LOCKHEED F-117A 'Nighthawk'

Precision attack aircraft with stealth elements, optimised for radar energy dispersion and low IR emission.

The world's first true "stealth" warplane to reach operational status.
Details of development and early service appeared in the 1993-94. Navalised F-117N proposal were also described.
The origins of this program could be traced back to the Yom Kippur War, where the Israeli air force suffered heavy losses in US warplane types against the Soviet SAM weapon systems, operated by Egyptian and Syrian opponents.
This launched an early "Have Blue" observability-reduction program, or the Experimental Stealth Technology.
This drew submissions from Lockheed and Northrop. Northrop won and the first prototype flew on December 1977.
Design and development of the full-size F-117 was ordered on November 1978, the first five service trials aircraft flew in June, 1981.
Production was trimmed from 100 to 59 F-117A aicraft, a total of 64 aircrafts. Deliveries began in August 1982, with initial operational capability in October 1983.
The surviving aircrafts (three lost in accidents and one during Operation Allied Force) are being upgraded significantly in weapon system capability between 1994 and 2005.

Multi-faceted airframe designed to reflect radar energy away from originating transmitter, particularly downward-looking AEW aircraft.
Use of a highly angular type of flying wing basic design (based on relaxed stability and controlled via a quadreplex fly-by-wire control system) with a butterfly tail and elements of lifting-body vehicle design.
The concept is to refelct incoming electromagnetic energy and other radiation in all directions, except the originating emitter.
Vortexes from many sharp edges, including leading-edge of wing, designed to form co-ordinated lifting airflow pattern
wings have 67 degrees 30' sweepback, all doors and access panels have serrated edges to suppress radar reflection
boom refuelling receptacle on port side of top plate, aft of cockpit. Frontal radar cross-section estimated as 0.01 m² (0.1 sq ft).
The F-117A also has no active radars, unlike conventional warplanes. Instead, it uses a search rada being taken by an advanced passive system based on IR sensors and that of the Doppler navigation system by high-quality INS.
The F-117A also has internal accommodation for small warload of "smart" weapons, thus also reduces the aircrafts radar signature, with the absence of protruding hardpoints.

Two 48.0 kN (10,800 lb st) class General Electric F404-GE-F1D2 dry thrust non-augmented turbofans.
Rectangular overwing air intakes with heated grid for anti-icing and low observability.
Auxiliary air intake doors in horizontal surface immediately to the rear.
Part of cold air ingested bypasses engine and is mixed with exhaust gases for cooling.
Narrow-slot 'platypus' exhausts, designed by Astech/MCI, in rear fuselage, with extended lower lip, surrounded by heat tiles of type used on Space Shuttle and with 11 vertical, internal guide vanes.
In-flight refuelling receptacle in decking aft of cockpit. Optional drop tank on internal weapons pylon.

Alternatively, AGM-65 Maverick or AGM-88 HARM ASMs.
Provision for AIM-9 Sidewinder (against AWACS aircraft).
Internal carriage on two extendible beams in weapon bay. (Only missiles with seeker heads extended below aircraft prior to launch; bombs released from within weapons bay.)

DIMENSIONS:
Wingspan:	13.20 m	43 ft 4 in
Length overall:	20.08 m	65 ft 11 in
Height overall:	3.78 m	12 ft 5 in
WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS:
Weight empty (estimated):	13,381 kg	29,500 lb
Internal weapons load:	2268 kg	5000 lb
Max T-O weight:	23,814 kg	52,500 lb
PERFORMANCE: *( = not confirmed by USAF):**
Max level speed:	561 knots	1040 km/h; 646 mph
Normal max operating speed:	Mach 0.9
* T-O speed at normal combat weight:	165 knots	306 km/h; 190 mph
* Landing speed:	150 knots	227 km/h; 172 mph
Mission radius, unrefuelled:	570 nm	1056 km; 656 miles