Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>F-117>HA5806
F-117A Nighthawk "Operation Allied Force" 82-803, 8th FS "Black Sheep", Kosovo War, 1999
General Background
In the 1970’s Soviet air defense systems improved and the U.S. realized they had to develop
aircraft to counter this. Lockheed Skunk Works was tasked with the job and two aircraft were built
under the code name “Have Blue” that proved stealth aircraft could be produced. As a result the
F-117 Nighthawk was developed and first flew in 1981 with the first production F-117 80-10785
making its maiden flight on April 20, 1982 but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Pentagon confirmed its
existence.
The Aircraft
The Kosovo War was an armed conflict between Serbia / Montenegro and Kosovo Albanian
rebels known as the Kosovo Liberation Army who were supported by NATO forces. The conflict
lasted from February 1998 until June 1999 with the U.S. sending 36 stealth F-117s to fly missions
over Serbian targets that conventional aircraft couldn’t reach. F-117A 82-803 “Unexpected
Guest” from the 8th FS “Black Sheep” was one of them. It was the 19th aircraft produced in lot 4
and first flew on May 8, 1984 and accepted on June 22, 1984.
Specifications :
| Role: | Fighter/Attack |
| First Deployed : | 1982 |
| Retired : | April 22, 2008 |
| Full Scale Development Aircraft : | 5 |
| Production Aircraft : | 59 |
| Crew : | 1 |
| Crew : | 1 |
| Performance | |
| Power Plant : | 2 X General Electric F404-F1D2 Turbofan Engine Each Producing 10,600 lbf (48.0 kN) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length: | 65 ft 11 in (20.09 m) |
| Wingspan: | 43 ft 4 in (13.20 m) |
| Height: | 12 ft 9 in (3.78 m) |
| Weight | |
| Empty: | 29,500 lbs (13,380 kg) |
| Loaded: | 52,500 lbs (23,800 kg) |
| Speed | |
| Ceiling: | 45,000 ft (13,716 m) |
| Maximum: | 617 mph (Mach .092 / 993 km/h) |
| Range: | 930 nm (1,720 km / Unlimited with Air Refuel) |
| Armament: | 2 X Internal Weapons Bays, 1 X Hardpoint Per Bay, Total 2 Weapons Capacity |
| Laser Guided Bombs: | GBU-10 Paveway II 2,000 lb Bomb |
| GBU-12 Paveway II 500 lb Bomb | |
| GBU-16 Paveway II 1,000 Bomb | |
| GBU-27 Have Void (Modified GBU-24 Modified For The F-117) 2000lb | |
| GPS Guided Bombs: | GBU-29 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) |
| GBU-30 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) | |
| GBU-31 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) INS/GPS Guided Munitions | |
| GBU-32 JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) | |
| (WCMD) Wind Corrected Munition Dispenser | |
| Missiles: | AGM-65 Maverick (Air-to-surface Guided Missile) |
| AGM-88 HARM (High-speed Anti-radiation Missile) | |
| AGM-137 TSSAM (Tri-Service Standoff Attack Missile) | |
| AGM-154 JSOW (Joint Standoff Weapon) | |
| AGM-154 JASSM (Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile) |