F-117 Nighthawk

Controls

Function Bind Note

Common controls Standard for this type of planes -

Landing gears Disable steering -

Enable guidance mode Beacon Enable targeting pod, disable plane control

Bomb drop (Fire-and-forget) Fire Action 1 -

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). Its most defining characteristic is its unique faceted surface design, composed of numerous flat trapezoidal panels, which are angled to deflect radar waves away from potential emitting sources. This revolutionary approach to reducing radar cross-section (RCS), rather than relying on aerodynamic efficiency, resulted in an aircraft that was, for its time, virtually invisible to enemy air defense systems. Powered by two non-afterburning General Electric F404-F1D2 turbofan engines, each providing 48.0 kN of thrust, the aircraft could reach a maximum speed of approximately 1,130 km/h. It had a wingspan of 13.20 metres, a length of 20.09 metres, and a maximum takeoff weight of 23,800 kg. Its primary armament was carried in an internal weapons bay and typically consisted of two 910 kg GBU-27 Paveway III laser-guided bombs, ensuring its stealth profile was not compromised by externally mounted ordnance.

The overall operational concept of the Nighthawk was that of a precision strike platform, designed to penetrate the most dense and sophisticated enemy air defenses to destroy high-value, heavily defended targets. Its mission profile relied entirely on its stealth characteristics, as the aircraft possessed no radar of its own for target acquisition or navigation. Instead, it utilized a sophisticated suite of infrared acquisition and designation systems (IRADS) and inertial navigation systems to find and illuminate targets with a high degree of accuracy under the cover of darkness. The cockpit, while advanced for its era, featured a predominantly analog instrument panel with some multifunctional digital displays, and the pilot was provided with a zero-zero ejection seat for emergency escape. The aircraft's black, radar-absorbent material (RAM) coating, combined with its angular airframe, made it an unmistakable and iconic symbol of stealth technology.

The creation of the F-117 was a direct result of the 1970s-era DARPA "Have Blue" program, which sought to investigate the feasibility of stealth aircraft following the publication of Soviet physicist Pyotr Ufimtsev's seminal paper on radar wave scattering. Lockheed engineers, led by Ben Rich, successfully applied these theoretical concepts to create the "Hopeless Diamond" model, which demonstrated a dramatically reduced RCS. This led to the construction of two proof-of-concept "Have Blue" demonstrators, which first flew in 1977. The success of these prototypes prompted the full-scale development of the Senior Trend program, which produced the F-117A. The first of five Full-Scale Development (FSD) aircraft flew on 18 June 1981, and the type achieved initial operating capability in 1983. The program remained a closely guarded secret for years, with the aircraft's existence only being publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government in 1988. The Nighthawk's combat debut occurred during the Gulf War in 1991, where it successfully struck key targets in Baghdad with impunity, validating the immense investment in stealth technology.

The GBU-10 Paveway II is a second-generation laser-guided bomb (LGB) and a cornerstone of modern precision air-to-ground munitions. It is constructed by attaching a KMU-351B/B or KMU-421A/B guidance kit, which includes a computer control group and a seeker head, to a standard 900-kilogram (2,000-pound) Mk 84 general-purpose bomb or BLU-109 penetrator warhead. The system operates by homing in on laser energy reflected from a target, which is designated by an external source such as an accompanying aircraft, a ground-based laser designator, or the launching aircraft itself. With an effective range that allows for release from several kilometers away, the GBU-10 dramatically improved strike accuracy, reliably achieving a circular error probable (CEP) of less than 10 meters. Its development in the late 1960s and early 1970s provided U.S. and allied forces with a devastatingly accurate and cost-effective means of destroying high-value point targets, a capability famously demonstrated by F-117 Nighthawks during Operation Desert Storm.

Originally posted by author: in cooperation with uroboros_86 thanks to feitanv for help with bomb bay

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