Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids F-117 Nighthawk
F-117 flying over mountains in Nevada in 2002
General information
Type	Stealth attack aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Corporation
Status	Retired from combat in 2008, used as training aircraft
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	64 (5 YF-117As, 59 F-117As)
History
Manufactured	1981–1990
Introduction date	October 1983; 43 years ago (1983-10)
First flight	18 June 1981; 45 years ago (1981-06-18)

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was an American twin-engine stealth attack aircraft. It was made by Lockheed's famous Skunk Works group. The United States Air Force flew this unusual, dark plane. It was the very first working airplane designed with stealth technology. This technology allowed it to hide from enemy radar.

Secret History of the Nighthawk
- Action in the Skies
How the Stealth Plane Works
Images for kids
See also

Secret History of the Nighthawk

During the 1970s, military engineers needed a plane that could avoid radar missiles. In 1976, DARPA hired Lockheed to build two test planes named Have Blue. Their successful first flight happened in 1977. Leaders then decided to build a full military version named the F-117.

The first full prototype flew in 1981 at Groom Lake, Nevada, also called Area 51. For many years, the F-117 was a completely secret black project. The Air Force hid its planes at Tonopah Test Range Airport in Nevada. Officials finally revealed the real plane to the public in November 1988.

Action in the Skies

The F-117 was used in several conflicts before its retirement. It flew missions during the United States invasion of Panama in 1989. In the 1991 Gulf War, pilots flew about 1,300 missions over Iraq. Because of its success, the Air Force used it in later conflicts.

The Air Force retired the fleet from combat in 2008. Newer jets like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II replaced it. Today, some remain in flight to help train pilots in aggressor squadron missions.

How the Stealth Plane Works

Front view of an F-117

The F-117 looks very strange because it is covered in flat, sharp panels. Engineers call this design faceted.

Scattering Radar Waves

Normal airplanes have curved surfaces that bounce radar signals back to ground stations. The flat facets of the F-117 bounce radar energy away like a tilted mirror. A Soviet mathematician named Pyotr Ufimtsev discovered how edges reflect waves. Lockheed engineers used his math in a computer program called Echo. Echo helped shape the jet so it had a tiny radar cross-section.

Staying Cool and Quiet

Radar is not the only way enemies find airplanes. Engines create hot exhaust that sensors can track. The F-117 hides its heat to shrink its infrared signature.

The tail pipe is a narrow slit that mixes hot fumes with cool outside air.
The jet lacks an afterburner to stop large bursts of heat.
The plane stays at subsonic speeds.
Flying slower than the sound barrier prevents a loud sonic boom.

High-Tech Cockpit Controls

The F-117 was aerodynamically unstable because of its flat, angled body. A human could not balance the plane alone without help. It required a special fly-by-wire computer system to make constant corrections.

For navigation, pilots relied on GPS and digital map computers. They found targets using a thermal imaging system with a built-in laser designator. The plane carried accurate weapons like the GBU-10, GBU-12, and GBU-27 laser-guided bombs.