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F-117 Nighthawk F-117 flying over mountains in Nevada in 2002 General information Type Stealth attack aircraft National origin United States Manufacturer Lockheed Corporation Status Retired from combat, used as training aircraft as of 2025 Primary user United States Air Force Number built 64 (5 YF-117As, 59 F-117As) History Introduction date October 1983 ; 41 years ago (1983-10) First flight ...
Early stealth aircraft were designed with a focus on minimal radar cross section (RCS) rather than aerodynamic performance. Highly stealthy aircraft like the F-117 Nighthawk are aerodynamically unstable in all three axes and require constant flight corrections from a fly-by-wire (FBW) flight system to maintain controlled flight. [20]
Also proposed for the unbuilt naval F-117N variant of the F-117 Nighthawk. [27] F414-EDE "Enhanced Durability Engine" or "EDE", includes an improved high-pressure turbine (HPT) and high-pressure compressor (HPC). The HPT is redesigned to withstand slightly higher temperatures and includes aerodynamic changes.
Also notably the aircraft's shape is formed of a series of 11 flat surfaces, somewhat similar to the body of the F-117 Nighthawk jet strike aircraft in using flat plates, but without separate wing structures. Although aerodynamic efficiency is reduced due to the simplistic shaping, that shaping reduces structural weight, improving payload mass ...
After a series of successful test flights beginning in 1977, the Air force awarded Skunk Works the contract to build the F-117 stealth fighter on November 1, 1978. During the entirety of the Cold War , the Skunk Works was located in Burbank, California, on the eastern side of Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport ( 34°12′03″N 118°21′07″W ...
Richard C. Scherrer (1919–2018) [1] was an aircraft designer notable for pioneering work on revolutionary aircraft designs with extremely low radar cross sections that led to the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.
On 10 November 1988, the long-rumored existence of the F-117 Stealth Fighter was finally officially confirmed by the Pentagon. [5] In 1990 the last F-117A was delivered. and the flight test squadron no longer had to perform acceptance flights at Groom Lake.
Other examples include the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth attack aircraft and the Fouga CM.170 Magister trainer. The Cirrus Vision SF50 jet is a recent example of a civilian aircraft adopting the V-tail. Some gliders, like the Lehtovaara PIK-16 Vasama, were designed with a V-tail, but the production Vasamas had a cruciform tail. [3]