Skip to comments.
F-117 Stealth Fighter to Be Retired
AP ^
| March 11, 2008
| JAMES HANNAH
Posted on 03/11/2008 8:17:16 AM PDT by Joiseydude
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - The world's first attack aircraft to employ stealth technology is slipping quietly into history.
The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, which manages the F-117 program, will have an informal, private retirement ceremony Tuesday with military leaders, base employees and representatives from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aerospace
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-136 next last
To: Joiseydude
I wonder what has replaced it that we have not seen yet?
To: Joiseydude
F-22 Raptor is replacing it ...
Of course, there may be other things as well.
3
posted on
03/11/2008 8:20:16 AM PDT
by
ArrogantBustard
(Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
To: Resolute Conservative
4
posted on
03/11/2008 8:20:19 AM PDT
by
elhombrelibre
(Obama more Left than Teddy. The perfect combination of earnest and absurdly empty pol.)
To: Joiseydude
Is this retirement of all F-117 Fighters, or ‘a’ F-117 fighter?
5
posted on
03/11/2008 8:20:40 AM PDT
by
jerod
(They were pro-abortion, for gun control & wanted a cleaner environment at all cost - The NAZI party)
To: Resolute Conservative
wow- if they are retiring this amazing aircraft just imagine what it’s replacement must be like...
I had read something a while back that this aircraft was so invisible that someone had found a way to detect it by scanning the sky for somethign that was NOT there (i.e. background noise being blocked by ‘something’ invisible)
pretty clever
6
posted on
03/11/2008 8:20:45 AM PDT
by
Mr. K
(Some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help)
To: Joiseydude
The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada. Ping for later
7
posted on
03/11/2008 8:20:53 AM PDT
by
Alex Murphy
("Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" -- Galatians 4:16)
To: jerod
To: Alex Murphy
Come back after the conspiracy nuts have shown up.
9
posted on
03/11/2008 8:21:45 AM PDT
by
ArrogantBustard
(Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
To: Mr. K
Read “Skunkworks”. Really cool stuff. This was pre-F117 days.
One of the funny things was finding dead bats in the F-117 hanger - guess why.
10
posted on
03/11/2008 8:21:59 AM PDT
by
MrB
(You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
To: MrB
Because the F-117’s were even invisible to the bats.
To: ArrogantBustard
>>Of course, there may be other things as well.<<
Yes. They are all disk or “cigar” shaped.
12
posted on
03/11/2008 8:23:48 AM PDT
by
RobRoy
(I'm confused. I mean, I THINK I am, but I'm not sure. But I could be wrong about that.)
To: elhombrelibre
The F-22 was designed in the late 80’2 and 90’s and we have seen it for many years. I wonder what is being designed in the last few years that is flying out of Groom Lake and other areas that we haven’t seen yet.
To: Joiseydude
“Invisible” in that the bats’ sonar was not reflected back to them so that they could get an accurate echo.
14
posted on
03/11/2008 8:24:16 AM PDT
by
MrB
(You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
To: Joiseydude
Making room for the F22 and F35.
The F117 was designed before stealth was possible with curved aircraft.
The new fighters are more aerodynamic and just as stealthy thanks to computerized design and manufacturing.
15
posted on
03/11/2008 8:24:31 AM PDT
by
varyouga
("Rove is some mysterious God of politics & mind control" - DU 10-24-06)
To: MrB
I assume that is a joke?
Or are you implying that F117’s don’t reflect sound?
16
posted on
03/11/2008 8:25:46 AM PDT
by
RobRoy
(I'm confused. I mean, I THINK I am, but I'm not sure. But I could be wrong about that.)
To: Mr. K
I had read something a while back that this aircraft was so invisible that someone had found a way to detect it by scanning the sky for somethign that was NOT there (i.e. background noise being blocked by something invisible) Don't forget that one was shot down and probably looked at by our enemies. They could have tuned their radars just to detect it's signature.
I wouldn't be surprised if this is the reason for retiring it.
17
posted on
03/11/2008 8:27:20 AM PDT
by
varyouga
("Rove is some mysterious God of politics & mind control" - DU 10-24-06)
To: Resolute Conservative
People think it's all dreamed up, but our DoD really does have secret programs to which the F117 belonged for a long time. Even in the Army (Far less high tech) all sort of “who knew we had this” things and gadgets appeared in 2003.
18
posted on
03/11/2008 8:29:19 AM PDT
by
Red6
(Come and take it.)
To: jerod
All - this has been planned for years.
19
posted on
03/11/2008 8:30:10 AM PDT
by
Red6
(Come and take it.)
To: Resolute Conservative
I wonder what has replaced it that we have not seen yet? You've seen it. The B-2, JSF, and the F-22. Along with stand-off precision weapons.
20
posted on
03/11/2008 8:30:32 AM PDT
by
SampleMan
(We are a free and industrious people, socialist nannies do not become us.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-40, 41-60, 61-80 ... 121-136 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson