Fighter Sweep
  • Home
  • Military Aviation
  • Air Force
  • Navy
  • Spec Ops
  • Expert Analysis
  • Careers
  • Photos
Home Previous Post Next Post
Follow @fightersweep

Watch: 25 F-117 Nighthawks flyover in a massive formation

December 13, 2018
Alex Hollings 3 Comments Military Aviation, Video

In the era of F-35s, F-22s and B-21s, stealth technology has continued to advance and envelope an even greater portion of America’s airborne war fighting apparatus — but not too long ago, America’s stealth aircraft (and their capabilities) remains a closely guarded secret.

The Nighthawk’s angular design is actually a product of the limited computational power back during its development in the 1970s. The optimal shape for a radar deflecting aircraft that the computers of the era were able to manage was a sort of flat diamond — which Lockheed’s staff took to calling the “hopeless diamond,” as the unusual shape offered little promise of actually managing to stay airborne.

As the aircraft continued to take shape, Lockheed quickly realized that the only way flying the F-117 wouldn’t be “hopeless” would be to turn the controls of the aircraft over to computers. Because it was designed specifically for stealth (and not for performance) the aircraft proved to be impossible to fly manually. According to Lockheed, the design is aerodynamically unstable across all three of its axes.

Pilots controlled the aircraft by way of the onboard computers, which make constant corrections to offset the unstable design.

That wasn’t the only trickery afoot with the Nighthawk — the Air Force also tricked the pilots they tailored for the program, giving the deep penetration bomber an “F” prefix (F-117) to indicate that it was a fighter, specifically because they assumed the best pilots in the force would want to carry the moniker “fighter” pilot.

The F-117 Nighthawk was officially retired in 2008, though a number of them will remain in operational storage for what promises to be years to come. Nonetheless, no one will likely ever see 25 of these incredible aircraft flying in one formation ever again.

Watch below:

Feature image courtesy of YouTube

About the Author

Alex Hollings Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

Related Posts

  • Watch: F-35 seems to stop in mid-air as pilot puts it into a flat spinWatch: F-35 seems to stop in mid-air as pilot puts it into a flat spin
  • What do we do with our stealth aircraft after we’re through with them?What do we do with our stealth aircraft after we’re through with them?
  • Who would win: American stealth aircraft or Russia’s advanced air defense systems?Who would win: American stealth aircraft or Russia’s advanced air defense systems?
  • Could America’s secretive B-21 Raider already be flying?Could America’s secretive B-21 Raider already be flying?
  • Watchdog report: Navy risking troops’ lives by pushing the F-35C into combatWatchdog report: Navy risking troops’ lives by pushing the F-35C into combat

Find Us on Facebook

FighterSweep.com

Sign Up
for the Newsletter

What’s Hot

  • July 3, 2022

    Russians Are Accidentally Flying Their Jets Into the Ground to Avoid Being Shot Down

  • July 5, 2022

    Female Air Force Special Tactics Officer First to Earn Scarlet Beret

  • July 4, 2022

    Spain Will Replace F/A-18 Hornets with NATO Eurofighter in $2.15 Billion Deal

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Twitter

Recent Comments

  • Lars Dirch Sørensen This didn't age well.
  • Speir Mor Media Amazing history and pride in the old B-52! And that’s one hell of a range. [...]
  • disqus_lkVjMrnsGt As an 8th grader in 1960 I first became acquainted with the 1952 Washington [...]
  • SWS Irrational fears and misinformation is not a reason to get a waiver from a [...]

© Copyright 2022 SOFREP Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers