NOTE:
RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE
PAGE.
During
the first Gulf War, Lockheed F-117 aircraft set a distance and endurance record
for a single seat combat aircraft by flying from Holloman AFB in the
U.S. to Kuwait in about 18 hours and 30 minutes.
The
Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk was developed in response to an Air Force
requirement for a bomber capable of not being detected by enemy radar.
A contract was awarded to Lockheed in1978. The first flight of the
Lockheed F-117 was on June 18, 1981, and it was deployed in 1982. However, the
existence of the aircraft was only made known to the public in 1988.
Features
of the Lockheed F-117 include angle optimized leading edges and surfaces, saw
tooth edges on opening panels and doors, radar absorbing paint, coated
engine intake gratings, and engine exhaust masking, all designed to
reduce radar and thermal signatures.
In
a further effort to keep a stealth profile, the Lockheed F-117 does not use
radar for navigation or weapons targeting. The aircraft utilizes
infrared technology instead.
The Lockheed
F-117 has a computerized flight control system that provides navigation
and flight systems management. However, the pilot can visually acquire
the target in a head up display for weapons delivery. The F-117 also
has a video system to view and record real-time damage assessment.
The Lockheed
F-117 can carry up to 5,000 lbs. of ordinance internally. Typical
weapons are two laser guided bombs, two penetration bombs, two
wind corrected munitions dispensers, or two joint direct attack
munitions and G P S guided stand-off bombs. In theory it can carry
two of every weapon in the U.S.A.F. inventory including nuclear
bombs.
The Lockheed
F-117 first saw action on 12/20/89 during Operation Just Cause in
Panama. During Operation Desert Storm in January and February of 1991
the F-117 was the only Coalition fixed wing aircraft allowed to strike
targets inside of Baghdad's city limits.
F-117 aircraft also conducted air strikes during NATO operations in the Balkans in March of 1999.
It
is estimated that Lockheed delivered 59 Lockheed F-117 aircraft to the United
States Air Force between August of 1982 and July of 1990.
It is anticipated that all Lockheed F-117 aircraft will have been replaced on their missions by the F-22 Raptor by the end of 2008.