The Lockheed Martin F-117 Nighthawk is one of the most fascinating stealth technology aircraft still holding so much in the imagination of admirers of aviation and military historians.
It is indeed the first operational aircraft that utilized the principle of stealth technology.
Development began in the 1970s as a strategic response to the increasing threat posed by sophisticated Soviet surface-to-air missiles.
Then, DARPA initiated the action by contracting Lockheed to design the Have Blue technology demonstrator, which turned out to be the basis for the F-117.
The faceted shape made up of two-dimensional flat surfaces, gave the F-117 a much reduced radar cross-section, making it a valuable asset of the United States Air Force.
A non-circular tailpipe minimized infrared signature, as well as a system of advanced digital navigation and attack systems further gave the aircraft a high level of effectiveness with limited maneuverability in air combat.
As an attack aircraft, the F-117 did exceptionally well and earned the qualification “Stealth Fighter.”
Its existence was not disclosed publicly by the USAF until November 1988.
It first saw combat during the United States invasion of Panama in 1989 and gained widespread recognition for its role in the Gulf War of 1991, executing approximately 1,300 sorties and targeting high-value sites in Iraq.
This aircraft’s history is involved with the Yugoslavia war service, Afghanistan service, and Iraq service up to its decommissioning in April 2008; however, its planes are airworthy and have been seen occasionally since 2009.
Another flight history apart is that of Charles “Charley” Taylor, who enjoyed shared early flight history with that of the Wright brothers.
He was the first aviation mechanic. He started working at the Wright bicycle shop in 1901, where he helped in building a wind tunnel and testing shapes leading to the eventual Wright brothers’ first powered airplane engine.
Taylor’s work has much to do with the success of the “first flight,” and his legacy is entrenched in the National Aviation Hall of Fame as an aviation pioneer.
The F-117 Nighthawk and Charley Taylor had to exude the spirit of innovative determination that has continually endeared aviation to man.
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