Lockheed F117A Stealth Fighter in
aviation art prints by Ivan Berryman and Michael Rondot. Lockheed F117A
stealth fighter art prints available from the aviation art company, a
subsidiary of Cranston Fine Arts.
The extraordinary Lockheed F.117A Stealth fighter proved
an awesome sight when at last it was revealed to the world in 1990,
and it was soon to distinguish itself in combat in the deserts of the
Middle East during the Iraqi campaign of 1991. Predator
depicts an example of this inspired machine at altitude against an evening
sun, benign and at the same time menacing, an intriguing testament to
mans conquest and exploitation of the skies.
The F-117A was developed by the Lockheed Advanced
Development Projects team, better known as the Skunk Works. This was a
top secret program, and the aircraft flew for several years before its
existence was known to the public. Early work on the project began in
1977 with the development of two 60% scale aircraft. Under the code name
Have Blue the two prototype scale
aircraft were built in a matter of months at Lockheeds Burbank facility.
The first test flight was made in early 1978 by Bill Park. The Have Blue
aircraft proved undetectable by any airborne radar in existence other
than that on an E-3 AWACS. The F-117A was authorized into production in
1978. It is one of the most unique looking aircraft in the world because
it was designed as a stealth aircraft. It is made of geometrically flat
panes with sharply swept wings. The facing of the aircrafts fuselage
results in the disbursement of much of the radar energy which strikes
the F-117A. Radar absorbing materials are used throughout and the
propulsion system was ingeniously designed to dramatically reduce the
aircrafts infrared footprint. The F-117A is a fairly large bird for a
single seat aircraft with its 65 ft length and 43 ft wingspan. It
reportedly handles well with flight characteristics similar to other
delta wing aircraft like the F-106. The F-117A is capable of high
subsonic flight (646 MPH) and has a range of approximately 1000 miles.
The aircraft is equipped for aerial refueling. The F-117A is powered by
two GE F404-F1D2 engines which are non-after burning versions of the
engines used in the F/A-18. The bomb capacity is a total of 4,000
pounds. Designed to operate as a covert aircraft providing surgical
first strikes against heavily defended radar and communications centers
the F-117A was put to the test during Operation Desert Storm. The 37th
Tactical Fighter Wing, under the command of USAF Col. Alton C. Whitley,
Jr., flew the first strike
missions against Baghdad, hitting important communications and control
centers, radar sites, and antiaircraft batteries. Utilizing laser guided
2,000 LB bombs, about thirty F-117As participated in the first nights
attacks. Despite an enormous amount of anti-aircraft fire, the F-117As
under Whitleys command carried out their missions flawlessly, and not a
single aircraft was lost to enemy fire. The Stealth fighters blinded the
eyes and crushed the nerve centers of the Iraqi Air Forces during these
missions, making it possible for other aircraft to carry out their
missions with less likelihood of Iraqi opposition. A total of 1,271
sorties were flown by F-117As with a success rate of 80% during the war.
One of the more impressive attacks was captured on film and showed a
deep penetration laser guided bomb being guided through the top of an
elevator shaft on the roof of the ten-story building which housed the
Iraqi Air Forces headquarters. The bomb penetrated deep into the
structure before detonating and blowing out all four walls of the
structure. While the F-117A is no longer a secret weapon, its
effectiveness may hopefully serve as a deterrent to future possible
conflicts.
