F-117A (Lockheed).

TYPE : Fighter

DESIGN  FEATURES  : Multi-faceted airframe designed to  reflect  radar 
energy  away  from originating  transmitter,  particularly  downward-
looking  AEW  aircraft;  vortexes from  many  sharp  edges,  including 
leading-edge  of wing, designed to form co-ordinated  lifting  airflow 
pattern;  wing  have 67° 30' sweepback, much greater than  needed  for 
subsonic performance, with aerofoil by two flat planes underneath  and 
three on upper surface; forward underward surface blends with  forward 
fuselage; all doors and access panels have serrated edges to  suppress 
radar  reflection;  internal weapons bay 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)  long  and 
1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) wide divided longitudinally by two lengthwise doors 
hinged  on centreline; boom refuelling receptacle on post side of  top 
plate,  aft of cockpit. Frontal radar cross-section estimated as  0.01 
m2 (0.1 sq ft).

STRUCTURE  : Material principally alumunium; two-spar wings;  fuselage 
has flat facets mounted on skeletal subframe, jointed without  contour 
blending;  surfaces  coated with various  radar  absorbent  materials. 
Weapons  bay  door and landing gear leg doors  of  composites;  nickel 
alloy  honey-comb  jetpipes.  Ruddervators replaced by  new  units  of 
thermoplastic  graphite  composites  construction,  removing  previous 
speed  restriction  due  to flutter; new ruddervator  first  flown  on 
10784, 18 July 1989; last ruddervator fitted 1992. For cost  reduction 
many componest adapted from other aircraft, including Lockheed  SR-71, 
P-3, C-130, L-1011 and F-104.

LANDING  GEAR  :  Tricycle type by Menasco,  with  single  wheels  all 
retracting forward. Total brakes (steel originally, being replaced  by 
carbon/carbon),  wheels  (f-15E size) and  antiskid  system.  Goodyear 
tyres.  All doors have serrated egdes to suppress  radar  reflections. 
Emergency   arrester   with  explosively  jettisoned  cover.   Pioneer 
Aerospace braking parachute (black).

POWER PLANT : Two 48.0 kN (10.800 lb st) class General Electric  F404-
GE-F1D2 non-augmented turbofans (replacement by F412 under examination 
but unlikely) Rectangular overwing air intakes with 2.5 x 1.5 cm (1  x 
5/8  in) heated grid for anti-icing and low  observability.  Auxiliary 
air  intake  doors in horizontally surface immediatelly to  the  rear. 
Part  of cold air ingested by passes engine and ismixed  with  exhaust 
gases  for  cooling.  Narrow-slot  'platypus'  exhaust,  designed   by 
Astech/MCI,  in rear fuselage, 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) long and 0.10  m  (5 
in)  high, with extended lower lip, surrounded by heat tiles  of  type 
used  on  Space  Shuttle and with 11 vertical,  internal  guide  vanes 
Sundstrand  air  turbine starter. In-flight refuelling  receptacle  in 
decking  aft of cockpit, illuminated for night refuelling by  lamp  at 
apex of cockpit. Optional drop tank on internal weapon pylon.

ACCOMMODATIONS  :  Pilot  only; McDonnell Douglas  ACES  II  zero/zero 
ejection  seat. Five Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation individually  framed 
flat-plate windows, including single-piece windscreen.  Transparencies 
gold-coated  for radar dissipation. Canopy hinged to open  upward  and 
backward.

SYSTEMS  :  AlliedSignal  environment  control,  auxiliary  power  and 
emergency power systems.

AVIONICS  : Forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) sensor, with dual  fields 
on  view, in recessed emplacement, covered by fine mesh screen,  below 
windscreen.  Retractable  downward-looking DLIR and  laser  designator 
beneath forward fuselage to starboard on nosewheel bay; FLIR and  DLIR 
by  Texas  Instrument  (to be replaced by  improved  equipment  during 
third-phase  retrofit in 1994), HUD based on Kafser  AN/AVQ-28;  large 
head-down display for FLIR imagery antennae beneath fuselage, ahead of 
port  main  landing  gear, and on spine.  Honeywell  radar  altimeter, 
Honeywell SPN-GEANS INS (replaced by Honeywell H-423/E ring laser gyro 
from  August  1991;  Rockwell Collins GPS to  be  added);  IBM  AP-102 
mission  computer  (replacing original three Delco  M362F  computers); 
GEC-Marcony flight control computer/navigation interface amd autopilot 
computer  (NIAC) system; SLI Avionic System Corporation expanded  data 
transfer system and AHRS. Harris Corporation digital moving nao  added 
as retrofit with full colour MEDS. Proposed adaptation to carry  TARPS 
reconnaissance pod.

ARMAMENT : "Full range of USAF tactical fighter ordnance", principally 
two  2,000 lb bombs; BLU-109B low-level laser guided or  GBU-10/GBU-27 
laser  guided glide weapons; alternatively, AGM-65 Maverick or  AGM-88 
HARM  ASMs. Provision for AIM-9 Sidewinder (against  AWACS  aircraft). 
Internal  carriage  on  two  extensible beams  in  weapon  bay.  (only 
missiles  with seeker heads extended below aircraft prior  to  launch; 
bombs released from within weapons bay).

DIMENSIONS EXTERNAL :
Wing span                              13.20 m (43 ft 4 in)
Length overall                         20.08 m (65 ft 11 in)
Height overall                         3.78 m (12 ft 5 in)

AREAS (estimated) :
Wings, gross                           105.9 m2 (1,140 sq ft)

WEIGHTS AND LOADINGS :
Weight empty (estimated)               13,608 kg (30,000 lb)
Internal weapons load                  2,268 kg (5,000 lb)
Max T-O weight                         23,814 kg (52,500 lb)

PERFORMANCE :
Max level speed                        561 knots (1040 km/h; 646 mph)
Normal max operating speed             Mach 0.9
T-O speed at normal combat weight      165 knots (306 km/h; 190 mph)
Landing speed                          150 knots (227 km/h; 172 mph)
Mission radius, unrefuelled  2,268 kg (5,000 lb) weapon load                  
                                       600 nm (1,112 km; 691 miles)
g limit                                +6

Source :
Jane's
All The Worlds's Aircraft
Eighty-Fourth year of issue
1993-1994