F4U F6F P-38 P-47 or P-51 Which plane was best by war's end

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The F-117 used parts off other aircraft to cover it's development though, didn't it? I heard it uses the rear-undercarriage off an A-10.
 
plan_D said:
The F-117 used parts off other aircraft to cover it's development though, didn't it? I heard it uses the rear-undercarriage off an A-10.
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Yep - MLG from an A-10, F-16 FBW system, F-18 engines w/o afterburner from what I could remember
 
That I did not know. I knew that Lockheed bought the F-16 division but I did not know the F-117 was incorporated from different parts! Besides obvious reasons such as cost, I wonder why they did this.
 
To cover it's development. It was a secret project. In the orders for these parts it just looks like they're repairing A-10s and stuff.
 
plan_D said:
To cover it's development. It was a secret project. In the orders for these parts it just looks like they're repairing A-10s and stuff.
Click to expand...

There was also a bunch of fictitious companies made up to hide the fact that Lockheed was building a classified aircraft. When I was working on the P-3 program in the early 80s, I would visit suppliers in the LA area. While at these suppliers I would see co-workers who were on the 117 program. These guys would see me and pretend they didn't know me. 8)
 
Intra Systems West, JR Ramsey Inc. are two that come to mind. During this period Lockheed was building the P-3, L1011 subassemblies, and conducting P-3 and S-3 experimental flight testing on 1 or 2 aircraft. These programs were know as "white world." You would guess these programs encompassed about 1000 people max., but yet 6,000 people worked at Burbank, all in the Skunk Works and many in buildings 309 and 310 (long demolished). It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on!
 

To a point.... We laughed when the F-19 model came out!
 

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You bet! STORYTIME: My last month at Lockheed there were these two spotters taking photos of the 737 used to transport folks to the various "sites." I came out of an entrance where these guys were taking their pictures. I was wearing a black suit, white shirt, black tie and sunglasses. They asked me if I came off "that" plane. I said in a very monotone voice "YES." (I was actually in an adjoining building). Then they asked if I worked for Lockheed, I told them "NO, I'M NOT FROM THIS SYSTEM." As I was walking away, I could hear their cameras clicking away! By the time I got to my car I just about peed myself from laughing so hard!
 
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