F-117 Stealth in Action

The Lockheed Advanced Development Projects (ADP). better known by its nick­name — the Skunk Works, has over the years built an aerospace design team capable of achieving what can truly be called incredible feats of aircraft design and development. When Kelly Johnson first conceived the U-2. nobody thought that it was possible to build a jet powered glider that could reach and maintain 80.000 feet. When the original Blackbird (the A-12/YF-12/SR-71) was conceived during 1958/59. an aircraft that could fly at Mach 3.2 at or above 90.000 feet was totally unheard of. One of the major problem areas faced by the Air Force during Viet Nam was the loss of a large number of aircraft to radar-guided guns and surface-to-air missiles. One way to reduce these losses was to reduce the radar cross section of the attack aircraft itself. Current designs did not allow stealth technology to be applied, with the exception of the B-l bomber. The B-1A had a radar cross section (RCS) of approximately 10 square meters: the B-1B has a radar cross section of approximately 1 square meter. That reduc­tion primarily dealt with the air intakes and other external features on the aircraft. Stealth technology was identified as one potential solution to the problems associated with a high threat environment. If the radar cross section (RCS) of the aircraft could be reduced dramatically, the performance and capability of all radar-guided defensive sys­tems would be degraded. In other words, the Soviet Union's two hundred billion dollar air defense system would become useless.

NO PASSWORD

All my files in one folder here!

!!!No Mirrors below, please! Follow Rules!