinformation although what is the difference between launching a ATG missile and an ATA besides the accuracy required for the ATA?



From what I remember the weapons bay, structure for the bomb racks right down to the wiring was designed for one thing - dropping bombs. In 1980 when the first one was rolling off the assembly line an air-to-air capability was continually denied by those I knew on the program - it seems the "operator" wanted a specific weapon and kept any air-to-air thought out of the picture. I work with guys right now who flew the -117, I'll ask them about it but I'm almost willing to bet dollars to donuts that there was never an air-to-air role planned for the F-117.


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## davparlr (Nov 27, 2006)

I agree with FLYBOYJ here. I have never heard of the F-117 carrying AAMs. You can always attach a sidewinder with simple interface to the cockpit, but I do not think that this was ever a desire. FLYBOYJ is much more knowledgable about the F-117 than I am. I think its prime task was to drop laser guided bombs.


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## FLYBOYJ (Nov 27, 2006)

I spoke to one guy about this today - his response was "possible but not probable," which tells me this may be classified. Several sites say IT HAS air-to-air capability but provide no references to that claim, another site says it was proposed.

Lockheed F-117A

F-117A: The Black Jet

F-117 Nighthawk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Again my time on the program was at it's inception and it was always made clear to me that the "Article" was a "bomber."
I trust the folks from the first site, they'd always been pretty accurate.


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## HealzDevo (Nov 28, 2006)

Ah, okay, I look forward to looking into this more when I have some time to think about it. Healz.


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