About That Retired F117...

a reply to: gariac

Not talking about radar though, they have other platforms that can test radar. They can test RAM, and some of the other similar systems they have.

It also works wonders as a target aircraft to test radar against, especially with the new skin coatings. It's the best way to let your pilots learn to fight another VLO aircraft, and use their sensors to the best advantage.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: gariac

Not talking about radar though, they have other platforms that can test radar. They can test RAM, and some of the other similar systems they have.

It also works wonders as a target aircraft to test radar against, especially with the new skin coatings. It's the best way to let your pilots learn to fight another VLO aircraft, and use their sensors to the best advantage.

Uh, isn't that what I said.? ;-)

a reply to: gariac

And the post before yours I said "besides radar".

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: gariac

And the post before yours I said "besides radar".

But my point is the F-117 never had radar, so you can't upgrade what isn't there.

It was a design philosophy. Radar has a finite probability of being detected, so you can't be totally stealth with on-board radar. The other issue is radar gear is hard to make stealthy from a return point of view. Even if you don't turn on the radar, the antenna itself can have a return.

So if testing new coatings was the game plan, the last thing you would do would be to alter a well documented signature.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: grey580

Fun fact, you can't autofocus a camera on them. The RAM absorbs the beam the camera uses to focus, so the lens just goes in and out non-stop.

Most likely due to the low contrast surface of the plane. Conventional SLR AF does not beam anything although sometimes the flash systems are designed to "beam" a ray of light allowing the AF system to see whatever it is trying to focus on. AF is still high up on the list of aspects beeing refined with each camera revision also because it struggles with low light/low contrast subjects. Early cameras could be a hit and miss deal at best. Focusing on a stealthy airplane could be compareable to focusing on a clear blue sky, not much contrast to bite into :-)

a reply to: tomra

At the time, I didn't really care for the reasons why, I just went by what my brother told me. He was a huge photography buff, and eventually got into it for a job for a few years. I just remember it happening when they'd come through.

a reply to: Zaphod58

It´s not really relevant to the topic either. I just thought i put in a technical clarification because you appear to be someone who like to have your facts straight, all in good will.

a reply to: tomra

Oh absolutely. And I appreciate it. I was just telling someone yesterday I love learning new things so thank you for that.

Damn you guys and your knowledge fascinates me. I have never bothered to google search an F-117 or F-22 Raptor before this thread and glad I did. Cool air planes for sure. It blows my mind that these are so old, as old as I am yet growing up I always thought that planes flown in "Top Gun" were the best there was and that the B-2 was the only stealth plane there was.

Shows how ignorant I really am, thanks for educating me ya'll.

I know they had problems with the proximity fuses on the sidewinder missile not being able to read the RAM on the F-117.

That meant that a aircraft with that type coating was immune to everything but a direct hit by a sidewinder missile.
They have changed the proximity fuses on US air to air missile to a new type that can now read stealth aircraft.

One of the first aircraft tested at the navy Missile Engagement Simulation Arena (MESA) at China Lake was the F-117.
aviationintel.com...

By the way i assembled and wired both the test sled and the two giant sliding cranes.

The inside walls of this building is the largest Faraday cage in the US and maybe the world.

PS. There is a photo floating around that shows a 'flying saucer' hanging in the building. unknown if its real.

a reply to: ANNED

That's cool! Any chance you can take the time to look for that picture of the UFO hanging in there? Pretty obscure description for me to try and find it on my own.