[Yo-Yo]

I remember first reading about the F-117 in the 1986 Tom Clancy book Red Storm Rising, only in the book they were called F-19s, and they were heralded as a super-secret Stealth aircraft that was completely developed and fielded with the utmost secrecy. At the time I remember thinking to myself "I was in the USAF, and there is no way such an aircraft could have been designed, manufactured, and deployed without some sort of public leak."

Then along came 1988 and the USAF announced that the F-19 did exist, and it was called the F-117A. It was then used to oust Noriega from Panama, and to serve extemporarily in the first Gulf war.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Which was the inspiration for the following game:



which costed me many an hour back before the real one was even seen in its first official use in Panama.

[ASOC]

I drove past the F-117 hangers daily for years while working on the Tonopah Test Range.

Meh.

On a scale of 1 - 10 for secret, the -117 was, at best, a 4 to 5. The prototypes were deeply black - but it’s hard to hide an aircraft you regularly fly even in twilight...

Nowadays, the Chinese would have the plans before the prototypes fly.....

[Carriage Hill]

The F-117 was retired in 2008?
Jeez, I need to keep up a little better.

[fella]

"I remember thinking to myself "I was in the USAF, and there is no way such an aircraft could have been designed, manufactured, and deployed without some sort of public leak."

That was back in the days before our government and industrial design and development structure was totally infiltrated by agents of our enemies that we educated in our own universities. Now our enemies know about our developments before we do.

[Java4Jay]

Scrap them? What a waste of good aircraft.

Convert to pilotless

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

But there was a public leak backed by none other than Jimmy Carter to show that he wasn’t soft on defense in the 1980 election. If Carter didn’t reveal the stealth’s existence to make political points it’s been theorized that it could have remained a secret until the late 80s, possibly into the 1st Gulf War. Remember this well but not much about it is on the web. Here’s some on it;

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/secret_projects2/project317.htm

[oldschoolwargamer]

A historic aircraft. Hopefully at least one example is kept for display at either of the Smithsonian Air & Space museums. The combination of stealth and “smart” munitions may not have been as revolutionary as the development of the strategic bomber, the carrier based aircraft, or the pilotless drone, but it was certainly a major evolution in aerial strategy and tactics.

[DCBryan1]

Sell them to Israel! They would upgrade them to uber strike aircraft. It would be a good sale and smart.

[MeganC]

I read ‘Red Storm Rising’ and the F-19 in his book was nicknamed ‘Frisbee’ because it was supposed be mostly round to help it evade radar. The best part of the story was when they flew one right down a Russian rod to bomb a bridge! Clancy wrote some very good books and the new guy (Greany?) doesn’t do justice to those stories.

[Portcall24]

Holloman AFB near Alamogordo, NM already has a Wobblin’ Goblin on display at their Freedom Park. Last time I was there parts of the skin were starting to de-laminate. Still it’s nice to be able to walk around the bird up close.

[Vinnie]

They need to go to Israel.