Stealth fighter
Definition Innovative military aircraft
Manufacturer Lockheed Advanced Development
Projects Unit of Lockheed Martin
Date First flight in 1982; revealed in 1988
The F-117 Nighthawk was a classified aircraft of the United
States Air Force that was developed during the 1980’s. Ini-
tially kept secret from the public, it was declassified during
the latter part of the decade.
Throughout the 1980’s, the Lockheed Advanced
Development Projects Unit, nicknamed the “Skunk
Works,” developed and constructed a fleet of stealth
aircraft. The director of this project was Ben Rich.
Rich took over the Skunk Works from Kelly Johnson,
who had founded it. The F-117 Nighthawk was the
first aircraft designed around stealth technology.
Lockheed Martin was originally awarded the con-
tract in 1973, but the first operational aircraft was
not completed until 1982. By the end of the decade,
Lockheed Martin had fulfilled its contractual obliga-
tion to build a fleet of Nighthawks.
The Skunk Works was a well-kept secret. Even the
invoices for construction materials were designed to
keep the project secret, as all such materials were
listed as spare parts for other Lockheed Martin air-
craft, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Lockheed
Martin also began working on a stealth fighter known
as the F-22 Raptor, while Northrup developed a
stealth bomber known as the B-2 Spirit. The F-117,
although a fighter in design, was capable only of de-
livering bombs.
The stealth technology employed by the F-117
makes the aircraft nearly invisible to radar. It is not
completely invisible, however. The paint of the air-
craft is an important part of its stealth capabilities,
because it is made from radar-absorbent material
(RAM). As a result, it absorbs rather than reflects
radar signals, making the vehicle less detectable.
Other aspects of the plane’s stealth technology in-
clude its engines and overall shape, both of which918 Stealth fighter The Eighties in America
The F-117 Nighthawk.(Catalan/cc-by-sa-2.0)